No Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

Are you looking for a healthier version of your favorite mexican dish of quesadillas? Or maybe you're lactose intolerant and can't eat the cheesy quesadillas that so many others love? Well, I have found the perfect solution. These No Cheese Avocado Quesadillas are my new favorite go to for lunch and dinner when I'm craving mexican. I like to pair it with some mexican yellow rice, cauliflower rice, or even a super tasty spinach salad. This recipe is Vegan and gluten-free (with gluten free tortillas). Plus you can add all kinds of different extras with the avocado to make it even tastier. 

No Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 Avocado (more if you prefer)
• 1 large tortilla or 2 small tortillas
• 1 small roma tomato, diced
• Seasonings of choice: Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Powder, etc.
• Optional Toppings: Spinach, Black Beans, Chicken, Green Chiles, etc.

Instructions

1. Smash avocado and spread out on one half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with any seasonings. {I like a pinch of garlic powder and cumin in mine.} 
2. Add diced tomato and any other desired toppings.
3. Fold over the top half of the tortilla and place on a non-stick skillet over medium heat. 
4. Heat for 1-2 minutes per side until warmed through.
5. Enjoy! I like to dip mine in Salsa.

Healthy Spinach Salad

My husband and I recently went to Goldberg's with some friends for Dinner. We hadn't originally planned to go to Goldberg's, but with the holiday season all the other restaurants around were 1-2 hour waits. Who has the time to wait that long for the seats, let alone the extra 30 minutes to get your food? Therefore, after looking around we settled on Goldberg's for dinner. They have a pretty amazing Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate as well as a delicious Spinach Salad. The hubby and I love Spinach Salads. We try one at every restaurant we go that offers it. After all these taste tests of Spinach Salads out at restaurants we finally decided to make our own. 

The ingredient list wasn't huge and I definitely liked that. I want to try out different ingredients on my salads to see what's my favorite. I added purple onions on this salad, but I may go without next time to minimize the acidity in this salad. If you're like me and have issues with heartburn then raw onions are not always your friend. After cutting everything up I also ended up adding in Strawberries. The sweetness of the Strawberries and the Dried Cranberries make the perfect combination with the crunch of walnuts and cucumbers. I think I'll also try out Blue Cheese vs. Feta Cheese to see how the flavors differ in this salad.

In each Salad I had Spinach, sliced Red Onions, halved Cherry Tomatoes, sliced Strawberries, crumbled Feta Cheese, Walnut Pieces, dried Cranberries, and sliced Cucumbers. I started out topping it with Kroger Lite Balsamic Dressing. I wasn't a huge fan of the flavor of it compared to dressings I've had at Restaurants. I wanted to make my own so I tested out some ingredients. I found a simple mixture that tasted amazing. 

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Homemade Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar 
• 1 pinch Fresh Basil 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. 

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What's your favorite homemade dressing? I will definitely be making more homemade dressings since they taste so much better and can usually be made with ingredients I have around the house. 

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake

Source

This year for Christmas I'm determined to go the "healthier" route for whatever I bring to the parties. Normally I would just make some cookies or drinks or casseroles. This year I'm doing my part in making the meal not just full of heavy foods that make you feel crappy afterwards. For my Christmas Celebration #1 with my family I am making a Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake. I thought this would be a good addition because it's super easy to make and doesn't require a lot of ingredients. I know I personally don't have time to make super complicated dishes that take awhile to make while I'm wrapping presents, working out, getting ready, and visiting multiple families. 

All you need for this recipe is some fresh vegetables, garlic, parmesan, and a few spices most everyone has in their kitchen. The only thing I actually had to buy for this recipe was the zucchinis, squash, and tomatoes. Everything else I already had in my kitchen. After I gathered all my ingredients I got to work chopping everything. I used my favorite Joseph Knives. Today I needed the purple serrated knife for the tomatoes, and the green knife for chopping the zucchini and squash. 

Once everything was chopped I placed it all in a bowl and mixed in all the dry ingredients. I love all the beautiful colors in this recipe. Lately I've been obsessed with Eating in Color. This book truly motivates me to eat healthy and it's a great way to find recipes where I can get my servings of vegetables in. 

The original recipe I followed called for 1/3 cup of parsley or basil. I had basil on hand so I used that. All I have to say is HOLY BASIL BATMAN! The dish tasted like straight up basil with a few vegetables thrown in. I will be remaking this recipe in the near future for a side dish for dinner and I will be using only 1-2 tablespoons of basil. I'm 99% sure it would taste best with 1 tablespoon of basil and a little olive oil. Or even try making it stove top with a little olive oil to saute the vegetables. Try it out and let me know what you think!!

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini and Tomato Bake

Serves: 5

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large or 2.5 lbs Zucchini, cut into quarters
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, cut in halves or 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp basil/thyme/oregano, dried
• 1/2 tsp ground black peper
• 1 tbsp parley/basil, finely chopped
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8X8 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except parsley/basil, and stir to combine.
3. Transfer to a prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then check for doneness. Add 10 minutes if you like well cooked vegetables. Remove from the oven, garnish with basil or parsley and serve hot/warm.