Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

My love for avocado has already been established, so you'll understand why this recipe caught my eye. Just picture it with me--crusty bread, creamy guacamole, and melted cheese, all nestled together in one perfect sandwich that's ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. Seriously. It's indulgent and delicious, and will make you feel like you're at your favorite sandwich shop. Mmmm...

 

Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Altered from Two Peas & Their PodServes 2

1 ripe avocado
1/4 small onion, minced OR 1/8 tsp onion powder
1/2 clove garlic, minced (1/4 tsp pre-minced garlic)
1 small jalapeño, stems and seeds removed, minced OR a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (for those--like us--with low spice tolerance)
1 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon of fresh lime juice (but I'd start with 1 tsp, and add more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2-1 Roma tomato, chopped
4 slices crusty (bakery) white or wheat bread
2-4 slices Cheddar cheese
Butter, for buttering bread

To make the guacamole-cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel and put in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the onion (powder), garlic, jalapeño (or red pepper flakes), cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Add the chopped tomato and stir.

Heat a pan or griddle to medium-high heat. Spread desired amount of guacamole on both slices of bread then top with cheese (1-2 slices per sandwich). Butter outer slices of bread and grill on one side for about 2 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip the sandwich and grill until golden brown. Make the other sandwich the same way and serve warm.

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles

This is our family's go-to waffle recipe. We love how it's comprised of mulitple healthy grains and still completely kid-approved!

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles
Recipe altered from Our Best Bites

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp sugar or splenda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk (we do a mix of almond, soy, or rice milk)
1/8 cup (or more) coconut milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp hot water, mixed, then chilled in the fridge for 5 minutes (this is your egg)
1 tsp vanilla
Water, to reach desired consistency
*If you don't have or choose to omit the wheat germ and flaxseed meal, add an additional 4 Tbsp flour (whole wheat or all purpose) instead. (Those two ARE super healthful though, so we recommend including them if you can).

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients  (except water) until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until just mixed together. Add water to reach desired consistency.
Ladle about a heaping 1/2 cups worth of batter (at a time) into an electric waffle iron and cook until golden-brown.
Serve warm with desired toppings (like maple syrup, agave nectar, fresh fruit, yogurt, or a combination of the above).
Note: These waffles do have a slightly different texture than your typical waffle. They're extra moist and spongy on the inside and only slightly crisp on the outside. So, they may take a little getting used to, but we think their sweet taste and hearty nutrition will win you over in the end. :)

Vegan Pizza Cheese

You know that question "If you were stuck on a deserted island, and could only choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Well, I'm pretty sure everyone in our family would say PIZZA. And since pizza making is kind of a tradition in the Holloway family, it makes a very regular appearance on our dinner menu. :)

Travis passing on the pizza knowledge to Grace (aka the next generation). She LOVES to help roll it and proudly gets out her own rolling pin.

Travis sliding the pizza onto the pizza stone. I told you pizza's big at our house! :)

Formerly a "meat and more meat" pizza kind of girl, I've actually come to really love veggie pizzas over the last several months of mindful eating. And though veggie pizzas are pretty darn healthy (as far as pizzas go), it bugged me that there was still a less-than-healthy ingredient on them: cheese (the one thing stopping me from completely gorging on pizza goodness). So I was excited when Travis discovered this tofu "feta" recipe.
Now, I will admit that this is NOT like dairy shredded cheese. It's actually much closer to a ricotta cheese texture. But it IS like cheese in how it helps the toppings bind to your pizza and how it gives a creamy/cheesy sensation when you bite into it. So, just dig into it with ricotta cheese in mind I think you'll be pleased (as we are)!



Tofu “Feta”
From Scott Jurek's Eat & Run
Makes enough for 2 pizzas

8 oz firm tofu
2 Tbsp light miso (yellow or white)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Drain and lightly squeeze the water from the tofu. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon until they are thoroughly mixed and form a feta-like consistency. Spread (or drop) on top of your favorite sauce for a great vegan pizza cheese alternative.

(Note: Tonight we used the full recipe on just this one pizza, but next time we'll spread it out on two.)

Tonight's pizza: toppings included (leftover) homemade marinara and lentil meatballs, (fresh) spinach, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and red & green peppers. Next time we'll add basil too!

Another note: This "cheese" is a little expensive for the first batch, as a tub of miso paste runs for about $8 at Whole Foods; BUT this tub will last you awhile, and since you can get 2 batches of the tofu feta out of a square of tofu AND use only one batch for 2 pizzas, I'm almost positive it's cheaper in price than regular cheese in the long run. Healthy AND cheap?! Score!

Easy Peasy Avocado Toast

When I first saw this recipe in Chloe's Kitchen, I (snobbishly) snickered a little thinking "Avocado toast? That's hardly a recipe. Pssh." But since I have a big thing for avocados, I decided to give it a go...and now I understand why this "simple" recipe was included, because it's one of my new favorite lunches. :) Easy, healthy, creamy, and scrumptious, you just can't go wrong with this avocado toast!














Avocado Toast
Slightly adapted from Chloe's Kitchen
Serves 2

2 slices whole wheat bread
1/2-1 avocado, thinly sliced (we usually do half, but the original recipe calls for a whole)
1/2-1 tsp lemon juice (to taste)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

Toast bread. Fan avocado slices on toast and drizzle with lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.

And if you try it and love it and have a little time to take it to the next level, you can turn it into our yummy PAT Panini variation! Simply butter or baste with olive oil 4 slices of bread on one side only. Using 2 slices of bread, prepare 2 peices of avocado toast as described above, then top with thin slices of tomato and red bell peppers (either roasted or steamed peppers) and cover with the other 2 slices of bread. Place sandwiches in a panini press or on a preheated grill until the inside is warm and the outside is golden brown.

Told you this was easy peasy! :)