Mexican Tossed Salad Recipe

My husband and I have been eating "Mexican" almost every day, enjoying the bounty of avocados, tomatoes, jalapenos, and peppers. This particular afternoon, I was looking for a new way to serve and enjoy these flavors, and I found a recipe for "Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad" on Tasty Kitchen. I took the basic idea and made it my own--it was a hit! We gobbled it up so quickly, there wasn't time for a photograph. Check out Lauren's post to get an idea of what this salad might look like.


Mexican Tossed Salad Recipe
adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Serves 2 or 3

Ingredients
2 cups shredded leaf lettuce
1/2 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4-1/2 cup crushed tortilla (or Dorito) chips, reserved until serving
1 whole avocado, diced, reserved until serving

for the dressing:
1/4 cup fat free Ranch dressing
1 tsp Srirachi (or other chili sauce)
1-2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper

Directions
Combine salad ingredients (except the tortilla chips and avocado) in a large bowl. Toss together.

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, altering to suit your tastes. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

A few minutes before serving, toss in the crushed chips and avocado.

Serve!

Bakery Blueberry Muffins Recipe

I have always been a muffin fan, but I have never made blueberry muffins before. And even when I bake muffins, I find it difficult to keep from overbaking them. I hope I'm not alone in this one. 

The night before mine and my husband's 4th anniversary camping trip, I decided to whip up a batch of blueberry muffins. I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and it resulted in THE BEST blueberry muffins I have ever eaten! Noshings calls them "bakery" muffins because of their high tops and the dense moist insides (not light and fluffy like most recipes)--just how we like them. An even better part? These muffins get better on day 2 and 3!  

Bakery Blueberry Muffins Recipe

recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cups shortening

1 heaping cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 whole eggs

1/2 cups buttermilk*

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

*buttermilk can be substituted by adding 1/2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to just under 1/2 cup milk. Let set for 5 minutes and then stir. 

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large muffin tin with muffin cups or grease. 

In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gently fold in the blueberries into the flour mixture to coat. Add the flour/berry mixture to the creamed ingredients and fold to combine. Do not over mix!

Fill the muffin cups all the way to the top with the batter. (Don't worry! This will work, I promise!)

Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes and then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 15-20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN at any time. The initial high baking temperature helps create the domed tops. 

When muffins are slightly golden, remove from the oven, test the centers with a toothpick to see if it's done inside and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Store in an airtight container--they are even better on day 2! 

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Spicy Strawberry Mango Salsa Recipe

It's STRAWBERRY SEASON, friends! Plus, there have been mangoes on sale in the stores almost every week since Memorial Day. Between those two exciting events and the cilantro steadily producing on my back porch, this salsa was an obvious choice to bring to a party! I knew the dip would be delicious, if only I could get skeptical eaters to partake. Well, it didn't take much prodding before this salsa was gone! Everyone loved it--men loved the spicy jalapeno, women loved the sweet fruit. I don't know how the two flavors work together so well, but they do! 

Spicy Strawberry Mango Salsa Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Makes 1 bowl of salsa

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped

5-6 large strawberries, washed and hulled and chopped

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tsp chopped cilantro

cumin

Italian seasoning

salt 

pepper

1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions

In a 2-3 cup bowl, combine mango, strawberries, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Sprinkle with cumin, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add in lime juice. Stir to combine. Keep covered and refrigerate until serving. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips. 

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No-Bake Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars Recipe

I am a sucker for anything remotely healthy, yet sweet and reasonably filling. These granola bars fit the bill (and they were the perfect option for our weekend camping trip). In just minutes your pan of granola bars is firming up on the counter top--less time than it would take to run to the store to purchase a package of the pre-made variety. I call that a win!

No-Bake Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars Recipe

recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes 8-10 granola bars

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats

1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal (or Rice Krispies)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Lightly grease the bottom of a 12x8 inch jelly roll pan (a larger pan will do, but you will have work to keep the granola pressed in.) 

In a large bowl, stir together quick oats, cereal, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. 

In a small sauce pan, heat the butter, sugar, and honey over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once bubbling, turn heat down to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 

Pour sauce over top of the oat mixture and stir until evenly combined. Chocolate chips should be melted and evenly distributed. 

Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours before cutting into bars. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper and store at room temperatures

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