Mrs. Z's Recipes

Avocado on toast with salt, lemon, and pepper is one of my favority easy snacks to eat after I get out of a hot yoga class. It's super healthy and if you're feeling creative, you can top it off with just about anything! Some people add a scrambled egg on top or make it a sandwhich with tomotato, lettuce, and cheese. Laurie, from Simply Scratch, has a recipe that reminds me of a sandwhich I used to get at Corner Bakery a long time ago - a BLT sandwhich, though hers is a little different. 

Anyway, below's the basic recipe. Though you don't really need it...

Ingredients 

• 1 avocado
• 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

1. Smash half of the avocado on each of the slices of bread and try to spread it evenly.
2. Add salt and pepper. Poke holes on the avocado and then squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the avocado toasts. Enjoy!

1. Go to Simply Scratch to check out her Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Toast Recipe.

Photo and Recipe Source Inspiration: Simply Scratch

I love smoothies! My favorite blog for smoothie recipes, or "thickies", is Green Thickies. I especially like the vegetable smoothie recipe. Personally, I don't think this particular smoothie can be a meal replacement because it does't really keep you full long (it's super good for you though!), but there are many other delicious recipes on the blog that do. I'll share my favorites on this site.

Meanwhile, here is my favorite veggie smoothie recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 Tomato
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 1/8 Onion
• 1/2 clove Garlic
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1/4 head Romaine Lettuce
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/4 teaspoon Tumeric
• 1/2 juice Lemon
• 20 Mint leaves
• 1 Small Handful Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Ginger (Fresh or dried)
• 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Ice

Directions

1. Wash and chop all the ingredients, as necessary, and blend in the order listed in your blender until smooth. 
2. The cucumber and the tomato provide the liquid so if you don't have a high speed blender, blend these first before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Photo and Recipe Source: Green Thickies

Every ingredient in this salad is a favorite of mine. Not only is this salad beautiful, but it's also super healthy and good for you!

I found this recipe on Gerlinde's blog: Cooking Weekends. I changed nothing on it because it's delicious just they way she made it!

• 1 large cucumber
• 3 tomatoes (about 1 lb)
• small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• juice from 1/2 lime or more to taste
• salt and freshly cracked pepper

1. Wash and peel the cucumber if it has a lot of wax coating it. Cut into small dice and place into a non reactive bowl.
2. Wash and dice the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and chopped cilantro to the bowl as well.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and start off with a small amount of freshly squeezed lime juice as well as a bit of salt and pepper. Toss the salad and adjust the quantities of lime, salt and pepper until you are happy with the balance and taste.
4. Allow to the salad to sit for a few minutes or more before serving. This gives the flavours a chance to meld a bit.

I don't normally make chili this way but I'm giving it a try because it looks really yummy in this photo.

I found this recipe on Przepsity. It's in another language but I had my browser translate the recipe and then just made it mine.

Ingredients

• 1lb Kielbasa 
• 2 packet Tomato Sauce Knorr
• 1 can Corn
• 1 can Red Kidney Beans
• 4 cups of Water 

Directions

1. Pan fry kielbasa. 
2. Mix Tomato Sauce Knorr with water, then pour and stir into the pan. 
3. Cook approx 20 minutes, then add the corn and beans. 
4. Cover and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or white rice.
   

Photo and Recipe Inspiration Source: Przepisy 

https://www.przepisy.pl/przepis/chili-con-carne-z-kielbasa-1

I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes, so I read A LOT of blogs. I've been reading a lot about lemons, honey, and green tea lately. The benefits of each is just astounding - so combine them and you've got liquid gold! The best part, in my opinion, is that it keeps you really hydrated. Which is incredibly important for me, as I practice Hot Yoga.

So I was reading different blogs about lemonade and came across Down Home Inspirations. Kristen likes to add lager to her lemonade and it totally boggled my mind because I couldn't not decide whether this drink would be hydrating or dehydrating once you added alcohol to it. Lol!

Anyway, below is my hydrating recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 small lemons
• 12 tbsp raw honey
• 5 green tea bags, preferably organic
• 1 gallon of water (16 cups)

Directions

1. Boil at least 2 cups of water. Separate into 2 heat resistant glasses. 
2. Steep green tea in one glass, for at least 5 minutes. Mix honey into the other.
3. Wash, cut, and squeeze lemons - should yield about 1 cup of juice.
4. Mix tea, honey water, lemon juice, and remaining water in a gallor jar. 
5. Refrigerate and enjoy cold!

