It’s as Easy as Guacamole!

For a long, long time, I thought I didn’t like guacamole. In fact, I knew I didn’t like it. I had tried a store-bought kind once, and never wanted to try it again afterwards. It’s ironic considering I eat it at least once a week now.

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Shrimp Tacos!

It’s Taco Time! I’d been meaning to make my own tacos for a little while now, but never got to it until today. It looked really easy and I absolutely love tacos so I thought it was time for me to finally try my hands at it. I’m obsessed. Now all I want to eat is homemade tacos. All you need is tortillas, a bunch of veggies, and some kind of protein and you’re all set. I went for shrimp tacos because those are usually my favorite with pulled pork ones (but who’s got time for that at home?). To be honest the highlight of these tacos is the salsa. It’s absolutely delicious and goes perfectly with tender shrimp and slices of ripe avocado. I highly encourage you to try to make your own tacos at home as well. It’s actually not intimidating at all, and you can be as creative as you’d like with the ingredients. Bon appétit!

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Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients for the tacos:

• 1/2 cup shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup mixed shredded red and green cabbage
• Spicy Yogurt Sauce
• 2 small tortillas
• 1/4 avocado
• salt, pepper
• 2 lemon wedges

Ingredients for the most amazing salsa:

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 onion
• a bunch of fresh parsley
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• juice from 1/4 lemon
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt, pepper
• mild jalapeno tabasco (optional)

Spicy Yogurt Sauce:

• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp water
• good drizzle of sriracha

Directions:

1. Start by preparing the salsa.  Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt in a bowl. Next chop the cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, fresh parsley and onion in very small pieces, and add them to the bowl. Drizzle with mild tabasco, toss everything gently, and reserve in the fridge so that the vegetables release their juices and the flavors blend together.
2. Next, make the yogurt sauce by mixing the yogurt, olive oil, water, salt, pepper and sriracha in a bowl. Toss the shredded red and green cabbage with the sauce and set aside as well.
3. Finally, cook the shrimp. I use frozen shrimp that I heat up in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes.
4. To plate start with the tortillas, previously heated up in the microwave (between sheets of paper towel) or on the stove. Then add some of the shredded cabbage, a good amount of salsa, and the cooked shrimp. Top with sliced avocado and another drizzle of the yogurt sauce and enjoy!

Super (Rice) Bowl

I know what you’re thinking: “super bowl was last week… you’re a little late”. Truth is, I’ve never actually watched it. The closest I’ve come to it, was when I saw Beyonce’s performance last year. So the reference in the title is purely fictitious, and this recipe has nothing to do with the actual Super Bowl. Though I suppose one could argue that this would be a great meal to eat while watching football on TV. But anyways. Rice Bowls are so versatile! It’s incredible how much you can do with such a simple base. Though I do enjoy an occasional stop at Chipotle, nothing really compares to a homemade bowl of veggie goodness. This recipe will take you about 20ish minutes, which isn’t much more time than you’d wait in line at the famous Mexican hotspot. The “reverse” caramelized onions really add a nice sweet touch to this savory dish. It’s healthy and can be tailored exactly to your needs. Bon Appétit!

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Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dried rice
• 1/4 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 yellow onion (sliced finely)
• 1/2 tomato (extra chopped)
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small pot, put water and salt to a boil. Cook the rice for the time indicated on the packaging (mine takes about 15 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, make the “reverse” caramelized onions by adding the thinly sliced onion in a dry pan over medium high heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the slices become brown. Next, add the olive oil and salt and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Add a splash of water and stir until it evaporates and the onion is done.
3. Add the black beans and cook for about 5 extra minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Mash the avocado in it’s shell.
5. In a bowl, put the rice, beans, “caramelized” onions and chopped tomatoes. Top with a dollop of mashed avocado. Salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with tabasco.

TIP: You can also top it with some sour cream or grated cheese. Additionally, you can swap the tomatoes for corn or diced bell pepper.