Creamy Avocado Dip

This dip is so easy to make. All you need is one ripe avocado, 2 tablespoons sour cream (I usually buy light sour cream because I can't taste the difference), 3 sprigs cilantro, 1 small jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed) and juice from 1 lime.  In a food processor, add the avocado and lime juice.  Process to combine the two (the lime prevents the avocado from turning brown).  Add the sour cream, cilantro, and jalapeno and process until everything is mixed together--it should be a light green color.

Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips or Mexican dish.  We have been eating it with tortilla chips.  I also put it on a burger and it was delicious!

On a side note, the tortilla chips in the picture above are the best store-bought chips I've ever had!  As shown in the picture, the brand name is Xochitl.  I don't find them in my regular grocery store here but I've found them in more random "specialty" grocery stores.  It's definitely worth checking your local grocery stores to see if they carry it.

Stuffed Tomatoes

We had some large tomatoes that needed to be used, so I decided to look up a recipe for stuffed tomatoes to have as a side with the pork loin chops.  I found a recipe on the Food Network website that I used.  It was pretty good, but next time I think I might saute some mushrooms to add in there also.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 ripened tomatoes
Salt
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I didn't have any so I just dashed some dried basil in the mixture)
Black Pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice tomatoes in half horizontally and scoop out pulp and seeds. Salt insides and rest upside down on a sheet pan lined with a wire rack to extract juices, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together bread crumbs, garlic, basil, pepper, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan and oil. Stuff tomatoes with the filling, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and bake until tomatoes are cooked through and tops are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Happy Monday everyone!  I'm glad this is going to be a short week! 

I'm continuing my posts about Thanksgiving recipes.  Maybe you'll give some of these a try this year. I decided to make my own stuffing for our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner.  I've never done this before but I was willing to try it.  I combined a few different recipes to make it and it was not too difficult and delicious.  It was definitely worth making your own rather than using Stove Top or something like that.  I made a sourdough bread stuffing with cremini mushrooms, bacon, dried cranberries, and Gruyere cheese.

Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:
1-pound loaf sourdough bread
6 tablespoons butter
10 oz cremini mushrooms
Salt
Pepper
4 stalks celery with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
10 springs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
3.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz. bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets.  Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.  Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons butter, and thyme.  Once the butter has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the chicken broth mixture, bacon, Gruyere cheese, and dried cranberries over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid.  Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and sprinkle with parsley.  Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Fully Loaded Mashed Potatoes

I love potatoes.  They would be my "desert island food," as in if I were stranded on a desert island and could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes.  No doubt.  I also saw on the Today show recently that potatoes have more potassium than a banana.  For our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving meal, I made fully loaded mashed potatoes, which I'm sure are less healthy compared to a banana, but it tasted good.

Fully Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
10 Yukon gold potatoes, washed
Salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. bacon, cooked and chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup scallions, chopped

Directions:
Fill a pot with cold water (enough to cover the potatoes) and add 2 tbsp. of salt.  When water boils, add potatoes and cook until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork.  Drain the cooked potatoes and return the potatoes to the pot.  Add the milk and butter.  You can use more or less milk depending on how thick you like your potatoes.  Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and mix them with the milk and butter.  Once mashed to your desired consistency, add the sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions and mix well.

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto

This is a super easy side dish that is delicious and nutritious.  The title of this post just about says it all.

Ingredients:
1 container of grape tomatoes, cut them in half lengthwise
Ciliegene ("Cherry-sized") Fresh Mozarella Cheese, cut in half
Basil Pesto, about 3 tbsp

Directions:
Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl.  Couldn't be easier!