Guacamole: A VegOut Inspired Love Letter

Guacamole is amazing for so many reasons. Here are a few of my personal favorites: It’s DELICIOUS, it’s easy to make so also-- hard to screw up. You can dip things into it, you can plop it on top of things, or you can just grab a fork/spoon/finger and eat it all by itself.

Guacamole is also magical. When I make a meal for my kids I often put sliced avocado on their plates. Half of the time they just eat it without comment and the other half I get a “I don’t like avocados, REMEMBER?” That’s when I feel like reminding them they happily ate avocados two days ago for lunch, but, you know, pick your battles. I take their plates, scrape the avocado into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Here’s where the magic happens…  I sometimes honestly don’t add one thing, I just mash them, put it back on their plates and then my kitchen blows up with all kinds of “Oh, GUACAMOLE! I love this. It’s the best EVER.” So there’s something we can all agree on.

Making guacamole is pretty fool proof and almost every recipe you see will offer a measurement and then say “or to taste” because it’s really about what you like. When you have a recipe like that it is always a good one to plan ahead and get your kids involved. The only special tool I would recommend is a potato masher for young kids. It tends to be easier than a fork for them to handle and mash with.

Step 1: mash

First things first: Find some medium sized non-breakable bowls that your kids can go to town on with a fork or a masher. Next set out a big selection of things they can add and let them get busy. That’s what my kids love to do. Some ideas for things you can experiment with when you make your own guac:  kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, red onion, white onion, green onion, onion powder, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne or your favorite hot sauce.

Step 2: sprinkle, switch to fork

Step 3 : SQUEEEEEEZE

Even though I have a recipe, in real life I never follow the same recipe twice. I see what I have in the fridge, throw in a pinch of this or that until it tastes just right. Make sure and keep some extra veggies on hand, because (another magical quality) guacamole is a vegetable (and also technically a fruit) that you can dip other vegetables in. Pure genius. We like to put out sweet peppers, carrots, celery, tomato slices, hollowed out cherry tomatoes, raw and roasted cauliflower, and the list goes on. If you have these out while the kids are busy mashing, they automatically have something to dip and try out their creations.

Step 4: Dump

Here are two of my favorite guacamole combos. The one I make most often for the kids is quick and easy. The other one is great when you have a group and all of the ingredients on hand. I cut the quick recipe down to 1 avocado portion so you can multiply by the number of avocados you use. The other needs a few more to back up the fresh garlic and jalapeno. Both recipes use large hass avocados that will be close to the size of your hand from wrist to mid fingers.

Quick and Easy Guacamole

1 large haas avocado
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp maldon flaked salt or ¼ tsp of regular kosher salt
a few cranks of fresh pepper
1 to 2 tsp of lime juice

Throw it all in a bowl and mash. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

Party Guacamole

3 large haas avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
3 tsp maldon flaked salt or 1 ½ tsp regular kosher salt
1 lime, juiced (should be 2 tablespoons of juice)

Throw it all in a bowl and mash. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

If you ever find yourself with fresh pico de gallo, you can make the easiest guacamole in the world by throwing it on top of fresh avocados and mashing away. 

My last bit of guacamole love is reserved for how much it helps me introduce new foods to my kids, making it a perfect tool when you VegOut with your family. Certain foods that seem a little different are much friendlier when you can dip them in guacamole. It helps us get past that initial new appearance or strong flavor hurdle.  Get creative with your guacamole and have fun with your kids in the kitchen. 

Bean There, Done That

One of my most favorite things to cook is a pot of beans when the weather is cool. 1. It's easy. 2. You can make it healthy. 3. It's tasty. Please hold any 4th grade "magical fruit"/"good for your heart" jokes until the end of this blog post. 

Last week I put up a pot of black beans and they were fantastic. Someone asked me once what it means to "put up a pot" of something. I was kind of perplexed. I've always used that expression. I'm fairly certain it's southern if not Texan. I never really questioned its exact meaning and always use it to talk about cooking beans, peas, or other things you would cook for a long period of time in a pot on the stove. If someone has a proper history for this expression please fill me in... any linguist expert type people? No? Shocking.

The sorted life of black beans....

SO, I made black beans. I used dried beans, so they required some soaking. Step one in bean management involves sorting and picking through the dried beans to make sure there aren't any rocks or other non bean type items in there. Some people skip this step. I used to. Then I bit into a rock. Lesson learned. 