Photo Source: Down Home Inspiration

OMG! This salad is amazingly delicious! It reminds me of the insanely overpriced one Wendy's has on their menu. Yes, I'm still mad that they wanted to charge me the whole amount even though I asked for it without chicken. So annoying!

Anyway, Tiffany, over at Creme de la Crumb, has this recipe and so many other ones that look just as amazing. Can't wait to try them all!

Ingredients

• 6 cups spring mix baby greens
• 1 red apple
• 1 green apple
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing

• 1 cup apple juice
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup oil

Note: Could also use the one Wendy's uses - Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Directions

1. Core and chop apples (thin slices or 1 inch chunks). 
2. Toss lettuce, apples, walnuts, feta, and cranberries together in a large bowl.
3.  Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Toss with salad immediately before serving. 

Photo and Recipe Inspiration Source: Creme de la Crumb

My hubby grew up eating apple sauce cake. In fact, it's still his favorite cake, aside from Chocolate cake. His mom made it for him all the time and still does on holidays when we go over to her house. He likes it so much I had to learn to make it! 

Alison, over at Prairie Story, has a very similar recipe. I adjusted it a little to make it like my hubby likes it. I love this cake now too, though I'm more of a walnut and cherry topping kind of girl, so I might just make little cup cakes, for myself, using her recipe!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large brown eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 1/2 cups apple sauce
• 1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 13 x 9 dark baking pan. 
2. Combine and whisk all ingredients in a large bowl, adding chocolate chips last.
3. Pour mix into the pan and place in oven to cook for 30 minutes.
4. Once cooked, let the pan sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
5. To store, cover will foil and place in fridge. To eat, warm in microwave for 10-30 seconds.

Photo and Recipe Inspiration Source: Prairie Story

The meal I end up creating looks, and usually tastes, nothing like this awesome looking Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken dinner by Katie's blog: Good Life Eats but it's where the inspiration for this recipe came from. I have modified this recipe and cooked it in many different ways depending on how much time and energy I have. Still, the sauce is, in my opinion, what makes or breaks this dish. Go to Katie's blog to see the original recipe, and try it out for yourself!

Without much further ado (people like saying that, don't they?), below is my recipe - just one of the many ways I make it.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 6 small red-skinned potatoes
• Hawaiian Rolls, optional

Directions

1. Blend oregano, garlic, sea salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/2 cup of water into a sauce. Set aside.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a litle bit of water to the skillet and then place chicken tighs inside, seasoned with alittle bit of sea salt. Partially cover with a lid. Cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping it once half way, until chicken is cooked and a bit "fried".
3. Meanwhile, wash and cut potatoes into half wedges. Then boil in a pan with water for 25-30 minutes.
4. Once both chicken and potatoes are cooked, add potatoes to the chicken (shred chicken, if desired) in the skillet and mix in the oregano sauce. Cover and let it sit on low heat for another 5-10 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and serve (with Hawaiian rolls, if desired).

Photo and Recipe Inspiration Source: Good Life Eats

Ok, so this is not how my mom made rice while I was growing up (my parents are from Mexico) but it's really easy and very tasty. My mom's way involves a lot more work, maybe I'll share the recipe with you sometime - if I can find it!

Anyway, I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs: Cooking Classy, by Jaclyn. You really should check it out! Not only is her blog full of super yummy recipes, all of her photos are beautiful. No doubt I'll add more of her recipes to this blog (which is actually my personal online cookbook).

I probably won't be too chatty on here. But I will tell you where I found each recipe, so that you can check them out too! I'll probably modify most of the recipes because these will be the recipes I use, the way I cook, to feed my hubby (who does not eat onions). To be honest, I'm working my way towards more of a vegan diet, but you'll find all kinds of things on here because my hubby's diet is way different from mine. But I digress.

Below is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp Caldo de Tomate (Knorr brand)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Combine and whisk water, Caldo de Tomate, and garlic powder together in a bowl, set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add rice and cook several minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is slightly puffed and golden.
3. Add water mixture to rice then stir and cover pan with lid. Reduce heat to low and allow rice to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Photo and Recipe Inspiration Source: Cooking Classy