A Cinco de Mayo, must: Guacamole

No surprise here: I make ALL of my dips, spreads, sauces, and dressings from scratch -- OUTSIDE of the Box. They are simple to make and the taste is sooooooo worth the small effort.

To celebrate, Cinco de Mayo...Here's a simple, delicious Guacamole recipe that will please any crowd -- from my cookbook -- Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside of the Box.
 
 
Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside of the Box with Chrisetta Mosley

60 simple, delicious, healthy recipes

Reconnect with your food and take control of your health in your very own kitchen using this collection of simple recipes focusing on whole, natural foods.

GUACAMOLE

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
SERVES 6

Ingredients 


3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Baked Tortilla Chips, (page 47) for serving, optional

Directions

Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and gently fold everything together.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Outside of the Box: Salads with Whole Grains

I love teaching cooking classes. It's the best of both worlds. I love food. So talking about food, good real food, cooking food, and then feeding an eager crowd - score! Today, I showed a lively group how amazing salads can be.

On the menu: 

- Wheat Berry Spinach Salad (A bed of spinach leaves, wheat berries, red bell peppers, Feta cheese, sliced almonds). By adding the wheat berries, red bell pepper, and almonds the salad is naturally crunchy so replacing the desire for highly caloric, nutrient deprived croutons.
- Chopped salad (Bed of romaine lettuce, tricolor quinoa, blanched asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, red onion, grape tomatoes, black olives, and mozzarella cheese).  All the fresh vegetables give this salad a crunch and adding the quinoa gives it a boost of plant based protein.
   
The consensus among the group, the made from scratch lemon vinaigrette and honey mustard dressing elevated the wow factor. I loved hearing them ooh and aah with each bite. I loved how by the end of class they were all thinking OUTSIDE of the Box: They were chatting about ways they could tweak the salads for their loved ones or how excited they were to share the salads with coworkers at their upcoming potluck. Just like that another group -- Outside of the Box!


Doing what I love, loving what I do!

Test Kitchen: Fresh Green Bean and Potato Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette

Testing, Testing! Winner, Winner!

Today, in the test kitchen, I whipped up a beautiful, simply delicious Fresh Green Bean and Potato Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Here's how it went down:

Prep:
Steamed red potatoes and green beans (separately)
Chopped red onion and fresh basil
Prepared balsamic vinaigrette

Putting it together:
I drizzled a little of the freshly made balsamic vinaigrette on the potatoes after I halved them while they were still warm. Then I hit the green beans with a touch of kosher salt right after they were steamed so the salt would cling. Next, added the diced red onion and freshly chopped basil leaves. Gently mixed it all together. Finished it with more balsamic vinaigrette. Served room temperature.

Score card:

Level: Easy

+ : The potatoes and green beans were perfectly steamed. The lemon opened up all the flavors in the vinaigrette and made them come alive. It was like springtime in my mouth. The tangy Dijon mustard provided just enough kick. The vinaigrette was a nice consistency and clung beautifully to the potatoes and green beans.

-: None.


Comments: Another five ingredient or less, success. This recipe has earned a spot in the cookbook.  Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside the Box -- Coming Fall '12

Grade: A +++