Avocado Banana Bread

Made with coconut oil, avocado, bananas, and whole wheat flour, this Avocado Banana Bread is packed full of superfoods for a delicious clean eating snack!

Zesty Guacamole

This Zesty Guacamole is more than just mashed avocados; the tomatoes and garlic give it a burst of flavor.  You won't be able to stop eating it!

If you had asked me a couple months ago if I liked avocado, I would have adamantly responded no.  So it's a given that I also would have said I didn't like guacamole.  In my quest to become healthier and incorporate more whole foods into my diet, I have been trying to eat more avocados.  I've discovered that I really don't mind them, but you won't catch me eating avocado slices on top of my salad any time soon.  I prefer when they're diced into a fruit salsa, or mashed into brownies.  And surprise!  I've even discovered that I like guacamole (when prepared a certain way).

In the past I'd only had guacamole made with avocados, lime juice, and salt.  I found it much to bland for my tastes and couldn't understand why people enjoyed it.  No offense if you do!  Then a while back I went to my friend's Tupperware party.  The demonstrator showed us how to make guacamole using avocados, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and lime juice.  I hesitantly tried a scoop and found that it was bursting with flavor and delicious!

I'm currently on day 3 of the 21 Day Fix and loving it!  I can eat a huge variety of foods and I really haven't been hungry.  This guacamole is 21 Day Fix compliant, and feels like something I'm indulging in!  Just make sure that you measure the guacamole correctly if you're doing the fix.

Zesty Guacamole

Ingredients:
2 avocados
2 roma tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
juice of one lime

1.  Cut avocado into chunks.  Check out this post for instructions, if needed.

2.  Dice roma tomatoes and cut garlic cloves in half.

3.  Put the avocado, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and lime juice in your food processor and blend until smooth.

4.  Scoop into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips, on tacos, or on top of burgers.  The guacamole will turn brown after sitting out, or if you refrigerate it.  The taste isn't affected but if the appearance bothers you, scrape off the top layer.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Fruit Salsa

Avocados, mangoes, strawberries and a kick from jalapenos, this fresh fruit salsa is the perfect topping for your grilled meat this season!

Spring is my favorite time of year.  Like many others, I was wondering if we would ever see Spring here in Michigan this year.  Thankfully though, it has arrived.  I am loving the weather and the ability to be outside enjoying it!  On Saturday, Summer and I were able to sit outside and play for a while.  It was the first time we've been able to do that.

The warmer weather is amazing and with it comes an abundance of delicious fruits.  I love fruit and eat it year round, but nothing beats fresh in-season fruit.  I'm trying to incorporate more whole foods into my daily diet, and fruit and vegetables make up a large portion of what I eat.

This fresh Fruit Salsa is a versatile recipe: it can be eaten plain, on top of grilled chicken, steak or fish, and it's delicious as a salad topping.  I used my handy Vidalia Chop Wizard to cut up the avocado, mango, and strawberries for this dish.  I love how much time it saves me and that the fruit pieces are fairly uniform.  I had originally planned to use pineapple with the strawberries and avocado, but then I saw a mango and decided to go that route instead.  I think either would be delicious.  The orange juice and lime juice give an extra boost of flavor to this salsa, and the diced jalapeno gives it just enough kick.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.  I think it would make a great addition to any summer cookout!

Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 mango
1 quart strawberries
1 small jalapeno pepper
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

1.  Cut up avocado, mango, and strawberries into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Remove membrane and seeds from the jalapeno and cut into small pieces.

3.  Drizzle orange juice and lime juice over the fruit and jalapeno.

4.  Sprinkle with cilantro and gently stir.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Inspired by: The Foodie Bride

For tips and tricks on choosing, preparing, and storing your fruits, check out this great posts:
Avocados
Mangoes
Strawberries

This post contains affiliate links.

Skinny Brownies

These skinny brownies have just 3 ingredients and come together quickly! You'd never guess they're actually healthy!

I love trying new things.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago when I did my Avocado: Tips and Tricks post, avocados are a relatively new-to-me fruit.  I first purchased a few to try as a first food for Summer.  My basic rule of thumb is that if I won't eat it, she doesn't have to.  So I had to try a bit of avocado before giving it to her.  I've had guacamole in the past but I've never been a big fan of it, so I really wasn't expecting to like avocados.  I was pleasantly surprised when I did like them, and I've made a few recipes using avocados since then.

So why am I talking about avocados?  Isn't this a brownie post?  Well, remember I told you this recipe had only 3 ingredients?  One of them is avocado!  The other two are water and a box of brownie mix.  Does water even count?  I love recipes that use a boxed mix because it makes it so easy.  (Like these Lemon Crinkle Cookies!)

You just take 2 avocados and mash them up really good.  I used my food processor to make sure there weren't any chunks.  Avocado in brownies is weird enough, but chunks of avocado is brownies, no thank you!  Then mix in a bit of water and the brownie mix.  And that's it!  Pour it into a pan and bake.

These brownies are extremely fudgey!  I think their texture is similar to a Lara bar (if you've had one of those before).  They're dense and gooey.  I opted to store them in the fridge since I wasn't sure how avocado would do sitting out on the counter.  I loved eating the brownies cold.

I would consider these brownies to be pretty healthy.  The fat from the typical eggs and oil is replaced by good fats from the avocado.  A large piece of brownie came out to be just under 200 calories.  I figure that's pretty good for such a decadent snack! 

These brownies are skinny, unless you eat half a pan...

Not that I would know or anything!

Skinny Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 avocados (about 1 cup of puree)
1/3 cup water
1 boxed brownie mix

1.  Remove the flesh from the avocado (directions here) and place in your food processor.  Add water and process until smooth.  (If you don't have a food processor, you can also use a blender or mash the avocado with a fork.)

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the avocado and brownie mix.  (If your food processor is large enough, you can mix everything in there.)

3.  Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.

4.  Bake a 350 for 27-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.

Source: JelliBean Journals 

Avocados: Tips and Tricks

An avocado is a superfood, full of healthy fats, high in potassium, and incredibly versatile in its uses.

Last summer I did a series of tips and tricks about various fruits.  Since I was recently introduced to avocados, I thought I would add a post about them!

I haven't always been a fan of avocados, but lately I have been purchasing them more often and incorporating them into our diet.  In fact, avocados were recommended as a first food for Summer.  Part of the reason for my post today is because I'll be talking about avocados in an upcoming Homemade Baby Food post and this will make a good reference!  Also, I have a delicious recipe coming up that uses avocado!

When choosing an avocado, you'll want to choose a fruit that is soft when pressed.  Side note here:  did you know avocados are actually fruit?  I always thought they were vegetables!  The flesh of an avocado turns brown when exposed to air (like bananas) and that can be prevented by serving it immediately or sprinkling it with lemon juice.  Avocados are typically served raw.

Once you have selected a perfectly ripe avocado, you'll want to cut it in half lengthwise.

You can discard the pit.  (I have heard you can plant it and grow your own avocado tree.  Has anyone ever tried it?)

You can cut your avocado in a few different ways.  These are the two I do most often.  You can score the flesh of the avocado while in the skin.  Then flip the skin "inside out"  and the flesh will fall off.

Alternatively, you can scoop the flesh of the avocado out of the skin with a large spoon.

Place the avocado on a cutting board and slice as desired.  I typically dice mine so it is easier to mash.  If you're serving the avocado on a salad or burger, you could cut it into wedges.

Remember that avocados brown quickly, so you'll want to use the avocado shortly after you cut it.

Other Fruit Tips and Tricks:
Watermelon
Strawberries
Blueberries
Mangoes
Pineapple