Avocado and Black Bean Salad

"Cooking for people is an enormously significant expression of generosity and soulfulness, and entertaining is a way to be both generous and creative. You're sharing your life with people. Of course, it's also an expression of your own need for approval and applause. Nothing wrong with that." - Ted Allen

Looking for an alternative to the standard side dishes or dips? Look no further. I found this recipe on Skinny Taste and made it for the Super Bowl Party we attended. The freshness of the lime paired perfectly with the creaminess of the avocado and the crunch of the cucumber. Some people ate this as a side salad, I liked it with tortilla or pretzel chips. No matter how you eat it the flavors and textures meld together extremely well.

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 10 servings, 3 weight watchers points plus. 103 calories, 14g carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein

Ingredients:

• 2 Avocados, Diced
• 3 Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1 Seedless Cucumber, Peeled and Diced
• 15.5 oz can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
• 3 T Red Onion, Diced

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

My mom's 29th* birthday was last week and I went over to make dinner for her. When I was brainstorming with Tammy what to make we came up with this idea. I have always found stuffed peppers to be so bland and wanted to find a way to spice them up a bit. The amount of flavor in these was perfect. If you want a little more spice top with a little Tabasco. I originally calculated this recipe for a whole pepper (both sides) was a serving but after eating I found that 1 stuffed pepper with a side was more than enough.

(*actual age redacted for the safety of the author) :-)

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com): 5 weight watchers points plus. 154 calories, 13g carbs, 7g fat, 11g protein.

Ingredients

• 15 oz can Enchilada Sauce
• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Flour Tortilla, Chopped
• 1 Large Spanish Onion, Chopped
• 1 c Frozen Corn, (I used Roundys, Steam n' Serve Fire Roasted Super Sweet Corn from Mariano's)
• 1/4 c Cilantro, Chopped Finely
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 4 Large Poblano Peppers
• 1/2 c Shredded Reduced-Fat Mexican Cheese
• 1/2 avocado, sliced thin

Directions

1. Place the frozen Chicken and Enchilada Sauce in the Slow Cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Chipotle Chicken and Avocado Wrap

Another inspiration from Skinny Taste that will go great with the Cold Corn Soup. When this recipe was originally posted it had lobster but since I have a slight allergy to shellfish I substituted chicken. It still creates a great wrap! The originally recipe was 6 points plus per wrap.

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken Breast, Cooked and Chopped

3 T Light Mayo

2 T Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 T Chopped Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

1 Green Onion, Finely Chopped

1 T Lemon Juice

1 T Minced Cilantro

1 Medium Avocado, Diced

8 Medium Romaine Lettuce Leaves

4 - 8" Tortillas

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine Mayo, Yogurt, Chipotle Pepper, Green Onion, and Cilantro.

Avocado Vodka Burger

This is one of my original recipes that has taken years to perfect but since I am serving it at a party today it is probably time to post it. I love stuffed burgers, I had one for the first time about 5 years ago and that is where this brainstorm started. The topping was a fortunate accident that I have continually refined. It was originally meant to be a side dish that I just made with what I had and it turned into the perfect topping for this burger. I have not taken the time to figure out the points for this burger yet but when I do I will edit this post. I also forgot to take pictures when I was making them so those will have to come later.

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Small Onion, Shredded

1 c Vodka Pasta Sauce

1-1/2 c Shredded Mozzarella, Divided

2 Avocados, Diced

1 Small Red Onion, Chopped

3 T Rice Wine Vinegar

2 T Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to Taste

6 Hamburger Buns

Directions

1. Preheat Grill to Medium High
2. Mix Ground Turkey, Ground Beef, Vodka Sauce, White Onion, and 1 c Mozzarella Cheese in a large bowl.
3. Divide into 12 patties
4. Create a "crater" in 6 of the patties and fill evenly with 1/2 c Mozzarella Cheese
5. Place the non-filled patties on top and seal the edges, making sure that the edges are completely closed
6. Grill to desired doneness.
7. Mix last 5 ingredients (Avocado, Red Onion, Rice Wine Vinegar, Lemon Juice and Salt and Pepper) in a medium bowl.
8. Place burgers on buns and top with avocado "salsa"