Bean Rinse aka Clean yo Bean

After you finish sorting, you want to give the beans a rinse in a colander. Then you have a few options.  All options start with you putting the beans in a pot (or large bowl) and covering them with LOTS of water. Specific amounts will likely be on your bean bag - mine said six cups. If you did the large bowl, make sure it is very large and cover it with a dishtowel to keep random mishmash from getting in there. Then leave the beans on the counter overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. You can do this same thing in a pot. I personally prefer the quick boil method. Mostly because I get tired at night and forget to soak the beans. For a quick soak, the beans need to be in a pot. Bring the water to a full, rolling boil, turn the heat of, cover them, and leave them to sit for 2-3 hours. 

 

Water Covered Beans

Boiling Beans

I did this first thing in the morning since I was making the beans for dinner that night. My plan was to have everything in the pot simmering by 4pm. When L went down for her nap I got to chopping. 

Back to the Grid Method.

Finished Product

I chopped one VERY large onion, sliced about six cloves of garlic (If you don't like garlic you should leave now before one of us gets hurt), and took the beans out of the pot to do one last rinse. I make this one a quick rinse so that I don't lose a lot of the goodness that is naturally in the beans. Next I got out my cast iron pot and turned the stove to medium to heat it up. Once it was nice and hot I added about a tablespoon of EV Olive Oil and tossed in the onions and garlic. 

My Garlic Friends

My lovely garlic press that has a slicing mechanism. Thanks wedding registry! 

Once in the pot, I stirred the onions and garlic until my house smelled amazing and the onions were soft and becoming "clear" in appearance. 

Clear Onions, Full Heart, Can't Lose...... it's late. shut up. 

I put a smoked ham hock in the pot and gave it a little browning on the sides before adding in about 4 cups of chicken stock. You can always add in water, but I prefer to use stock if I have it.  

Stock

Stock and Hock

 After bringing that up to a boil, I added the beans back in along with two more cups of water and two Goya Ham seasoning packets. It's like Ham bouillon. It's magical. 

Ham Flavah.

Full pot.

 I wanted the broth to cook off of the beans so they would be less like soup, so while I boiled them I left the top off and checked in on the broth level. I cooked them over a low boil for about 2.5 hours. You'll want to check the beans after two hours to check the consistency and see if they are getting to what you prefer. I like mine to still be firm, so 2.5 hour timing works well. 

Low boil, badly captured.

 After a couple of hours my beans looked like this. I took out a spoonful to sample.

Taste Test

 This is the point where I see if my beans need added salt. Because I am cooking with broth and a ham hock, and ham seasoning, I like to see how much natural flavor and saltiness I can get out before adding more in. I also (just to remind you again) don't really salt things that can be easily salted to taste after they are cooked. 

I love chopped tomatoes in my black beans. BUT tomatoes and cast iron are not friends. Also, if you put the tomatoes in too early, they wilt into nothing. I took about four roma tomatoes, gave them a rough chop, and put them in to cook for about 15 minutes with the beans. 

Tomato Party

Now  I want this again.

 The last thing I do, right before serving, is take an entire bushel of washed cilantro and tear it into pieces over the pot, dropping it all in but the stems. You have a couple of options with the ham hock. I usually leave it in and then add it to the leftovers, keeping it until all of the beans are gone. You can also pick all of the meat off of the hock and add it in with the beans and throw the non meat rest of the hock away. Do as you please. 

Up close and personal.

Finished product.

 We are usually a brown rice family. I like brown rice and if it's better for me, then bonus. I happened to have the brown and wild rice I used with the chicken soup that is fantastic, so I decided to try that out with the beans. WINNER. Here is a photo op in case any of you want to seek it out and try it. 

You know it's good because it says "Arroz"

Cooked to perfection, even though I need a new rice cooker. Suggestions appreciated. 

Things that are great to serve with this meal include: sliced avocado, Mexican cotija cheese, sour cream (or non fat plain greek yogurt), salsa, or pico de gallo. We did avocados and Cotija cheese. 

The final product. Perfection in a bowl! 

Because I was making this for us AND Landy, I didn't add jalapenos, which I usually do and love. If you want to do that, I like to add in one jalapeno (deseeded then chopped) with the onions and garlic, and then take a second jalapeno, chop the top off of it to expose the seeds and insides, and drop it into the water to boil with the beans. I remove the remaining whole jalapeno before serving. 

