Avocado guacamole, baby food, and dip

Avocados can be cut in half, sprinkled with a little lime juice, and eaten or prepared as a yummy dip!  No matter how they are eaten, they are packed full of vitamins K, E, B6, and C, potassium, and folate.  And they can even be enjoyed as a baby's first food.  Here are a few easy recipes to whip up today!

GUACAMOLE
Peel and smash one avocado.  Add fresh lime juice and onion powder to taste.  Eat with tortilla chips and veggies!

AVOCADO HONEY DIP via weelicious

1 Avocado, peeled and pitted
1/4 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Honey

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mash together.
2. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, pretzels or even as a spread on toast.

BABY FOOD

Avocados as baby food may be one of the simplest to make yourself.  Choose a ripe avocado, peel, and smash with fork.  If necessary, blend in food processor until smooth.  

And to make it even easier to enjoy your avocados, consider this neat kitchen gadget to aide in your prep:

The Chef 'n Flexicado can be found on amazon!

Carrot Ginger Soup from weelicious

(photo thanks to canstockphoto.com)

Weelicious.com has a bunch of recipes that incorporate ginger.  Here is a simple soup recipe that can be made after work on a weeknight!

Carrot Ginger Soup (serves 4)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
1 16 Oz Bag Baby Carrots
2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 32 Oz Box Low Sodium Vegetable Stock (you could also use low sodium chicken stock)
Accompaniments: plain yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the stock, ginger, carrots and salt, bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
3. Puree the soup using a hand blender or in a blender until creamy and smooth.
4. Serve topped with a dollop or yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.

Prepping your portobellos

Portobello mushrooms can be grilled and eaten like burgers or even topped like a pizza!

Preparing the portobello mushrooms can cause people to question their technique.  Some recommend taking a clean kitchen towel and wetting it to rub any dirt off the mushroom.  It is ok to also rinse the mushroom under water and rub to clean it.  Just note that the mushroom should be cooked or prepared in a recipe at that point.  After that, remove the gills.  And your portobellos are good to go!

Removing the gills is actually an easy job that can be done with a spoon.  To see this in action, click here.

It's kind of nice that the weather is still warm during the day and grilling is still an option!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

By marinating a portobello mushroom, and then grilling it, you can create an flavorful alternative to go along side a steak, as a burger topper, or as delicious grilled portobello sandwich. This easy portobello recipe will please your vegatarian guests and meat eaters alike.


Ingredients:
4 large portobella mushrooms
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Prep the marinade
First mix the vinegar, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Mince the garlic clove, or use a garlic press and add the garlic to the marinade. Mix the marinade well.


Ready the portobello
Wash the portobello mushrooms in cold water. Gently rinse the gills on the underside of the mushroom. Cut off the end of the stem to remove any dried or hardened section. Let the mushrooms drain, gill side down for 1 minute.


Enter the Marinade
Place the portobello mushrooms gill side up in a dish (a baking dish will do fine). Poor the marinade into the gills of the portobello until full and slightly overflowing. Add remainder of marinade to the baking dish. Refridgerate for 1 to 2 hours.


Grill away
Pour the marinade from the mushrooms into the baking dish. Rub or brush the olive oil onto the tops of the mushrooms (the round caps, not the gills). Refill the mushrooms with the marinade, in to the gill side. Add the portobellos to the grill over a direct heat. Cook for 4 minutes. Using tongs, carefully lift the mushrooms from the grill and pour out the marinade that remains in the mushroom into a clean dish. Return the mushrooms to the grill, gill side down. Baste the tops of the mushrooms with the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes.