California Melts

This is a delicious, simple, healthy recipe for an open-faced sandwich.  Delicious served with a bowl of soup!  You won't even miss the meat.

 California Melt     This makes four open-faced sandwiches

4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted 

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds

1 tomato, sliced

4 slices Swiss cheese

 Mayonnaise, if desired

 Preheat the broiler.  Lay the four pieces of toast on a baking sheet.  Top each slice with 1/4 of the avocado, mushroom, almonds, and tomato.  Top with the cheese.  Put under the broiler until the cheese is well melted.  You can put mayonnaise on the bread first, if you would like.

Avocado Toast

Avocado Toast is all the rage right now.  I decided I needed to try it, so looked for recipes.  Oh my.  There are many, many different variations.  I decided to keep it simple and just add what sounded good to me.  It turned out great.  I especially liked when I added an egg on top for a delicious, nutritious breakfast.

Avocado Toast
1 ripe avocado, mashed
salt, pepper, and garlic salt, to taste
Tobasco, a few drops, to taste

1 slice toasted bread (preferably homemade)
1 egg, cooked sunny side up or over easy.

Mix the avocado and seasonings while the bread is toasting.  Top the toast with the avocado mix and then the egg.  Delicious!!!!

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili with Turkey

This is the perfect autumn meal, especially after Thanksgiving when you have leftover turkey to use. It is quick, healthy, and delicious! There is very little if any pumpkin taste, but the pumpkin makes it rich and smooth. We found the recipe online at Taste of Home and decided to try it to use up some of our mounds of leftover turkey and we are so glad we did. It is definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups chicken broth (reviews online said that the recipe turned out more soupy, so I just did a little more than 2 cups of broth and it was great)
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cubed avocado and thinly sliced green onions, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the next 10 ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours. If desired, top with avocado and green onions. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Nutritional Facts

1 cup equals 192 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 16 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Guacamole

Everyone has their own favorite guacamole recipe and most of them are delicious.  This is a yummy one that I tried by combining two recipes I found online.  I've probably made it ten times since then.  It is delicious.

Guacamole
3 ripe avacados
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 onion, diced or 3 or 4 green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced or equivalent grape tomatoes, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped or several shakes of Tabasco sauce
1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Garlic salt to taste

Scoop out the avocado into a bowl.  Squeeze the lime juice over it.  Mash together with a potato masher.  Add the onion and tomato and mix well.  Add the cilantro, garlic salt, cayenne and Tabasco and mix well.  Taste and correct seasonings.  Serve with tortilla chips or with your favorite Mexican dish.