Ingredients Archives: Limes

Avocado Lime “Everything” Sauce

By Ami on April 2, 2019 in Dressings and Sauces

I have a confession. When I was young, I did not like avocados. Saying that now makes me want to shake the shoulders of my younger self, but it’s true. I still remember the day I tried avocado again. I was at a pizzaria in Idaho and for some reason I decided to order the pizza with avocado. I wasn’t even pregnant, so the random compulsion to eat an avocado was completely out of the blue. I was hooked! I’m not sure why I didn’t like avocados before. It may have been my form of childhood rebellion (my parents are so lucky). Who knows? But I’m thankful I tried an avocado that day.

Now I eat avocados in every way possible. I make them into pudding and frosting, puree them in smoothies, eat them on toast, make them into guacamole and now this perfect sauce.

I call this an “everything” sauce because it fits to well with everything. We’ve used it as a spread for a sandwich, a salad dressing, a chip dip, on top of a burger, and a meatball dip. It’s so versatile! It’s like the little black dress of sauces.

This weekend we went to a restaurant and I sneaked in a jar so I didn’t have to deal with restaurant dressings loaded with unhealthy fats and sugars. Yes, I’m that woman who carries sauces in her purse. I used to make fun of my mom for bringing her no-calorie spray salad dressing to restaurants. Remember those dressings?! I’m so glad we’ve moved beyond that.

Let’s talk about juicing limes for a bit. I love lime juice but limes are often stubborn and don’t want to give up their juice. Here’s the secret. First, warm up your limes. I usually stick them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Once they’re warm, roll them on the counter with your hand to loosen them up a bit. This is the only way I get limes to give me their juice.

However you decide to use this sauce, I’m sure it deserves a place in your fridge.

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Healthy, Easy Cowboy Salsa

By Ami on May 27, 2016 in Side Dishes

This is a recipe my mother-in-law made at a picnic. It’s so much better than a jarred salsa. It’s perfect with tortilla chips or crackers, but all I need is my face and the bowl. YUM!!!

In a colander, drain and rinse:

1 can corn
1 can black beans (I thought I had black beans and didn’t, so I used a can of pinto beans instead, which was also delicious. Despite my husband’s original claim that pinto beans are just a cheap imitation of black beans, he enjoyed it with the pinto beans as well).

Put the beans and corn in a large bowl and add:

6 or 7 chopped roma tomatoes – They key to this part is to get the tomatoes about the same size as the beans and corn.
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 or 5 green onions – The easiest way I’ve found to chop green onions is to clip them with kitchen shears, similar to how you clip chives.

Toss this mixture together.

Then in a small bowl, combine:

1 package powdered Italian dressing mix
the zest of one lime (this is optional, but I think it makes it even better!)
the juice of two limes

Pour this mixture over the salsa and toss. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge so all the flavors can combine.

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Chicken Avocado Lettuce Wraps

By Ami on October 23, 2015 in Main Dishes

My son has activities on Monday and Wednesday nights. We have to make dinner in advance so we can eat right when we get home. This leaves us with three options: crock pot, salad or sandwiches. This can get old, so we’re always looking for something to mix it up. These chicken avocado lettuce wraps are fabulous because we can make them in advance and they’re super yummy. Plus there’s usually enough to have leftovers the next day for lunch. As a busy mom, those are always my favorite kind of meals.

Start by cooking some chicken breasts. I always poach them because it’s a fast way to cook chicken. You can also use store-bought pre-cooked chicken. Then work some magic. Put the cooked chicken in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Turn it on and… VOILA! Yep. That just happened. Since I learned this trick, I never used two forks to shred chicken.

Then add the avocados, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and mix again.

I like to serve this in a lettuce leaf. I generally use green leaf lettuce, but romaine or even iceberg would work fine. If you really don’t like lettuce wraps, serve it in a whole wheat tortilla. I personally love the crunch the lettuce gives.

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Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

By Ami on August 28, 2015 in Main Dishes

No matter where go you, there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants. Because what’s not to love? Sugar-sweetened meat, loads of melted cheese, processed-flour tortillas. Good news! There is a way to still enjoy delicious Mexican food without eating a ton of processed food, sugar and bad-for-you oils. And it won’t take all day.

This is a dump-in-the-slow-cooker recipe, so it takes very few steps and comes out moist and flavorful. When my husband was eating this he kept saying, “There’s just something about this.” That’s always a good sign.

Start with the chicken breasts or thighs in a slow cooker. I personally like thighs because they come out much more moist. But if you prefer breasts, go right ahead.

Top with the taco seasoning, lime juice and zest, and chicken broth. No need to stir. Just turn on the slow cooker on high for four hours.

After four hours, shred the chicken and add it back to the slow cooker. Stir in the salsa and let it heat through for another half hour.

Now serve it in lettuce wraps. If you really hate lettuce wraps, substitute a whole-grain tortilla. I always use green-leaf lettuce but you can use romaine or iceberg. Top it with sour cream, guacamole and shredded cheese.

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Better than Restaurant Pico de Gallo

By Ami on August 7, 2015 in Dressings and Sauces

Whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant, I always load whatever I’m eating with pico de gallo. Did you know pico de gallo is healthy? And did you know it’s extremely easy to make? I know that now and my life is much better because of it.

Here are my top five favorite uses for pico de gallo:

Rather than spending a lot of time making a salsa or buying one full of preservatives, make a batch of pico de gallo and use this in place of salsa for tortilla chips.
Use it on top of enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas or nachos to make them taste extra fresh and yummy.
Top a salad with pico de gallo instead of dressing. Eating healthy means a lot of salads, so this helps to change things up a bit
Grill a chicken breast and top it with pico de gallo. If you’re like me and make a big batch for the week, this makes dinner extremely easy.
Stir pico de gallo into some brown rice for an easy side dish.

Now I’m sure you’re curious how to make it, so here we go. Pico de gallo has only 4-5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper to taste. I say 4-5 because the jalapeno is optional. I opt out because I have kids who aren’t fans of spicy food and I’m a spice wuss. At least I’m confident enough to admit it.

Start by chopping equal parts roma tomato, red onion and cilantro. Make the pieces as large or small as you like, but try to make them uniform. If you’re adding a jalapeno, remove the seeds and finely chop it. Stir this all together and squeeze in the juice of two limes. Now add salt and pepper to taste. That’s it!

This is easy and versatile enough to whip up every week. And this is one of those fabulous recipes that gets better as it sits. Since I love the stuff so much, I’d love to know your favorite uses for pico de gallo.

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