Broccoli Cauliflower Avocado Soup

There is so much to love about a healthy and tasty batch of homemade soup, simple to prepare and you really can’t mess them up. If you are not a huge fan of broccoli or cauliflower, I bet this soup will convert you to love them. A delicious and healthy creamy puréed soup is formed when you combine the two together and add a whole avocado.

Serving size: 1 cup

Yield: 8 servings

Tip: Any type of broth or boullion, vegetarian or not, can be used in this soup.

You might need to puree this soup in two batches because the volume is quite large. If so, divide the avocado in half so it mixes well into each batch. You combine all of the soup at the end and give a good mix.

Ingredients

1 large Onion roughly chopped

a few cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped

splash of Olive Oil

a few pinches of Cracked Black Pepper

a few pinches of Smoked Paprika

a few pinches dried Thyme

1 bunch of Broccoli, cleaned, remove stems and break into large florets

1 head of Cauliflower, cleaned and cut into large pieces

3 cups of hot Broth (my favorites are Vegetable or Chicken)

1 pitted Avocado, cut into quarters

Preparation

1. Heat a large soup pot with a splash of olive oil, onion, garlic and spices over medium high heat.

2. When it starts to sizzle reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes until lightly brown, softened and fragrant. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook these a few minutes with the onions.

4.  Add the hot broth to the soup pot, increase the heat back to medium high and bring to a boil.

5.  Reduce heat back to medium, partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and you can mash them with a fork.

6.  Remove soup from the stovetop and let it cool a bit.

7. Add avocado.

8. Purée with and immersion blender, blender or food processor until you get a smooth texture.

If you like your soup thicker, feel free to add more broth.

Quinoa Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Avocado

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a high protein seed that has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Though it looks like couscous and is eaten like a grain, it's actually the cousin of spinach, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens. It is wonderful when cooked right—the key is not to follow the package's instructions, which always call for too much liquid and results in way too mushy quinoa. The ideal ratio is one cup of quinoa to 1 2/3 cups of liquid.

You can make this salad a day ahead of time; just be sure to add the avocado at the last minute so it doesn't discolor. The quinoa will cling to it, so it's best to scatter it over the top rather than mix it in.

Jalapeno peppers are optional to use and if chosen be very careful when chopping them. The juices and seeds can irritate your skin so it's a good idea to wear gloves. At the very least, keep your hands away from your eyes and wash them well when done.

Yield: 4, active time 45 minutes, total time 45 minutes

Ingredients

    2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

    1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, from one small onion

    1 cup pre-washed quinoa (if not pre-washed, follow package instructions for rinsing)

    1-2/3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

    1 teaspoon salt, divided

    1 cup chopped tomatoes, from 2 medium tomatoes

    1-1/4 cups corn

    2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced

    1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

    1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

    2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 large lime

    1 avocado, cut into bite-sized chunks

Preparation

1.    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.      Add quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer cooked quinoa to mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator.m

3.     When quinoa is cool, add remaining tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Right before serving, scatter avocado chunks over top.

Fast and Healthy Pico De Gallo Recipe

Here is a fresh Pico De Gallo recipe. Some people like theirs hot and some, well, mild. Here is one a recipe and some healthy modification to make it as hot and spicy as you please.

Fresh Tomato Salsa has been a lot of people’s treat when they go out to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. The kids enjoy the taste and that is a thumb up for parents. This quick Salsa is even healthy for the body because you are going more than 3 serving of vegetables in your daily servings. So, think of it like this; it’s both fun to eat. And it’s healthy!

Ingredients:

·         1 medium tomato, dice

·          1 onion, finely chopped

·         1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

·         2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

·         1 green onion, finely chopped

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

·        In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro and green onion.

·        Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed.

·        Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 21 | Total Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 76mg