Real Food Fridays Archives - Strength and Sunshine

This maybe be some kind of healthy living blogger sin, but I really don’t like avocados. They just have an awkward “no-taste” and slimy cool texture in the mouth. It is not my idea of a delicious fat. However, after years of dislike, I think I am finally rounding the corner. I’ve started buying 1 or 2 avocados at the grocery each week and have been simple mashing them up, adding a little spice, and then using them to top dinner bowls, salads, pizzas, etc. I definitely like my avocado mash warmed up though, not cold. And it has to be mixed in with tons of other goodies. I really want to keep incorporating them in my diet since they are such a good easy source of healthy fats and an easy calorie increaser so I think I will be keeping them around 😉 Last night I used my plain mashed avocado to coat my piece of Barramundi for dinner, plus some citrus+herb spice. O my…it was so so good! Baked at 400F for 14 minutes, I am speechless. It tasted so amazing! (I think I found my new favorite avo use ;)!)

When I think of avocados, I always think of Paleo people (haha) and Mexican dishes! Since I will never jump on the Paleo wagon, but I do like Mexican dishes…avocado and Mexican it is! I whipped up this dish a few weeks ago because I was craving beans, salsa, and avocado. Maybe it is all those Chipotle bowls everyone always posts and raves about. Well I won’t eat “fast-food” or eat out so I made my own Mexican bowl. Plus, I said “screw the acid reflux” and bought my first bottle of Cholula Hot Sauce at the grocery. What better way to try it out then with a Mexican dinner bowl? And one more thing. You don’t even need to dirty a bowl for this “dinner-bowl!” I was very resourceful and used my scrapped out spaghetti squash halves as the serving vessels! Perfect, right?!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bowls

Ingredients: (serves: 2)

+ 1 Small Spaghetti Squash

For the Beans:

+ 1 15oz Can of Pinto Beans

+ 4 Medium Crimini Mushrooms

+ 1 Tsp Chili Powder

+ 1 Tsp Dried Cilantro

+ 1 Tsp Dried Oregano

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Cumin

For the Avocado Mash:

+ 1 Small Avocado

+ 1 Small Celery Stalk

+ 1/2 Cup of Shredded Carrot

+ 1 Tsp Chili Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

Toppings:

+ Salsa

+ Hot Sauce

+ Crunchy Lettuce

+ 2 TB Nutritional Yeats (1 TB per bowl)

+ Crumbled Multi-Grain Corn Thins (optional)

Directions:

+ For the Squash: Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and inner strings, then pop each half in the microwave for about 5 minutes. When each half is done and fork tender, scrap out the squash and transfer to a bowl.

+ For the Beans: In a medium sauce pot, pour in the beans (rinse them under water first) and add the mushrooms (chopped). Then add all the spices plus 2 TB of water. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes until warm.

+ For the Avocado Mash: Cut your avocado lengthwise and scoop out the good stuff into a bowl. Then chop your celery and add that to the bowl along with the shredded carrots. Then add the additional spices.

+ Now it is time to assemble. In each empty squash half, add about 1 cup of squash, 1 cup of beans, 1/4 cup of avocado mash, then your additional toppings. I used a few tablespoons of salsa, a handful of crunchy lettuce stuffed into the sides of the bowl, 1 TB of nutritional yeast, a few dashes of hot sauce, and two crumbled corn thins.