Comunidad Health Foods

Would you ever think to combine the flavors of balsamic vinegar and avocado? When I first saw the recipe, I was intrigued in the way that I always get when faced with a surprising new marriage of ingredients. I love weird food, or at least different food. I knew that I had to try it for that very reason – and really, of all the bizarre food combinations I’ve made and eaten in the past, this is really tame. So if you’re not as curious as I am with food, I think you’ll still enjoy this.

The salad is cool, creamy, and even a little sweet. It has a little bite to it without being overtly spicy, which is nice. The balsamic flavor was a little subdued, although I admittedly didn’t do too much measuring and may have been a little heavy handed with the lime. I would suggest doing what I always forget to do: once you make the marinade, taste it and actually adjust the flavors. For some reason, I never bother with this last step when cooking. I still really liked it, paired with my all-time favorite, go-to protein source: an egg (poached this time, which added to the creaminess of the dish).

Seriously, does healthy & delicious get any easier than that?!

Oh, and please ignore my very unattractive poached egg in the picture. I'm still wrapping my brain around the nuances of cracking an egg into a simmering pan of water and having it come out in a pretty little package.



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Boy, I really let this Thirty Minute Thursday get down to the wire, didn’t I? It’s been a busy day, and after writing a fairly long product review yesterday, I’ll keep this one short and sweet.

The recipe from Rachael Ray’s cookbook that I have for you today is called a Mexican Fiesta Salad, and there isn’t much to say about it except that I really enjoyed it. Halfway through February, we’re well into the season of heavy eating – filling stews, chili, casseroles. It was nice to work this into my dinner plan for the week because of how clean and simple it was, providing a nice change from the more traditional winter fare. I want to say this even tastes good for you, that’s how light it is, but I feel like people interpret a phrase like that in a very negative way. It tastes good for you in a way that makes you feel good about yourself, not in a way that makes you feel like you’re eating cardboard and calling it diet food, or something miserable like that. It would pair well with other “clean” foods, by which I really mean other light dishes – no sauces, no gobs of cheese, even red meat might be a little too overpowering for this little gem. I ate it with a simple egg white omelet (is it just me, or is there something extremely refreshing about a plain, well cooked batch of egg whites?), but can imagine it being excellent in a number of other ways, too: grilled chicken, a light wrap or sandwich, or a bean salad on the side. You could even use the salad as a topping for plain tortilla chips.

This salad is vibrant in color but subtle in flavor. The cilantro and lime are at just the right intensities, and the red onion offers a small bite in both texture and flavor. The recipe certainly isn’t revolutionary, but it is very enjoyable, and it may even make you feel like Spring is just around the corner.

In T minus 7 or 8 days, millions of Americans will be staking their claim on their favorite sofa cushion and turning the television on to the Superbowl. Many will be having parties, and I’d venture to guess that nearly all of them will be chowing down on some serious eats. I’m not a big football fan myself (I’m trying, though – I now understand what a down is!), but I still can’t wait for next year when L and I are less than 250 miles apart and I can cater the Superbowl party he throws every year.  I’m bursting with creative and fun riffs on Superbowl classics (for example, the Buffalo Chicken Wing Cupcakes I recently stumbled upon and am practically crawling out of my skin to try), but for now, I’ll have to stick with the brainstorming.

Just the other week I had half of an avocado and some leftover black beans that needed to be used up in the fridge, and I thought a little twist on guacamole would make a good, light lunch. I was also dying to crack open this new bag of lime flavored chips by Food Should Taste Good that I snagged at Whole Foods that have – get this! – a whopping 5 grams of monounsaturated fats per serving. Sure, it means they’re not as low calorie as dipping a stick of celery into this already modestly caloric dip, but they sure do help me reach my goal of 20 MUFA’s per day in a new and delicious way. If you haven’t tried the brand before, I’d definitely recommend it, and this coming from someone who’s really not big on chips.

 Photo Source: foodshouldtastegood.com

As for the dip, it was definitely a win (or, should I say, touchdown?). There was a tiny bit of a kick but it was mostly just creamy and full of smoky cumin goodness. It was colorful and healthy, but totally indulgent enough to stand up against the formidable wings, enchiladas and meaty chilis it’s likely to compete with come Game Day. Guacamole is a great dip to offer because even though it does have some calories and fat (which might help keep you full and prevent you from overeating), they’re awesome calories and fat, and you can work in some servings of veggies while you’re at it. So whether you’re in need of a good Superbowl treat or, like me, you just feel like having a dip around, definitely try this one out. I’m pretty proud of it, at least!