Five-Spiced Sesame Tuna and Avocado

Recipe & picture courtesy of Rachael Ray

4 Servings
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min

• 2 avocados
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
• 1/4 cup tamari (dark soy sauce)
• 3 tablespoons honey (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Four 6-ounce tuna steaks
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup snipped chives
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1. Thickly slice the avocados lengthwise and coat with the lime juice to prevent browning; set aside. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, tamari and honey to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer until syrupy, 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Sprinkle the tuna with the five-spice powder and season with salt and pepper. Place the tuna in the skillet and cook, turning once, until just browned, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Slice the tuna and top with the sesame seeds and chives.
3. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates and top with the tuna and avocado. Drizzle with the dressing.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

California Roll Salad

Recipe & picture courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Serves 4

• 1 package(s) (8.8-ounce) precooked white rice in microwavable cups
• 3 tablespoon(s) seasoned light rice vinegar
• 1 head(s) Boston lettuce
• 1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 pound(s) surimi (imitation crabmeat), broken into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) slivered pickled ginger

1. Prepare rice as label directs. Pour rice into medium bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon vinegar; set aside.
2. Arrange lettuce leaves on large platter. Top leaves with seasoned rice, cucumber and avocado slices, and surimi.
3. In cup, mix together soy sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons seasoned vinegar.
4. To serve, drizzle soy dressing over salad; sprinkle ginger on top.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup

Recipe & picture courtesy of Rachael Ray

• 3 poblano chiles
• 6 corn tortillas, halved then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt
• 6 ears fresh corn, kernels scraped from the cob, or two 10-ounce boxes frozen corn kernels
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Pepper
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
• One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 lime, halved
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the broiler. Broil the poblanos until blackened, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblanos.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon oil and the cumin. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes; season with salt.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until charred at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and poblanos.
4. Divide the tortilla strips among 4 soup bowls. Add the avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. Ladle the soup over the avocado. Top with cilantro; serve with the sour cream.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Recipe & picture courtesy of My Recipes

Serves 4

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
2. To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

  **Personal Review: Easy to make but I would back off a little on the lime juice – the dressing tasted a bit sour with all of it in there.  It turned out pretty well though – a little kick because of the chilie.**

Top Sirloin Kabobs and Avocado Sauce

Recipe & picture courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Prep: 30 Min.
Marinate: 30 Min.
Grill: 10 Min.

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 Tbsp. granulated onion
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or salt
• 3 lb. beef top sirloin steak, about 1-inch thick
• 1 medium ripe avocado, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup seedless (English) cucumber, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup dairy sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. kosher salt or salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

1. In large bowl combine oil, granulated garlic and onion, oregano, pepper, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat in 1-inch cubes. Add meat to oil mixture; toss to coat evenly. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for Avocado Sauce, in food processor combine avocado, cucumber, mint, sour cream, lime juice, 1 tablespoon water, the 1 teaspoon salt, and cumin. Cover and process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape sides as necessary. Transfer to serving bowl.
3. Thread meat on skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces. For charcoal grill, place steaks on rack directly over medium coals. Cover and grill 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F), turning to brown evenly. (For gas grill, preheat grill. Grill as directed above.)

Test Kitchen Tip: Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before using.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**