My {Guacamole} Fix

Four avocados, 

a little citrus and spice,

makes my day so nice!

Holy Moly Guacamole 

Serves 6 

This is such a fun date night recipe! My boyfriend, Wes, has been perfecting this recipe for years now and it is always fun to head into the kitchen and make it together.

It takes time to chop up all the ingredients and clean up, but I've made it for a lot of family parties and everyone goes crazy over this recipe. The dynamic flavors, lime juice and little kick of spice really make this guacamole a crowd-pleaser! 

4 avocados, cubed

1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

4 tomatoes, diced

1/3 onion, diced

1 large jalapeño, diced

1 clove fresh garlic, pressed 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

Juice of 2 limes

Sea salt to taste

1 bag tortilla chips 

And the secret ingredient? {1/3 cup whipped cream cheese}

The cream cheese adds texture and fluffiness to your guacamole. I've also tried plain Greek yogurt and low-fat sour cream, but the cream cheese is my favorite. Don't be intimidated by the amount either, this recipe makes a big batch of guacamole so you'll only be eating a small portion of the cream cheese.

Find a large mixing bowl. Wash and chop up your veggies, placing them into the bowl as you go. 

TIP: You will want to remove the inside of the tomatoes, so the guacamole doesn't become watery. Just use a serrated knife to cut all the seeds out. 

Make sure to remove the seeds from the jalapeños, and avoid touching your face and eyes. This guacamole is fairly spicy, so you may want to cut the amount of jalapeños in half if you don't like a lot of heat in your guacamole. 

Once all of your ingredients are added in the same bowl, gently mix them all together. Add sea salt to taste. 

It's best to let the guacamole chill in the refrigerator for an hour but if you can't wait, I understand. Most of the time, I can't either!

Plate with tortilla chips and fresh cilantro!

You will most likely have leftovers once you are done chowing down. Make sure to put the remaining guacamole in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator so it doesn't brown.

I love to eat the leftovers for breakfast in the morning! Just toast some whole wheat bread, cook your eggs however you like them, and add the guacamole for a flavor-packed breakfast sandwich!

Happy cooking! And as always, Happy Eating!

My {Macaroon} Fix - Dining Profile Video

Happy National Macaroon Day!

The Phoenix Public Market Cafe is a great spot to relax with friends, hang out on the patio or grab an artfully crafted pastry. The macaroons come in flavors like strawberry, blackberry and white chocolate vanilla bean! The restaurant is open everyday serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner with local and seasonal ingredients.

Check out my dining profile on the cafe!

My {Cashew} Fix

A cashew can be

much more than your daily snack,

dress up your salad!

Summer is finally here! And I'm sure everyone is on a bit of a health kick right now, with swimsuit season and all. We just got a new putting green put in our backyard and while contemplating recipes to make for the upcoming months ahead, I figured I'd stick with the green color palate and whip up a big, colorful salad! I often find myself staring at kitchen cabinets on weeknights, wondering what to make for dinner that can be both healthy and satisfying. This salad is a quick and fairly simple recipe that you can make with virtually any veggies you have in your kitchen. It is both vegetarian and vegan and you may be surprised to find you have all the dressing ingredients already!

Rainbow Kale Salad with Zesty Cashew Dressing

Serves 1

Dressing:

1/2 tin of cashews (unsalted)

1 cap full of apple cider vinegar

1 cap full of light Kikkoman soy sauce

4 cap fulls of olive oil

1 orange (juice and zest)

1/4 cup of water

1 pinch of salt

Salad: 

1 bunch of fresh kale

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1 avocado

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 handful carrots, shredded

Anything else you would like to add!

Gather your ingredients for the dressing and add them all to your blender. I have a Vitamix which grinds up the cashews nicely, but a regular blender or food processor should work as well. Depending on how thick you like your dressing you can add more cashews. Make sure to refrigerate the dressing before serving.

Plate your salad and veggies while you are waiting for the dressing to chill. I love adding the sweet kale mix at Costco, which is full of brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and chicory! 

It is that easy and makes a beautiful presentation. The dressing is both creamy and tangy, and the acidity of the vinegar pairs well with the citrus. Next time you're in a crunch for dinner, just reach for any veggies you have and toss up the dressing! The salad is a "hole in one!"

 

My {Pomegranate} Fix

The Arizona Roll at Pomegranate Cafe.

A pomegranate. 

Has many a seed, indeed.

And it's red, like me!

Sorry guys, no recipe today. But I am going to tell you about a place I went for lunch called Pomegranate Cafe, where the food is as colorful as the walls. But there is a catch. It is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant.

Although you may be a bit skeptical, this restaurant is delicious. And not the kind of delicious that comes from injecting char-grilled flavor into a fast food patty. From the moment I walked in, I fell in love with the atmosphere. Everything is bright and inviting, with a funky, retro vibe and plenty of natural light. 

I ordered the Arizona Roll, complete with seasonal veggies, almond spread, sweet chile sauce, avocado, sunflower sprouts and orange miso slaw.

It was fantastic! So much tangy, sweet goodness was packed into each roll. And trust me on this. They are very filling and you will feel full afterwards. No skimping on portions here, which is good because meals are quite pricey (mine weighed in at $11). But I was only able to finish half so you get some nice leftovers out of it!

The Smokin' BLT at Pomegranate Cafe.

I recommend the Smokin' BLT. Now, naturally because this is a vegetarian restaurant, there wasn't really bacon on the sandwich. But I challenge you to give it a try nonetheless. The spices and bite made it a savory sammie that packed a punch.

And it had a chipotle aioli which makes everything better. In case you don't know what that is, it's basically garlic mayonnaise. Now are you on board?

My only negatives about the place were the high prices and long wait time to get your food. They work with local growers and because of the quality of their items, I understand they do have to charge more for their food. But plan ahead about an hour to make sure you have enough time to receive and eat your meal.

Here's me. Drinking a super power smoothie. Just your basic strawberry, banana, raspberry and mango blend...with goji berry, hemp protein and bee pollen. But I promise you its not scary, if anything there is a hint of honey flavor and that's it.

So this is probably my favorite post thus far because I get to describe all this food without actually doing any work in the kitchen. But even more than that, I really like this place because there is a story behind it. A mom and daughter dynamic duo opened this restaurant, which I can appreciate that because I have a close relationship with my mom.

And their mantra is right in sync with what I believe about food:

Challenge the stereotype that healthy food is bland or boring. Taste and presentation are not compromised by wholesome ingredients, but enhanced.

I hope you take the time to branch out of your comfort zone and give this place a try! You'll not only support local growers and businesses, but give your body the good food it deserves.

And my favorite part about vegan places? The dessert. It makes all that guilt go away because you can tell yourself it's vegan. So what if you just ate your day's worth of calories? You're providing for the local community with every delicious bite.