Avocado Toast

Go to any trendy brunch spot and you'll probably find some version of avocado toast on the menu.  I am sharing a few different takes the dish.  I love it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  We got some great sourdough bread from Smitty Bread, a local bakery, on Saturday and I had some avocados and veggies for salads that I never made so I decided to have avocado toast a few ways.  I'm sharing some ways that I enjoy avocado toast below.  Let me know what your favorite ways to eat avocado toast are so I can try some new variations! Tonight I had watermelon radishes which I tossed in olive oil and red wine vinegar, regular radishes, cherry tomatoes, Mexican fiesta microgreens, and lemon so I whipped up different versions for each half of the two slices of bread I cut from the sourdough loaf. 

My favorite is still just the basic smashed avocado, red pepper flakes, garlic, and fried egg!  I also can't wait for tomatoes fresh from the garden to add to the toast!

Avocado Toast with Egg on Top

1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded

Splash of lime juice

Pinch of garlic salt

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

Pepper to taste

1 slice of bread

1 egg

1. Toast 1 slice of bread.

2. In a bowl, combine and mash together first 5 ingredients until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

3. Spoon mixture over slice of toast.

4. Top with egg prepared however you desire (I cook mine over hard).

Avocado Toast with Tomato Mozzarella Salad

1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded

Splash of lime juice

Pinch tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped and divided

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 oz mozzarella pearls

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

1 slice bread

1. Toast 1 slice of bread.

2. In a bowl, combine and mash together first 4 ingredients.  Add half cilantro and stir to combine.

3. In separate bowl, add tomatoes, mozzarella, and remaining cilantro.  Drizzle with olive oil and splash of red wine vinegar. Toss to combine. 

4. Spoon avocado mixture over slice of toast,

5. Top with tomato mozzarella salad.

Mediterranean Avocado Toast

1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

S&P to taste

4 slices cucumber

4 slices tomato (or a few cherry tomatoes halved)

4 thin slices red onion

Feta cheese

Balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 slice bread

1. Toast 1 slice of bread.

2. In a bowl, combine and mash together first three ingredients.

3. Spoon mixture over slice of toast.  

4. Top with cucumber, tomato, red onion.

5. Optional, drizzle with balsamic or red wine vinegar.

6. Sprinkle feta over top.

Cajun Turkey

1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

sliced cracked pepper turkey (one to two slices depending on size)

Cajun seasoning

1. Toast 1 slice of bread.

2. In a bowl, combine and mash together first two ingredients.

3. Top with turkey slices.

4. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning to taste.
*I think this would also taste great with sliced tomato and/or bacon! 


I'm linking to my Pinterest board with even more ideas!

Favorite Pinterest Find

Just before adding the half and half to finish the soup.

I've been using Pinterest for a few years and like anyone else who uses it, I find some great things but I also find absolute duds.  I wanted to share my absolute favorite Pinterest find.  I found this recipe on Pinterest from Cinnamon-Spice and Everything Nice last year.  Wyatt and I both love it! We eat it year round and it's a recipe that is fairly quick and easy and gives us enough for lunch the next day! I just made it last night and though I would share.

Honestly, my favorite part about this dish is the broth.  It's so delicious! I always buy a jar of roasted red peppers and use the whole jar which is about 1 1/2 red peppers but I'm sure you could roast your own red peppers and save a little money.  I use hot Italian sausage almost always when making this.  I did double the recipe once and did half regular Italian and half hot Italian sausage.  Speaking of doubling, this recipe is easy to double if you have a larger family or would like plenty of leftovers.

Gnocchi, Sausage and Spinach Soup

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Potato gnocchi with spicy sausage, roasted red peppers and fresh baby spinach in a creamy broth.

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, diced

1 roasted red pepper, diced

olive oil, for sauteing

sea or Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 pound Italian sausage, ground or removed from casings, hot or sweet

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed between fingers

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound potato gnocchi

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rough chopped

3/4 cup half & half or heavy cream (light is ok)

1 heaping tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large sauce pan or soup pot saute onion and red pepper in a couple of tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until tender. Season well with salt and pepper. In a separate, large skillet brown the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Add garlic to onion mixture and saute until fragrant.
2. Drain sausage and add to onion mixture along with the basil and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper, simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add gnocchi and spinach, bring to a simmer and cook until gnocchi puff up and start to float (check package for cooking time). Add half & half and fresh basil, bring to a simmer for three or four minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Greek Chicken

Ready for the Oven

Wyatt and I had admittedly been in a slump with cooking.  Our lives had us busy and the few nights a week the last few weeks we had to ourselves, we were just not feeling it when it came to fixing dinner.  Now that we're finally settling into a lot less busy schedule, we are making it a point to make cooking (relatively) healthy meals at home a priority.  Over the weekend we made a plan for lunches and dinners for the weekend/week.  Wyatt made a delicious glazed salmon made with citrus zest and brown sugar over the weekend.  Last night I made a super easy and very tasty recipe that I know we'll be making again!

