Lunch was delicious! It was quinoa topped with spinach, salmon, and avocado. I just found all of the stuff in my refrigerator and mixed it up.

This was my haul from the farmer’s market. All of the produce was ginormous! Do you see the avocado? It is practically the size of my hand. This picture does not do these wonderful fruits and vegetables any justice.

Watermelon - $8

Grapes - $3

Avocados (2) - $2

Limes (10) - $1

Collard greens (2) - $2

Golden squash - $2

Total spent: $18

I bought sushi comprised of brown rice, avocado, cucumbers, and carrots from Market Street for dinner tonight.

A kiwi and avocado may sound like a strange combination, but they make the perfect sauce for these bland noodles. In my opinion, the kiwi brings more flavor to the noodles than a lemon.

• 1 package Angel-Hair Shiritaki Noodles
• 2 handfuls spinach, washed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large kiwi, peeled
• 1/2 small avocado
• 2 tbsps cashews, soaked for an hour
• 1/4 cup peas and corn kernels, steamed
• fresh ground black pepper
• olive oil spray

1. Drain the package of noodles and rinse well. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the water and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a food processor, add the avocado, kiwi, and cashews. Pulse until blended.
3. Place a pan over high heat, then coat it with the cooking spray. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Turn down the heat to medium low. Stir in the peas and corn kernels, then the noodles. Top with the avocado sauce and mix. Sprinkle ground pepper on top of the noodles.

I made an appetizer to split with my mom.

• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup grilled tuna, shredded
• 1/3 cup tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 8 basil leaves, chopped

1. Mash the avocado, then add in the rest of the ingredients.

Lately, I have been making a lot of dishes using pasta substitutes such as Shiritaki noodles, zucchini, carrots, and now spaghetti squash. I do not care too much for the real thing anymore because the substitutes have the same great texture minus the calories! I am not saying to cut out pasta from your life, but consider some of the other foods that I mentioned the next time you prepare a dish. Now I cannot decide whether the Shiritaki noodles, zucchini and squash lasagna, or this one is the best pasta-free dish. They are all so good!

• 2 cups spaghetti squash
• 1/2 small avocado
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• olive oil spray
• salt and pepper

1. Steam the spaghetti squash. Once cooked, transfer it to a bowl and cut the strands into smaller pieces.
2. Add the avocado, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until creamy.
3. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Spray the olive oil to coat the pan, then add the garlic. Wait a few seconds before adding the mushroom slices and diced tomatoes. Remove from heat when done.
4. Pour the avocado sauce over the spaghetti squash and stir.
5. Add the cooked garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes, then stir again. 

Why would you drench your pasta with Alfredo sauce when you can make a heart healthy avocado one?

After seeing this wonderful recipe from Oh She Glows, I knew what I was having for dinner tonight. However, I did make some slight changes to Angela’s recipe. One of them was using Shiritaki noodles, which was a first for me, in place of spaghetti pasta. I was surprised by how similar the texture and taste was to regular pasta. The best is that the entire package of Shiritaki noodles is only 40 calories! One serving of pasta is at least three times that amount. Everyone rush to your grocery store and stock up on avocado and Shiritaki noodles. This dish took me less than 15 minutes to prepare, but it was so delicious. Nothing beats a quick and healthy meal.

• 1 package of Shiritaki noodles
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 cup shrimp, peeled
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup small avocado
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• chopped green onions and fresh basil
• fresh ground black pepper

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. 
2. Rinse, drain, then add the Shiritaki noodles to the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. When they are done, drain and rinse in a strainer.
3. In a food processor, add the avocado, garlic clove, lemon juice and black pepper and process until smooth.
4. Heat a pan and pour the grapeseed oil into it. Add the chopped green onions and fresh basil, then shrimp. Stir fry until cooked.
5. Pour the noodles into a bowl and scoop the avocado sauce on top. Toss everything together, then add the cooked shrimp, green onions, and basil.

(via pshdiets-deactivated20110912)

This isn’t your typical guacamole. Besides avocado, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper, there is an additional ingredient: edamame. It really complements the avocado. I only pulsed a few times to combine everything, yet still have pieces of the soybean leftover. This dip is awesome for snacking or parties!

• 2 small avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup edamame
• juice of 1/2 lime
• cilantro
• fine sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

1. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.

(Source: get-motivation, via knowingnutrition)

Lunch: avocado summer rolls from Market Street

I am a HUGE chocolate lover. Call me a chocoholic really. I  just cannot fathom life without one of life’s greatest pleasures. As I looked up at the clock, I noticed that it was time for my mid-day snack and thought it was the perfect opportunity to build a recipe around chocolate. I peered through my refrigerator and stared at an avocado that needed to be eaten. An idea struck me all of  sudden. How about chocolate and avocados? I did a quick research and was relieved to be met with the sight of recipes focusing on those two ingredients. I knew that I was not out of my mind for wanting to put those two unusual ingredients together! Unable to wait any longer to taste chocolate, I threw a couple of ingredients into a blender and waited until everything was well mixed. Hmmm hmm tasty. It tasted like a creamy pudding, thanks to the avocado. From the way that the pudding tastes, you would never know that it was good for you! I just wished I had some raspberries to go along with this dessert. Now what do I call this recipe? Chovocado or chocomole?

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized and overriped banana, frozen
• 1/4 cup vanilla soymilk plus a splash more
• 1/2 medium sized avocado
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp espresso powder 
• walnuts
• honey or agave nectar (optional)
• vanilla extract (optional)

1. Put the first five ingredients into a blender and blend well.
2. Pour the mixture in a serving bowl and top with walnuts.

Add a couple of avocado slices instead of mayonnaise on top of your sandwich in order to replace the bad fats with the good ones.

(via healthy-inspiration)

Did you know that a California sushi roll does not contain any real crab meat? The “crab” stick is actually processed fish made to resemble and taste like crab meat through the use of food coloring and a combination of natural and artificial crab flavorings.

(Source: nellespassion)