Salsamole? Guacasla? Avosalsa?

I was craving fresh salsa... the chunky kind that just tastes like summer...

We had gone to the market and ended up with some ripe avocados, which never seems to happen to us - we always get the ones that are hard as rocks.

So I wanted to combine the two - but we couldn't decide what it should be called.  The hubby voted for Salsamole - which I'm a little partial to, but maybe not totally accurate.

Anyway, it ended up being pretty great - and easy to make!

Salsamole

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes (or a bunch of cherry tomatoes - more flavorful, I think)
• 1 large white onion
• 1 ripe avocado
• Chopped fresh cilantro to taste - I used about 1/4 cup but I like cilantro
• 1 jalapeno - if you like it spicy, leave the seeds in, or if you're like me and you're not too big on spice but just want some flavor, take the seeds out
• Juice of one lime

1. Chop the tomato

2. Chop the onion and add it to the bowl

3.  Chop and add the cilantro

4. Chop the avocado and jalapeno, add them to the bowl.  Squirt the lime juice over the bowl and mix.
5. Dig in and enjoy!!!

Simply Roasted Tomato Rotini Pasta

Being a military wife, the hubby often isn't home for dinner. In that situation, I struggle to make real meals. For some reason, cooking for two people justifies vegetables, meat and real effort. When it's just me, it seems like it's just too much effort and sometimes I end up just giving up and eating Cheerios.

Tonight, though, I wanted to make something real, but not complicated. In addition, our garden has just exploded with tomatoes in the last week. So... using some inspiration from Simply Roasted Cherry Tomatoes at Greenlitebites.com, I decided to make Simply Roasted Tomato Rotini Pasta.

It turned out awesome! Really flavorful and totally great comfort food!

Ingredients:

• Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
• Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Dried basil (I prefer fresh, but my basil plant seems to be dying on me)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta (cooked according to package directions)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a glass baking dish or bowl, add a bit of olive oil and the tomatoes.  Toss around to coat the tomatoes.
3. Add everything else except the pasta to the bowl, according to your tastes.  Stir to coat.
4. Pop in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
5. Stir the tomatoes to create a bit of a sauce and top the pasta with the tomato mixture. 

Veggie/Chicken Skillet Dinner

Adapted from Skillet Veggie & Feta Tacos at GreenLiteBites.com:

This turned out pretty well, although it was a little wet - I think a bit too much moisture in all the veggies. I used a slotted spoon to take it out of the skillet and it turned out fine, but next time maybe drain a bit while cooking.

This made enough for dinner for the two of us and lunch for both of us tomorrow.

Ingredients:

•  3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• About 1/2 pint of grape tomatoes 
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp Chopped Garlic
• 1 tsp Fresh Basil
• 1 tsp Fresh Oregano
• Feta cheese to sprinkle on top

1. In a skillet, saute the chicken chunks in the olive oil about 4 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes without stirring.
3. Add the garlic and the rest of the veggies to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir to cover.
4. Cover and cook for 2 minutes without stirring.
5. Add the basil and oregano to the skillet, stir to distribute flavor. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until squashes are cooked through.
6. Dish out onto a plate and sprinkle each serving with feta cheese and enjoy!