Guacamole

This is one of my favorite appetizers. It's fast, easy, and well, just plain good and good for you!

I know lots of people who are afraid to consume avocados because of it's high fat content. It contains a whopping 50 calories in one 1 inch slice with 35 of those coming from fat. What you need to also understand is that there are many different types of fats and not all of them are going to be bad for you whenever you eat them. The type of fats that are included in an avocado are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which should be included in any good diet lifestyle.

Another positive impact they have is to reduce cholesterol, as the monounsaturated fat in avocados helps to reduce triglyceride levels and increase HDL, which is the good cholesterol. Eat avocados in moderation to get all the amazing benefits it offers. They don't call it a 'superfood' for nothing! 

INGREDIENTS

4 avocados, smashed
1 small onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
sea salt to taste


WHAT TO DO
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with your favorite vegetable chips.


TIP
If you want to make this ahead of time (same day), cover with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic is touching the mixture with as little air bubbles as possible. The air will turn the mixture brown.

Agua Chile

This fast and easy recipe not only tastes great, it smells and looks delicious too. My mouth just waters when I look at it. Shrimp swimming in lemon and spice is all so nice...for my tummy! A serving, about 3 ounces of shrimp, has 17 grams of protein, 15% iron, and 21% B12 of your daily value! How's that for this flavorful crustacean! 

INGREDIENTS

8 lemons, juiced
4 serrano chili
1 small onion, quartered
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cilantro
 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can use cooked the precooked but it's a little chewy)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced


WHAT TO DO
1. In a food processor, blend the first 5 ingredients for the marinade until smooth, about 20-30 seconds. Add the cilantro and blend another 5 seconds or so. Combine the marinade with the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours.


TIP
The flavors get even better the next day!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is probably my favorite cookie recipe. It has caramel bits, shredded coconut, nuts, and of course dark chocolate chips! YUMMMMM I usually make this around the holidays, otherwise I would eat them all year round.

INGREDIENTS
1  cup  (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2  cups  firmly packed brown sugar
2  large eggs
1  teaspoon  GF vanilla
2 1/2  cups  GF Flour (Bob's Redmill brand)
1  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  sea salt
1/2  cup  unsweetened shredded coconut 
1  cup  semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1  cup  chopped pecans
1/2 cup Hershy's Heath English Toffee Bits


WHAT TO DO
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in coconut, chocolate, pecans, and toffee.

3. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon (1/8-cup) portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 400° oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break one open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

5. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.


TIP
Gluten free baking products react a little different when cooking and cooked. They don't rise as much as traditional all purpose flour. These cookies are best the first couple of days, then they get dried out and break apart easily. So here's your excuse to chomp on them asap. Enjoy!

Ginger Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce

I was looking for a recipe similar to what I had when I was back on Guam for vacation. I had a fish that was steamed with a soy sauce glaze. It was very delicate and light, but oh so good. I found something similar and I think even better!

I found the original recipe from www.EatingWell.com, but made some minor changes. I also served this dish with stir fry veggies with the same ingredients for the sauce.

INGREDIENTS
6 (5 oz.) portions striped bass, halibut or any flaky white fish
6 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger

Sauce
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup gluten-free reduced-sodium soy sauce
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

WHAT TO DO

To prepare fish: Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a pot large enough to hold a two-tier bamboo steamer. (If you don’t have a steamer, improvise by setting mugs upside down in a large pot and resting a large heatproof plate on top.) Put a heatproof plate in each of the steamer baskets. Place 3 portions of fish on each plate with a slice of fresh ginger on top. Stack the baskets, cover and set over the boiling water. Steam the fish for 7 minutes per inch of thickness.

To prepare sauce: Meanwhile, combine minced ginger, garlic and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Heat grapeseed (or canola) oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add sesame oil; allow the mixture to get hot. Add soy sauce (be careful, it will splatter a bit) and cook for 1 minute more.

Transfer the fish to a deep platter. Discard the ginger slices. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with scallions. Serve with stir fried veggies.

Nutrition

Per serving: 310 calories; 16 g fat ( 1 g sat , 6 g mono ); 45 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 444 mg sodium; 674 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (74% daily value), Magnesium (31% dv), Potassium (20% dv), very good source of omega-3s
TIP: 
Fish only needs a short amount of time to steam and cook. Be careful not to overcook the fish.