Cooking in pots is the best thing about cool weather. And if you happen to be home with the kids or on a Saturday or Sunday, you can work on it little by little throughout the day and still have plenty of time with your kiddos. This is also something you might be able to adapt to a slow cooker if you work during the day. I'm not great at slow cooking, but it's one of my goals to figure that out this cool weather season. Here's a quick recap of my ingredients:

1 16oz package of dried black beans

1 T EV Olive Oil

1 very large white or yellow onion

6 cloves of garlic

1 smoked ham hock

4-6 cups of chicken broth or water

1-3 packets of goya ham seasoning (to taste)

4 large roma tomatoes

1 bunch of cilantro

rice

Optional:

Jalapeno

Avocado

Cotija Cheese

Sour Cream (not really optional)

pico de gallo

This is one of my absolute favorites. I think I make it twice a month during the fall and winter. It is another warm, filling dish that is actually pretty healthy and simple. It is also EXTREMELY cost effective. On the health front, just remember, you are in charge of your own sour cream intake. I love sour cream, so I try to sub it out for plain, non fat greek yogurt. Can't even tell. Share your beans with someone you love. They are magical, after all. 

-RT

Eating Organic, Supporting Local Farmers & Kitten Eggs

This almost makes me want to be a farmer. ALMOST.

I don't recall thinking very much about organic vs non organic until I was put in charge of a tiny little person and her diet. All of a sudden it became important to me to know where my food was coming from and when I brought it into my home, what that food was bringing with it. First let's get something straight, I TRY to do my best when it comes to the food we eat. As much as I wish I could do my weekly grocery shopping at Whole Paycheck Foods and buy all organic, that is just not realistic to our family budget. So living in our real life, we do the best we can, and if I have to buy some things non organic that I would rather not, I don't sweat about it. The one thing I often find with organic products (like baby food in a jar or pouch, applesauce, etc) is that the ingredient list is pretty basic. Instead of having a baby food jar of bananas that has 4 - 5 ingredients, you get the following ingredients: bananas, water. That is what is most important to me. Trying to stick to real food when I can, but having my cheating moments (usually with wine, cookies, or ice cream).

A friend recently sent me an article from The New York Times headlined "Stanford Scientists Cast Doubt on Advantages of Organic Meat and Produce" and I was like hmmmm. The article discussed how a Stanford study found there to be little to no difference in nutritional value of organic vs non organic food. The problem is, I never knew that people actually thought that. The items I eat organic I choose because of pesticides, not because I think it will be better for me nutritionally. Other good news from this study: Organic milk not only lasts for two months, it also has more omega-3 fatty acids than non organic milk. Double bonus.

Happy cows don't lie. Also a great way to teach your toddler to say "moo!"

I don't really care if my meat or poultry is organic, but I have always worried about meat being hormone free. I know at least 10 girls who have had early puberty... like getting their period in the fourth grade early. To be fair, experts say that there are a number of reasons why girls are experiencing early puberty. To achieve puberty, girls must have a certain BMI, and one of the better theories says that because women are now exposed to better nutrition at an earlier age, they experience puberty earlier. The more popular train of thought is that kids are fatter and as the obesity rate increases, so does the rate of girls maturing sooner than normal. Even knowing this, along with the fact that food hormones, once consumed, are digested in the stomach, killing their ability to have any biological activity. I still don't want hormones in my food. So there.

Added growth hormones are about to enter your body.... Arm yourself.

In a perfect world everyone would be able to afford fresh, pesticide free produce. Unfortunately, pesticides have a purpose, and when it is used farmers yield more crops. Organic farming yields less crops, comes from fewer farmers, and so it is more expensive. I try to do the best than I can within my means.

Step one is supporting local farmers and growers. When possible, head to your local farmer's market. They are in EVERY CITY now. We have one in Houston almost every day of the week except Sunday, but there is probably one on Sunday somewhere. I really like the Urban Harvest Market on Saturday Mornings. If you are going to pay to buy organic, AND you can support local farmers while doing it, it's a win win.

