Guacamole Salad with Josh

Since my very sweet friend gave me some of her genius salsa...for free!...

I went ahead and made Salsa Lime Chicken and Rice again.

Now, a couple observations I made over dinner.

a.) Salsa Lime Chicken and Rice tastes even better with Jan's Salsa!

b.) Nothing goes with SLCR quite as well as this quacamole salad!

c.) I love Josh and Amy like there's no tomorrow.

So, guacamole salad is everything you would mash into a regular quac.

There's avocado, tomato, lime, some peppers and beans for good measure, you just don't mash it.

The dressing is so simple.

It has loads of lime zest and juice, a bit of olive oil and some salt and cayenne.

Josh and Amy loved it.

See how nicely Josh cleaned his plate.

Guacamole Salad

(Ina Garten)

1 pint grape tomato, halved

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 can (19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

1 lime zested and juiced (about 1/4 C juice)

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1 garlic clove, minced

dash cayenne

1/2 tsp pepper

2 avocados, peeled and diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Springtime Lime Pie

Here's a spring dessert for you. 10 minutes prep time, 18 mins bake time...chill (4 hours)and eat.

Lime Pie

(myrecipes.com)

22 graham wafers, crushed (yield 1 1/4C)

1/4C butter, melted

2- 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk

1 1/4 C freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6 limes)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 C sour cream

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

zest of 1/2 a lime

Preheat oven to 325*.

Mix graham wafer crumbs and butter in a 10inch pie plate. Press crumb mixture into plate.

Bake for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, whisk together milk, lime juice and eggs in a large bowl.

Pour into baked pie shell. Bake 18-20 mins.

Chill for 4 hours.

Mix sour cream and sugar in a small bowl. Spread on top of pie. Sprinkle with lime zest.

Serve.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

These are not your usual sugar-butter laden peanut butter cookies. They're reasonably healthy, easy to prepare and will surprise the skeptics.

I was a bit skeptical myself. Sugar-free, spelt cookies don't sound very promising.

If you don't know what spelt is and you have never baked with it before, go to the bulk food store, buy just what you need for these cookies and be pleasantly surprised at how normal it feels to use it.

Spelt actually gives these cookies wonderful flavour. The batter will look a little more gritty than regular flour but will taste perfect when they're baked.

I took these to share with a group of friend last night and everyone agreed, they're good!

...(despite being healthy)

One thing I will mention, Heather from 101cookbooks recommends you buy a well combined peanut butter and not a super oily one. I used PC Crunchy and it worked beautifully.

Heather's Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

(101cookbooks.com)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350* degrees. Place racks in the top third.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla.

Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture

and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking.

Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two.

Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork.

It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses,

go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step.

Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry.

Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Rhubarb...Oh the possibilities

Rhubarb Lime Spritzer

Makes 6 drinks

• 3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 36 ounces sparkling water or prosecco
• 6 lime wedges

1. Place the rhubarb, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Cover and place over medium heat. Simmer until the rhubarb is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon -- then mash it! Stir in the vanilla.

2. Pass the rhubarb mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. You should have 3/4 cup syrup.

3. Fill 6 tumblers with ice. Add 2 tablespoons of syrup to each glass. Top with sparkling water (or prosecco). Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Give each drink a stir. Then toast to your thirst and happiness.