avocado
Cucumber, Avocado, Spinach Sandwich
02/09/10
Hmmmmmm. I love me a cucumber sandwich. My husband thinks I'm crazy, of course, but he lacks an appreciation for the cucumber. I do not believe there were a lot of cucumbers in his youth. Therefore, having a cucumber sandwich is a joy I save for time by myself.
My mother taught me this treat when I was a kid, and since then I have made such a wide variety of cucumber sandwiches. We are mostly English in ancestry so maybe it is in our DNA. You know those cucumber sandwiches they serve with their afternoon tea?
As a kid, I use to pair sharp cheddar with my cucumber. As a young adult I discovered feta and that became my new favorite layer in my sandwich. Leftover hotdogs were often layered in with my cucumbers.
Cucumbers can stand alone and not get lost with many strong flavors. They add a cool cripness to the sandwich which makes a great contardiction to the crusty, toasty bread. Today I may use a non-dairy feta for my strong flavor, but I am just as quick to use a tapenade, hummus, or fresh herb to layer in my flavors.
Today's sandwich started with some sprouted spelt bread, lightly toasted. Veganaise was spread on either slice of taost. Another layer of black olive tapenade was spread on one side while a sundried tomatoe was chopped and spread on the other side. A cucumber was sliced long and thin and layered on top of the sundried tomato. Two slices of avocado were layered on top on the black olive tapenade. A healthy layer of spianch was place in hte center and the sandwich was put together. Sliced in half, I'm a down the middle person, and placed on a plate for consumption. Heaven!
If you are interested in creating your own cucumber sandwich, use your creativity and whatever is in your fridge. Be bold and slap those flavors down. I haven't had a bad one yet.......
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
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Jicama Salad with Avocado Dill Dressing for Meatless Monday
11/02/09 Filed in: Salads
So I have a new toy, a mandolin slicer. I purchased this over the weekend at William Sonoma. I know what you are thinking...all hoity toity shopping at William Sonoma, but it was the best quality mandolin for the the best price that I could find in our fair city. It is made by OXO Good Grips and was only $39.95.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
How to Make My Favorite Green Smoothie
09/17/09 Filed in: Smoothies
This is my favorite smoothie. (Mango was finally toppled.) It is a nutritional powerhouse and gives me a great boost. It is simple to make and even my husband likes it; a tough critic for anything that may remotely taste like grass! This is also a great use for Florida avocados which tend to hold more water than the more widely available Hass variety. Florida avocados are in season now and if you live in the area you probably have a friend with a loaded tree. I use an immersion blender for my smoothies because of easy cleanup, but you can use a blender.
Start with one banana.
Add a handful of baby spinach.
Add 1/2 of a Florida avocado or 1/2 of a Hass avocado.
Add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and some agave syrup to taste. If your banana was very ripe you might not need any agave syrup.
Add soy milk (I use unsweeted soy), almond milk, or hemp milk till your container is 3/4 full. Add one cup if you are using a blender. Be careful not to over fill as your immersion blender will splatter if too close to the top of the glass.
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Start with one banana.
Add a handful of baby spinach.
Add 1/2 of a Florida avocado or 1/2 of a Hass avocado.
Add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and some agave syrup to taste. If your banana was very ripe you might not need any agave syrup.
Add soy milk (I use unsweeted soy), almond milk, or hemp milk till your container is 3/4 full. Add one cup if you are using a blender. Be careful not to over fill as your immersion blender will splatter if too close to the top of the glass.
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.