Avocado Salad

Last summer avocados were so expensive I didn't get any. And I love avocados too. It was very sad. But I've already found some for $1.00 each! Yay! Avocados in the house! Bob and I love avocados just cut up with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. But this salad is great and is a favorite here! This recipe makes quite a bit so you can munch on it for several days.

Avocado Salad

2 ripe avocados
2 tomatoes
extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Cut avocados lengthwise all the way around. Twist the two halves and pull apart. You can either spoon out the pit or cut slightly into it with your knife and turn slightly. The pit will come out with the knife. Cut diamonds in the avocado, being careful not to cut through the skin. Insert a kitchen tablespoon and pull out the chunks. Place in a large bowl. Repeat for the second avocado. Cut the tomatoes into large diced pieces and place in bowl with avocados. Add the cubed cheese.

Add two teaspoons fresh lemon juice or two capfuls of lemon juice. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix and chill for about an hour.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Sometimes you want something Italian and a few spoons of spaghetti sauce for dinner just won't cut it. I give to you...Baked Eggplant Parmesan! So yummy delicious it will put an end to all your Italian cravings!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium to large eggplant, pared and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cups tomato-herb sauce (I used Hunt's Mushroom pasta sauce)
3/4 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until tender. (Note: If you think eggplant has a bitter taste, place them in a colander, salt well and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then bake as above.)

Spray an 8 inch baking dish with Pam. Spread about 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place eggplant slices, then bread crumbs, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, until cooked through and bubbling.

Increase oven temperature to 400F. Uncover dish, sprinkle a little more cheese then the Parmesan cheese. Baked, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown and crisp.

Spaghetti Sauce Tip

As with the cornbread, I'm not going to post a recipe for spaghetti sauce...my recipe is really simple...Hunt's Traditional Spaghetti Sauce! LOL! I just brown my ground beef with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano then add a can of diced tomatoes and the Hunts spaghetti sauce.

But here's my tip: Get a package of fresh baby portabella mushrooms, clean 'em up, slice 'em up and substitute 1/2 of the package of ground beef with the mushrooms. Add them when you add your sauce to the beef. Many vegetarians use portabella mushrooms as a substitute for meat and they are so delicious and nutritious. You've just saved money, fat, and calories. And you've just added some good, healthy carbs to your dinner. You can add any mushrooms you like; I use baby bellas because they are more meaty and we like the taste so much better than white buttons.

I know the gourmet chefs have a fancy little brush they "dust off" the mushrooms with and they say that you shouldn't use water to wash mushrooms. Well, they're going to get wet when I put them in my spaghetti sauce anyway, so what's the difference? And, oh by the way, mushrooms are grown in d.i.r.t.  I'm gonna wash those little suckers!

Those of us with gastric bypass surgery don't eat pasta so I've found that at my house, we like to have our spaghetti sauce over some cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan or even shredded cheddar or mozarella and nuke for about 15-30 seconds to melt the cheese and you have a wonderful, nutritious dinner!

Ground Beef in Tomato Gravy

If I was a fancy cook I would, I'm sure, have a fancy name for this dish. But I'm not fancy and this recipe was handed down to me from my Mom (who was, of course, the best cook in the world). But actually, the name fits the dish. It's simple and tasty. We only have beef about once a week and this is one of our favorites.

Ground Beef in Tomato Gravy

1 1/2 pounds 97% lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup sliced frozen peppers (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans tomato sauce
2 tomato sauce cans water

Brown ground beef in a deep skillet. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add onions and peppers and finish browning. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Season with more salt, pepper and garlic powder. Lower heat and simmer until done.