Step two is about knowing your budget and having realistic expectations of what you can afford. Eating what is in season is a great way to stick to your budget, but there are also some organic foods that are a complete waste of your money. The pesticide count on certain non-organics is so low, that buying the organic version has almost no benefit. You can save that money to buy organic when it comes to the produce with the highest pesticide counts. That is where the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen come in. The Dirty Dozen are the fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated with pesticides. By simply buying these 12 organic, you can substantially lower your pesticide intake. The Dirty Dozen includes (in order of most contaminated to least): Apples, Celery, Sweet Bell Peppers, Peaches, Strawberries, Imported Nectarines, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumber, Domestic Blueberries, and Potatoes (not sweet potatoes though). Leafy greens and green beans are also high on the pesticide count, but "The Dirty Fourteen" just doesn't sound as cool. I buy organic Kale always, it is almost the same price at HEB.

On the flip side, the Clean Fifteen are fifteen fruits and veggies with the lowest pesticide count, meaning you don't need to buy them organic. Especially handy for household budgets. They include: Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Avocado, Cabbage, Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Mango, Eggplant, Kiwi, Domestic Cantaloupe, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, Watermelon, and Mushrooms. A really good variety and lots of kid friendly foods the whole family can eat.

My last food hang up is eggs. I pay too much for eggs because I want to buy the package that says "humanely raised in fields of loving soft grasses from Hens who have pet kittens to snuggle with at night." Those dozen eggs cost about $4.50. Worth it.

Best friends = Best Eggs

The Rooster was busy elsewhere...

 Seriously... you don't have to be a cat person to love kittens. Get over yourself. Kittens are for lovers. Kitten eggs are expensive, but completely worth it.

The point of this post, while taking some twists and turns, is that you don't have to be all or none when it comes to making decisions about the food you eat. What are you willing to compromise on and what do you support strongly? I suggest that everyone look into the food they are eating and find a good balance. While you are finding a good balance, also look for a local farmer's market. Supporting you local farmers is good for you community and good for your health. Eating what's in season (what the farmer's are growing) is cost effective and produce picked fresh and sold within days has so much more flavor!

- RT

Feeding Toddlers & My non scientific theories on Overweight Children

Hey there Internet! So we left mom world for a while. We've been liking things and loving Houston and having too much Sunday fun. So in honor of cranky toddlers who haven't been sleeping well, we're going to talk about more Ladybug food. The internet makes you think that blogging with a baby looks like this:

"Hey mom. I'm so happy! You finally figured out the difference between your and you're."

I can't show you what it really looks like to blog with a baby because I have yet to figure out that secret recipe. When Landon is awake I try to hang out with her or get out of the house. When I am blogging it is baby asleep time or daddy at home time. I can show you what it looks like to have a 15 month old who won't let you put her down on a day you have a lot to get done. That goes something like this:

 "WTF, mom?" love, Landon

Baby Bjorns that you borrow from your sister-in-law aren't just for babies anymore. They are for toddlers who won't leave you alone. And it works. Plus, an extra 23lbs of body weight when I'm getting chores done makes it count as a workout..... right?

I think I've said before that I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to feed Landon and when she was supposed to eat certain foods. Landon's doctor gave me lots of good info, I just always had more and more questions. I also didn't want to be that mother who called the pediatrician's nurse all the time asking non important or non emergency related questions. We are already on a first name basis (word to Justine), so I've taken learning about Landon's nutrition upon myself. I wanted to make sure she was getting healthy foods and also a variety of items to insure she got as many vitamins as possible directly from her food. I wanted to try my best to start good eating habits early. In my family picky eaters get chased from the dinner table and mocked. You are, quite simply, not allowed to dislike anything until you have tried it at least twice. You are also not allowed to put ketchup on your steak. Yes, people do that. I just didn't know because it wasn't allowed in our home.

That steak you just paid a decent sum for can taste just like ketchup too. And not at all like steak.

Back on task.... In the midst of all of these efforts, I came to a realization of sorts. Kids are fat. That was not my realization, that is just a fact. According to the CDC approximately 21 - 24% of American kids are overweight, and another 16 - 18% are obese. Before I had children I don't think I noticed most regular kids. I certainly didn't think about what children were eating. Here is my own personal realization - Parents now more than ever are focusing on how to keep their children happy. Of course you should want your children to be happy, but things like frustration and experiencing things like sadness and anger are a part of growing up and learning how to manage your emotions. This is what I learned when I became a parent: Your child experiences pain/sadness/anger/frustration and cries. In my non scientific study with one child, 95% of the time, you give this distressed child food and they stop crying. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only parent who has noticed this, but I also realized that I don't want Landon to view food as the thing that makes her feel better when she is upset. THAT is a trap I think many children, teenagers, and even adults fall into. I have fallen into it myself.

