Smooth and Creamy Avocado Dip

My focus in recent months has been on healthy eating and transforming my life in drastic ways. In January, I landed in the hospital for a week after spending four days horribly ill, unable to function and barely able to walk on my own. While my doctors are still trying to uncover the cause of my ongoing struggle with dizziness, imbalance, facial pain and difficulty finding strength to walk some days, a diagnosis of diabetes and anemia during my hospital stay has catapulted me into a total lifestyle overhaul. It has been the most difficult thing I think I've ever had to deal with in my forty-four years on this planet - scary as hell. But, I've been dedicated since that moment back in early-January to making healthy choices every single day and making the most of my new reality.

I've always loved salads and raw vegetables. (I'm so grateful for that now since those foods make up seventy-five percent of my diet every single day.) I buy pretty much the same items at the grocery store for myself week-after-week now. I know what works for me. I'm coming to know what foods do and do not spike my glucose levels. And, I know that these are ingredients that will be on my plate going forward for years to come.

So, finding creative, new ways to prepare or use those ingredients has become a daily challenge for me - one that I'm actually embracing with joy.  And, since avocados are something that I'm encouraged by my doctor to eat pretty much every day, turning them into a dip for my raw veggies only made sense.

And, this dip couldn't be easier. You'll need a blender or food processor to make it since you're looking for a super-smooth texture. Once you've got that ready, it's just a matter of tossing in some basic healthful ingredients and whirling it all until super creamy and luxurious.

I use this as a dip. But, you could drizzle it on tacos or it can be drizzled on a Buddha bowl (just thin with a bit more water). Yum!

The flavors are bright and vibrant. The dip turns out smooth and almost buttery. And, it lasts for a couple of days in the fridge, so make enough for tomorrow's lunch.

Summer Quinoa and Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

The heat and humidity have really kicked in just in the past week or so here in Southern Michigan. We've had quite the mild summer up until now (pretty much ideal weather for this girl). It has been around seventy degrees during the day and has cooled down to the high-fifties at night. We've had enough rain to keep everything green and watered. And, have enjoyed just perfect weather conditions overall. Bliss.

Up until now. The heat index has been close to 100 degrees over the past week or so. Blah!

(Can you tell that I don't do well with high temps and lots of humidity?)

Much of our summer meals are centered around salads, grilling and sandwiches (like, my Sonoma Chicken Salad Sandwich). You probably won't find me slaving away over a big pot of chicken and dumplings very often this time of year. Instead, I serve a lot of salads - all sorts of fresh, beautiful salads. They may be big, loaded salad bowls served family-style (such as my Berry "Peachy Keen" Grilled Chicken Salad Bowl) or some version of a taco salad.

This salad is light and chocked full of fresh ingredients. It is incredibly simple and quick to whip up. The vinaigrette is super flavorful and couldn't be easier to make.

You will regularly find brown rice, quinoa, farro and/or wheat berries on-hand in my fridge. I like to cook up batches to have ready to use in salads or for side dishes. And, since I always have lots of fresh fruits and veggies stocked up each week throughout the summer, salads such as this one come together in a matter of minutes. The recipe can easily be adapted to serve more people if needed as a side dish for a party or gathering. Or, it can be prepared as shown to serve as a simple summer lunch or dinner option for a couple of people.

Serves 2.

Berry "Peachy Keen" Grilled Chicken Salad Bowl

I've been on a bit of a salad bowl kick as of late. I've made my Asian slaw version many times over this summer. And, I'm still loving my quinoa salad bowl - made with juicy citrus and a lemon poppy seed vinaigrette - that I shared last year with you. This past week, I recipe tested this Berry "Peachy Keen" Grilled Chicken Salad Bowl much to the delight of my children. (I swear they were ready with forks drawn before I could even shoot the photos for this post since the salad includes grilled chicken, strawberries and peaches - a few of their most favorite things to eat during the summer.)

I really love salads made in this fashion. I like how the ingredients are arranged in rows and/or fanned out in a purposeful manner. I always find that beautifully presented food is simply more appealing. (We eat with our eyes first, right?) Secondly, one can easily double or even triple the ingredients to serve a larger crowd, as needed, when making salad bowls. (Individuals bowls for each person can even be made instead of one large bowl, too.)

Best of all, I find that making up a big salad bowl like this is pretty economical compared to say, grilling a big chicken breast for each person to be served with a couple of sides. Instead, everything is right here - the perfect all-in-one meal during the warm summer months. One or two chicken breasts - once sliced or cubed up - go a long way towards serving several people when combined in a large salad with various other ingredients such as this.

Fresh, colorful, healthful, vibrant and simple to prepare ... I urge you to try a salad bowl such as this one this summer.

Serves 2 -3.

Vegetable Posole Verde

I tried posole at an amazing Mexican restaurant while living in Nashville, Tennessee years ago. I've always wanted to make it at home, but had never attempted it until this week. Posole (or pozole) is a soup or stew {originating in Mexico} traditionally made with hominy as a main ingredient. The base of the soup is a combination of roasted poblano peppers, tomatillos and chicken stock {vegetable stock can be used to make this a vegetarian soup}.  The addition of roasted corn, hominy, onions, garlic and cumin results in a flavorful, yet delicate soup that is best topped with avocado, cilantro, sliced radishes and a good squeeze of lime.

This is an incredibly healthful and good-for-you soup. It is light, yet abundant in flavor. {It does have a hint of spice, but it isn't overpowering.}

I had never worked with tomatillos before working on this recipe. They can be found in most supermarkets these days in the produce section. They look like green tomatoes covered in a papery skin. Just remove the papery skin and halve the tomatillos for this recipe. They are easy to work with and are a must in this recipe.

NOTE:  Don't be intimidated by the various steps in this recipe. They are all simple and easy.  You'll, basically, be roasting the veggies first, blending them up and combining everything in one pot at the end.

Yields 4 - 6 servings.