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The ingredient list was small and part of which we had on hand already.  The prep time was minimal and was an easy prep.  I did use my glass 9 x 13 dish as I don't have a sheet pan like the one described in the recipe below.  One thing we decided last night was that we will try leaving it under the broiler a little longer next time.  All in all it was a success and provided us with enough for lunches!

GREEK CHICKEN SHEET PAN DINNER

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Author: Kitchen Nostalgia

Serves: 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 1 lb early potatoes
• juice and zest of ½ lemon (or to taste)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt, pepper
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil; add chicken and potatoes and toss until coated with mixture.
2. Transfer everything to a sheet pan with a rim. Add chicken broth, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes in 375 F (175 C) oven.
3. Uncover and continue baking at 390 F (200 C) for 25-35 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are done.
4. Optional: put under broiler for 3-5 minutes or until golden.

Pinterest Find: Snickers Apple Salad

img via

I love, love, love Pinterest.  It makes finding recipes so easy.  I am sure you've all had the experience of recipes found on Pinterest not living up to your expectations, but this one certainly exceeded my expectations!  Last Thanksgiving at one of our Friendsgivings, our friend Paige brought an apple salad that was so delicious.  With the apples from my trip with Allison to the orchard, I decided to make a similar salad.  I turned to Pinterest where I found this recipe.  I made it this weekend for my family when we hosted them for lunch to celebrate my dad's birthday and it was a hit.  This stuff tastes just like a caramel apple with nuts and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 8 - 16 oz Cool Whip
• 1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 1 cup Milk
• Snickers
• 8 - 10 Apples

Cooking Directions

1. Add instant pudding into mixing bowl and pour in 1 cup cold milk. Mix well and let chill while chopping candy.
2. Chop Snickers bars into bite size pieces (I used about 1 bag of mini snickers but you can add more to taste).
3. Chop apples into bite sized pieces (I use about 8-10)
4. Fold in one 8 ounce container of Cool Whip (or more if you think it needs more. I usually buy the 16 ounce container just in case) into the pudding.
5. Combine candy and apples in bowl with pudding mixture.
6.  Enjoy

Kentucky Mule

My go to drink as of late has been a Kentucky Mule.

What you’ll need:

- 1-1.5 shots of bourbon
- 5 fl oz. of a ginger beer
- juice of one lime
- ice

Fill glass with 4-5 ice cubes, then pour in your shot(s) of bourbon.  Add the juice of one lime then the chilled ginger beer until glass is full. Stir, then top off with a lime wedge on the side and serve.  We didn't have any limes when I made us these the other night so I subbed the fresh lime for lime juice and it worked just as well.

Cheers!

Recipe: Jambalaya

Fat Tuesday came and went and left me craving some good Cajun food!  Since there is no trip to the bayou in my near future, I opted to make my parents' Jambalaya recipe at home instead.  This recipe is really simple and makes a bunch so you have easy meals the next day or two!  You may remember that my family has held several Mardi Gras parties.  As is the case, my parents have really perfected a few of my favorite Cajun recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 (16-oz) pacakage spicy hickory-smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices (I use part Andouille and part smoked sausage)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 (32-oz) container chicken broth
• 1 (14 1/2-oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped (I use chopped tomatoes)
• 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 pound unpeeled medium-sized fresh shrimp (I use frozen and already peeled)
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Cooking Directions

1. Brown sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings in pan. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 more minute. Add rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients.
2. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.
3. Stir in shrimp and green onions; cook 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. 

Enjoy!

Mamaw's Famous Squash Pie

Mamaw Majel and Me

The holidays are right around the corner and today during our visit with my Papaw, my mom asked to see some of my Mamaw's recipes.  This one is my favorite desserts and probably one of my favorite things that my Mamaw used to make.  She always had one ready for the holidays and it seemed like she almost always had one waiting for me and my sister when we'd go have lunch or spend the weekend with Mamaw and Papaw.  I loved her pie so much that my Granny even tried her hand at making a squash pie for my sister and I one time that we stayed with her.

I started making Mamaw's squash pie recipe about 5 years ago, and I'm happy to report that her famous squash pie will live on for at least another generation.

Just mix the ingredients, pour into a pie shell and cook until the crust is golden and the filling sets up. I usually start with thirty to forty minutes and add time accordingly.

Happy baking!