Ben & Jerry's: a neon sign for emotional distress

Why do you think breakups are followed with half gallons of ice cream and bags of potato chips? Oh, I mean pints of ice cream... maybe. It is part of our culture to feed people to make them happy. When someone experiences a loss, you bring them food. And I do bring them food. In my view, the food is not necessarily the enemy. I grew up eating McDonalds and Blue Bell among many other things. And I am not overweight or obese. It just seems like too many children and adolescents are turning to food for the wrong reasons. Food as a friend, food as a solution, food as a coping mechanism. They literally eat until they feel so full that they can't feel whatever emptiness was there before. It's comfort food taken to the extreme. People are no longer learning how to deal with their emotions, they are just filling themselves up so they feel something else. And parents who want their kids to be happy or stop crying or who just don't know any better are handing their children whatever is available to cope with their emotions. These parents don't realize what they are taking away from their children by doing this: The ability to cope and overcome and build emotional skills within themselves.

Of course, these are all just my opinions based on my own experiences and observations. I don't think the answer to the obesity epidemic is to close down fast food, outlaw soda, or limit the ability of restaurants to determine portion sizes. We shouldn't be threatening to take obese children away from parents. The money it would cost to foster those children and put them through the system should be used to educate their parents and the family on better ways to eat, exercise, and build their mental health. Sometimes we expect people to be perfect, but we are, after all, only human. Armed with knowledge, we can do so much more. When you grow up respecting food and having an education that teaches you about nutrition, it's hard to even imagine that someone wouldn't know that orange soda and a bag of doritos isn't a suitable meal. But the truth is, more often than not, people are uneducated about food. When I figure out the answer to all of the above, and how to pay for it, I'll meet with the president and let you all know how it goes. Then I'll come back here to let you know, once again:

I didn't really know I was going to go off on that big of a tangent, but what I was getting back around to are healthy food options for your toddler. Children do need more fat and fuel that adults, but you can find the balance by giving them good fats or fats that have other nutritional benefits. On a typical day, Landon has three meals and an afternoon snack. I look at each meal and make sure it has a veggie or two, most of the time a complex carb, a protein, and a little fruit for dessert. She is low on iron so we try to incorporate more iron rich items into her meals. Just keep your thoughts on that when you see that she has 2 egg yolks with one egg white for breakfast. Also, I say this a lot but I like to say it again and again, YOU know your child best as far as what they can handle in their ability to chew and swallow. Please adjust accordingly.

Healthy foods for Toddlers and Children 12 months and up:

Main Breakfast examples:

This is a shared breakfast for Landon and myself. She eats both egg yolks,
I get the whites and the leftover oatmeal and banana.

Eggs - scrambled, sunny side up, poached, or however your child prefers them. Landon likes her eggs over medium and cut up into bite size pieces. I know this because she told me once in full sentences.

Cereal - No, not Wheaties and skim milk with a spoon. The rice, barley, wheat, etc cereal made for babies is still a great way for your toddler to get healthy whole grains and iron. 

Porridge/Grits/Cream of Wheat - You can find 100% whole wheat cream of wheat at most grocery stores and it is more flavorful with more texture than the basics. 

Oatmeal - Basic oatmeal with a bit of whole milk & some cinnamon make a great start to the day and it's something the whole family can eat.

Yogurt - We like to use a basic 2% fat Greek with a little honey added mixed with sliced mango.

With any of the above we offer morning fruit. Usually something like: 1/3 of a banana (sliced), a few strawberries (sliced), mango chunks, raspberries cut in half, or blueberries, also cut in half. 

Lunch or Dinner examples:

Clockwise from top left, sweet potato, salmon, chopped spinach, & buffalo mozzarella in cubes.

