Shrimp, Lime and Avocado Salad

In honor of my new sistaaa (most gorg bride ever) and a toast to her birthday last week, I wanted to share with you one of her delicious recipes! A few months ago she hosted a dinner party and it was perfection! This ceviche like salad is hearty enough to serve on its own, or as a side dish. I have done my best to recreate it at least five times since then. It would even be a great filling for a fish taco! SO many options, so tasty, you really can't go wrong! Thanks Mo, Happy birthday xoxo

Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo cooked shrimp, chopped 

1 medium tomato, diced

1 hass avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 limes, juice of

1 tsp EVOO

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, EVOO and salt & pepper to taste. In a larger serving bowl, combine the shrimp, avocado, tomato and jalapeno. Combine all ingredients together. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 min for flavors to settle. Garnish with cilantro and serve! 

Shaved & Shredded Salad

Wasn't the first day of Spring was just lovely? I had lunch in the sun, got in a nice run, hung with my Momma! No complaints from this little lady. Well, aside from the six "detox" emails in my inbox this morning. Listen Gwyneth, not all of us have to face bikini season in the South of France, so a tri-weekly juice diet sounds a tad aggressive. And if you live in SF, and you're laying in Fort Mason in a bikini, I am judging you. However, I do appreciate some hearty greens to get you feeling back to neutral. Even if it's washed down with a glass of buttery chard... don't worry, I'm sure you've earned it :)


Ingredients:
large bunch of tuscan kale, shredded
1 bag of pre-shredded brussel sprouts
1 avocado
1/2 cup shaved almonds
1/4 cup shaved pecorino or parmesan

Dressing:
Juice of two lemons
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs minced shallot
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup EVOO
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mini-food processor, blend. Depending on how heavy you like your dressing, add more EVOO and lemon juice. Massage the kale until bright green. Combine with the brussel sprouts. Top the greens with avocado, almonds and pecorino. Dress and serve!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas... for Jesus

To tell them if it is meatless and healthy or not... that is the question. If it's spicy and filling enough, usually my recipe testers don't mind a meal off the beaten path. So for Ash Wednesday, I opted for a meatless meal that did not disappoint. Making healthy Mexican food can seem impossible, but these enchiladas were totally guiltless, and super easy to make! JC would have totally approved. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 tsp olive oil

1 bag of pre-cut butternut squash

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

1 can reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

8 medium white corn tortillas

1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese

2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
reduced-fat sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent. Add cubed butternut squash, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Place about 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle cheese inside the filling if desired. Repeat with the remaining filling. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with scallions and eat with sour cream.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's raining, it's cold and my keratin treatment is starting to fade. This is not a good look, trust me. I've luckily found a way to lessen the blow of our inconsistent "winter" weather. Meet the slow cooker, my savior. What's better than coming home to a little home cooked meal, minus the cooking part? I of course can't help but think of those old infomercials, "Set it and forget it"! But it's so true, especially after a long day of work, nothing sounds worse than figuring out what's for dinner. After testing endless tortilla soups, I finally found the perfect combination of flavor and texture. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz) petite diced tomatoes

1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce

1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies

1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained

10 oz corn kernels

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into the slow cooker, except the cilantro and lime juice. Set on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred using two forks. Return to soup and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. 

Optional toppings: Tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado and cheese