Avocado Caprese & Olive Oil Caviar

August 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

I got to have some extra fun in the kitchen today with my lunch. With it still being rather hot here in Texas, I've been trying to keep my lunches pretty light and fresh. Caprese salads are always one of my staple go-to keeping it cool sort of lunches. They're easy to make, taste great, and are pretty healthy to boot.

I've had this little jar of olive oil caviar sitting on my counter for a while now. It's something that I haven't tried before and one of those things that I was nearly so excited to use that I couldn't think of a use for application that I felt would do it's genius justice. Then... it struck me!

Traditionally a caprese salad is drizzled with a little bit of olive oil, so I thought this would be the perfect way to show off the olive oil caviar in a simple and extremely tasty dish that takes little time and effort to toss together; using the olive oil caviar in place of the drizzle...

Skinny Mexican Style Caprese Salad

July 21, 2015 Amanda Plott

I've been in love with caprese salads for a long time now. I think that my love of them actually started some years ago when I worked as a waitress in a newly opening restaurant when I was visiting home for the summer one year from college. It was a horrific experience, but only because I am not good at the whole waitressing thing. That job takes a very skilled and specific type of person to do properly. And I am not skilled or specific to customer servicing!

It did give me an entirely new perspective though on restaurants and I have always had another level or respect for those that wait tables.

Anyway, the restaurant had a caprese salad and I felt like eating vegetarian that day; plus, I mean... I got half off meals and they had great food there so I was pretty set on trying almost everything on the menu. It was love at first bite...

Skinny Avocado Deviled Eggs

March 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

Ah, spring is in the air at long last. One thing that's always been a tradition in our house around Easter is deviled eggs. And man, oh man... I love me some deviled eggs. However, outside of my mother, I'm really the only one in the family that eats them. So, I guess you could say that deviled eggs aren't really a family tradition, but a mother-daughter tradition instead.

Another thing that both my mother and I love endlessly is avocado. I seriously feel as if avocado makes just about everything better. I wish that I could go back to my childhood and collect all the avocado and guacamole that I turned my nose up to then. Erf. What was I thinking?!...

Pesto Chickpea & Avocado Salad

August 8, 2014 Amanda Plott

I really cannot say enough about this salad. I would have never guessed that these 6-ish ingredients would have come together in such an awesome and delicious way. This mighty green salad was tossed together in less than 5 minutes and was unbelievably satisfying. Seriously. I've eaten it about four times already this week.

The lemon juice works to brighten up the pesto and together they actually end up as a rather substantial amount of flavorful 'dressing'. Yes, that's right - you don't need to add any dressing to this salad. The ingredients work together to make their own lemony pesto dressing that is de{light}ful and actually one of my newest favorite things...

Avocado & Egg Spaghetti Squash Boats

July 30, 2014 Amanda Plott

I want to start off by saying, my grandmother was very upset at me for making a spaghetti squash dish just days after she left. I was hissed at more than once for it. Sorry Neenaw, but the show must go on! The good thing is, this dish is so super easy that she can make it at home for herself and her husband to enjoy.

It's not winter, I know... but it seems like I always have to make at least one spaghetti squash meal during the summer. Even though its a winter squash, it seems like I crave it a lot more on hot days rather than cold ones. Perhaps it has something to do with the cooler toppings and bright sauces that I use on it...

Mashed Avocado & Chickpea Sandwich

July 18, 2014 Amanda Plott

What came first? The chicken or the egg?

I guess we'll never know, because neither are used here!

I really can't say enough about this sandwich. I am in love. This sandwich actually reminds me a lot of a chicken salad or egg salad sandwich, but without the chicken or the egg. It has the same general idea and texture though...