Main Proteins/Items: 

Salmon or any other fish - grilled, baked, poached, or steamed - make sure it is deboned 

Shrimp - it is sweet and fresh and easy to chew

Chicken - L has recently started to prefer the dark meat to the breast, but she goes back and forth 

Pork - works for lots of kids chopped or braised, but sometimes can cause upset stomachs

Turkey - chopped, shredded or ground

Beef - because beef is a more chewy food, we are still doing mainly ground, but braised meats that are completely tender are wonderful

Lamb - Landon loves braised lamb and also ground lamb. It is a great source of iron and more flavorful than other ground meats and poultry

Tofu - Great if you are looking for a vegetarian alternative & takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with

Whole Wheat Pasta - perfect way to get whole grains and a filling complex carb with more flavor than plain white pasta. Pasta can be the main part of a meal or a side.

Legumes - Lentils, butter beans, black beans, pinto beans, soy beans, lima beans, etc. Beans are full of iron, great finger food, and easy to chew. They also help to develop a healthy digestive system and are full of fiber. They can serves as the main part of a meal or a side.

Sides:

It's a bird, it's a plane, no, wait.... it's a perfect side, snack, or dessert for toddlers.

 Think of a fruit or a vegetable. Got one? Ok, now thing of another one. Now another one. Now think of every vegetable or fruit you can imagine. Are you with me? I guarantee that 95% of what you are thinking of is good for your child to eat. You might have to adjust the way you prepare it, making sure it is soft enough to chew and cut into the right size, but too many people are focused on what babies can't eat the first year. It was hard for me at first to wrap my head around what they can eat. Basically, everything. Here are some of the favorites sides that we also eat and some that Landon likes best:

Avocado, chopped spinach, sweet potato, green peas, carrots, zucchini, butternut squash, snap peas, tomatoes,  kale, new potatoes, broccoli, peaches, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, mango, cherries, kiwi, banana, all berries, red pepper, grapes (cut in quarters), pears, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, and corn.

Other Snacks:

It's snack time, y'all.

I try to make sure that Landon gets a calcium rich snack since we try to stay away from calcium during her meals. It blocks iron absorption, so this is just a her specific thing. Her snack always consists of some kind of cheese and either a fruit or a whole grain. For some fruit ideas, see above.

Cheese snacks:

Cottage cheese (2%), chevre goat cheese, 365 organic shredded white cheddar cheese, cheddar cheese stick cut up into small cubes, or misc cheese treat.

Unsweetened applesauce is awesome as a snack or a side to a meal. The unsweetened tastes great and you lose almost half the calories and all the added sugar. 

Her current favorite snack addition is Magic Pop. It is a puffed rice deal like a giant round, flat rice crispy. I know you can find different versions of them all around. Our HEB stores and Central Market make them in the store. She likes it because she can break it up on her own and eat it. I think it makes her feel fancy.

On the go snacks are also an essential item. There is a time and a place when you might need to feed a tantrum to keep it from happening. I do recognize that. I keep my diaper bag stocked with earth's best cereal bars, mum mums, tupperware with plain cheerios, more magic pop, and sometimes graham crackers.

It's easy for me to sit here with a healthy 15 month old and pretend to have all of the answers. I really don't. I am just doing the best that I can and trying to educate myself to make good decisions for myself and my family. The key there is education. We need to educate ourselves and work to educate others. There are options out there and ways to create a healthy relationship with food for yourself and for your children. I work at getting it right most of the time. Saying I would get it right all of the time just isn't realistic. Kids should be allowed their treats the same as adults should. But treats are treats and food should be respected as should your body, your emotions and most of all, yourself.

- RT

Chicken, Mango & Avocado Summer Salad

 You might notice that my blog design is changing. It's a work in progress. I'm getting great feedback and help from my friends and I'm about to peer pressure a certain graphic artist friend (who actually understands things like blog layouts) to help me make things more awesome. My husband also told me today that my blog wasn't "pretty" enough. So eventually maybe we'll end up with awesome and a side of pretty. 

Today instead of talking more and more about me and the weird ways I view food and childhood obesity, we are back to actually cooking food. This is one of my fav summer salads, but in Texas it's so damn hot it's more like a spring/summer/fall salad. This post is taking a few steps ahead in some things I wanted to be more detailed on, but later on we'll come back to more detailed blogs about "Grilling for Girls" and making your own salad dressings. I also have a special "Ode to the Salad Spinner" blog planned. All things to look forward to. Let's get back on task with this amazing salad...

I love this salad because it is a wonderful mix of flavors. The easy factor is that you can grill you chicken ahead of time, or simply use chicken that was left over from a previous meal. And if you want to get REALLY easy, buy a rotisserie chicken at the store. 

