avocado

Creamy Tropical Green Smoothie

By in Beverages, Cold, Kids, Snacks 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

tropical green smoothie

Green smoothies have been a “thing” for quite a while now, but I didn’t get it for the longest time because every recipe I tried tasted just too, well, green. But, I finally found one that tastes like a proper smoothie – cold, creamy and delicious. Your first thought will be “tropical” not “green”.

There’s a lot going on in this smoothie to make it just right. The banana, avocado and yogurt keep it creamy, the ice cubes keep it cold and refreshing, the orange juice gives it a tropical flavour, and the honey sweetens it up. I don’t normally put this much honey in a smoothie but I feel like it’s necessary to take away the “green” flavour that tends to make these types of smoothies taste like a blended salad. *shudder* I like to eat my salad with a fork, thank you very much.

This smoothie gets it’s green from two veggies, avocado and spinach. But, I don’t think that either are distinctly noticeable. In fact, Max doesn’t like avocados one bit “except for in smoothies” he now proudly proclaims, because he loves this smoothie so much. Mommy win!

tropical green smoothie

Creamy Tropical Green Smoothies

  • 1 avocado, peel and pit removed
  • 1 large banana, peeled (or 1.5 small)
  • 1 large handful baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups pure unsweetened orange juice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 12 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, process until smooth. Serve.

Makes: 4 large servings

Adapted from Everyday Food.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

By in GF Mains, Main Dish, Poultry 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

chipotle chicken tacos 36

The other night my hubby and I went on a very long awaited date. We drove from our sleepy (or boring, whatever you prefer) little country town to the “big” city of Calgary. We watched The Hobbit (yay!) and then drove downtown to eat at Joey Eau Claire. We’ve eaten there a couple of times and every time the food has been absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it.

I had the Baja Fish Tacos. They were sooo good. In fact, the very next day I was craving them again and decided to create my own version of a “fancy” taco. Since I have a favourite fish taco recipe already, I thought I’d go for a poultry version and put my own spin on it. They’re nothing like the fish tacos I had the night before but I think they are just as crave worthy. With homemade crispy taco shells, smokey chipotle chicken strips, a cooling yet spicy avocado cream, and broccoli slaw, this is no boring taco. But the best part? They hardly take any time to put together, making them a great choice for any old weeknight.

The spicy avocado cream makes a great dip for nachos. So, if you’ve got any leftover don’t throw it out! Save it in the fridge for a tasty game night snack.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

Spicy Avocado Cream

If your family can’t handle spice you can omit the jalapeño to make it simply a cooling cream, with no added spiciness.

  • 1/2 avocado, peeled and pit removed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice of half a lime
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded if desired (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Chipotle Chicken
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
To Serve

Place all ingredients for the avocado cream in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into serving bowl.

Preheat a skillet, with a bit of oil, over medium high heat. Add chicken; season with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Cook without stirring until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until fully cooked through. Add garlic and chipotle pepper. Cook 1 minute more.

To serve: add a couple sliced of chicken to a taco shell, top with avocado cream, cheese, slaw and cilantro.

Makes: 8-10 tacos

Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa

By in Main Dish, Seafood 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

fish tacos

Sometimes when I suggest a meal to my hubby I get a raised eyebrow and I know, it’s a no go. But, sometimes I know that the aversion is all in his head, so I go ahead and make it anyways, sure that he’ll love it. Sometimes it just end up putting a nail in the coffin, other times he’s pleasantly surprised and we add another delicious meal to our repertoire. The latter is the case with these fish tacos – none of us could get enough.

This is the type of meal that I end up thinking about all evening after we’ve had it for dinner. Even after eating it, I still crave it because it’s just so good. And it’s pretty darn healthy too, which just makes it that much more crave worthy. I had never had red snapper before having this dish. We’re not major seafood people, we don’t like things too fishy tasting. To my delight red snapper isn’t fishy at all, especially when marinated in tex mex herbs and spices. And the avocado salsa. Oh my, I could eat it with a spoon. It’s not your typical chunky salsa, it’s smooth and silky and lends a nice spicy kick and cooling factor all at once.

Please give this recipe a try, even if you’re unsure about fish tacos or fish in general. I’m pretty sure it will be a win.

Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Grilled Fish
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 pounds of red snapper fillets
Avocado Salsa
  • 1-2 jalapeño peppers (depending on heat preference)
  • 1/2 avocado, pitted
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • juice of 1 small lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons water
Serve with
  • tortillas
  • leftover avocado, chopped
  • cilantro
  • chopped tomato
  • chopped green onions

For the fish: Mix together cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, cilantro and olive oil until it is a paste. Spread it over both sides of the fish fillets, making sure it is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 2 hours.

To make the salsa: Lightly oil grill grates with an oil soaked paper towel and preheat to high heat. Grill jalapeno peppers until blackened all over. Place jalapeño in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare remaining salsa ingredients and put them into the bowl of a food processor.

Place the fish on the hot, greased, grill. Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes, or until opaque. Flip fish and cook until the fish flakes easily and is opaque throughout.

Peel the blackened skin off the grilled jalapeños, cut in half and remove seeds. Place peppers in the bowl of the food processor along with the other salsa ingredients. Process until smooth.

Flake fish with a fork and serve on tortillas along with avocado salsa, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado, cilantro and green onions.

Makes: 12 small tacos

Grilled Fish adapted from Martha Stewart. Avocado Salsa adapted from The Martha Stewart Show.