After I fed L I took her outside to help me grill the chicken breasts. WAY too many women are afraid of the grill. The grill is the BEST. You don't have to scrub pans... and if you hate doing dishes like I do, that's the only reason you need to learn how to grill. Ask your husband to teach you. He'll pee his pants with excitement. 

Here is where I start. I took my chicken breasts out of the fridge and brought them to room temp. Then I placed them in zip lock bags and pounded them until they were nice and thin. This is how I prefer them. A little olive oil, some kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper and you're ready to go! 

I had my grill on high with all three burners running for about 10 minutes to get it nice and hot. Then I took my baby and my breasts outside to get grilling. Once you put the breasts on, close the top of the grill and give them 3-5 minutes depending on the size.  Then check them out.  There are some tell tale signs of readiness.  You will notice that the sides are cooked and the breasts will come away from the grill grates easily when you go to flip them. If they are sticking, give them more time.

The sides are starting to cook on these, but they aren't ready to be flipped yet.

After some commentary on my technique, my assistant has had enough and quits.

When you have flipped the breasts, cover the grill again and give it a couple of minutes before you check in. A silly but easy guide I use to check my chicken is the "meat/chicken to face readiness test". I think you'll like this one. I always look like a huge idiot when I do it... Your earlobe has the same consistency as raw chicken or raw meat, your cheek is medium rare (not how you want your chicken), the side of your nostril is medium (again, not how you want your chicken), and the front bulb of your nose is well or ready or great for chicken. So after you wash all of the meat/chicken grease off of your face, take your chickens and go back inside. Also, take your hands off of your face, I know you are trying it out right now.

This chicken is bulb of the nose/done!

If you are still pretty scared of the grill, this dinner can be a great combo. Have your boyfriend/husband/grill confident friend take on the chicken while you start chopping for the salad inside. When you are back inside, set the chicken aside to cool to room temp and get started on the salad portion. We get a farm delivery of veggies and fruits every two weeks that I love. Yet another post for the future. We happened to get some fresh arugula and that is my favorite for this salad, but really you could use whatever you have on hand that is green and leafy. 

Arugula fresh from the farm with my salad spinner standing by.

After trimming the ends off I wash the arugula in the salad spinner and then drain the water to start spinning.

Action shot.

And now you have clean, dry arugula with minimal dirty dishes and no constant patting of tiny lettuce leaves with paper towels. Put this aside while we get started on the rest.

We are going to use the mango and the avocado. We had a fresh tomato that we sliced and served separately on the side.

Mangoes have funky almond shaped seeds that cling to the fruit, so I don't have any handy tips about cutting a mango. I will say I find this way easier than peeling the entire thing ahead of time. Start slicing portions off.

Then cut those portions into nice sections.

And I take my knife iron chef style and run it underneath the sections to remove the skin. Be careful. And buy good knives. It's worth it.

L - R: Mango seed/core, mango skin, chopped up mango for salad.

This is how I cut my avocados, slicing in half around the seed and then twisting the sides to pull them apart.

Then I do something really bad.... I stab the seed with my knife (shown above) and twist to remove the seed. Safety experts will advise against this method.

After I remove the seed I slice the avocado while it's still in the skin. This is a really easy way to do it when you are tossing it in a salad and it doesn't have to be super pretty. When you are ready to put it in the bowl you just take a large spoon and scoop the presliced chunks out.

After chopping I get out my salad bowl to make a dressing. Making your own dressing is a big way to save calories at home. It's also a fun thing to experiment with. Start with some olive oil and a bit of vinegar, maybe some crushed garlic. I use honey and sriracha sauce with white wine vinegar, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Find the right combo for you. Something light and oil based is perfect for this salad. Of if you are married to store bough, pick up a balsamic vinaigrette.

After mixing my dressing together I dump on the arugula topped with the mango, avocado, and chopped chicken.

Post toss.

Ready to eat! Notice the tomatoes came back.

 This salad is really great and you can mix it up a few different ways. It would be great with some chopped almonds for extra crunch. I have also served it with chopped cilantro sprinkled on the top and lime wedges which really bring out an awesome flavor from the mango. Play around with it and make it your own. It's fresh and healthy and PERFECT for a nice summer dinner.

-RT