Veggie Burritos with Zucchini Guacamole

Hello September. I love you September. We are almost in my fav season of the entire year. Almost... It was still 100 degrees F at my house today but the end is in sight. Yay! If you are still in the trenches of the end of summer I got the perfect meal for ya. Keep reading. Its good. I promise.

 On warmer days or all summer long I often go for lighter dishes that require less heating up the kitchen you know like having a sandwich night. This burrito definitely fits the ideal and is a great use for leftover beans and rice from other yummy Mexican meals. 

Picture layers of crunchy & creamy guac with hints of citrus, fluffy brown rice and filling nutritious black beans, crisp lettuce, with smoky melted cheese wrapped up in a oversized tortilla wrap. Yum! It tastes so good you won't even care that its healthy. SO many fresh flavors and fun textures. 

But the real reason you should make this is because the zucchini, freshly and very finely diced, adds another flavor of freshness I have never had in guacamole before and actually never had it raw before. It makes this guacamole stunningly good. You don't taste it and say "oh I taste zucchini" but it does stop you in your tracks and say "wow that tastes bright and fresh". I love guacamole and I have had EVERYWHERE. Trust me. This might be the best I have ever had (ahem except the one I already have on this blog with bacon it in... okay I have a soft spot in my heart for yummy salty bacon). Seriously if you don't make the burrito you gotta try this guac with your next bag of chips, cut up veggies, tacos, quesadillas.... or just with a spoon? 

For a fun kid friendly variation you could even add some crunchy chips or fried corn tortillas cut into strips into the burrito. The veggie burrito idea comes from  Naturally Ella . I just edited it a bit because I lived in cali for 8-9 years and you can't make guac without a chili pepper. Its just the way it is. So I am passing it on with a few helpful touches. Check it out. 

Veggie Burritos w/ Zucchini Guac

cooking time + prep = about an hour*

*If using already cooked brown rice this time is shortened to a very quick 15 minutes!

Makes 2 large burritos 

(my kiddo was full with half of one with a handful of tortilla chips) 

Would be great with a piece of a corn on the cob

Ingredients:

• For the guac:
• 1 & 1/2 ripe avocados
• 3 Tbs finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbs lemon juice or half of a lemon juiced
• 2 Tbs orange juice or juice of half of an orange 
• 1/2 of a medium zucchini very finely diced (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 of a poblano pepper (for mild) or half or whole jalapeño pepper with the seeds and membranes removed (for more heat) finely diced

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• For the burritos: 
•  2 large whole wheat flour tortillas or spinach ones* (as seen in the pic) 
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed if using canned
• 1/2- 3/4 cup shredded Smoked Cheddar or Smoked Jack cheese (I used 1/2 cup but was not very cheesy if you want a stronger cheese taste go for 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded or very finely sliced ribbons of lettuce

optional: A diced up roma tomato and a handful of sprouts would be awesome additions I just didn't add in but will next time. 

*Whole wheat would be healthier but I was just using up what I had on hand... sadly the spinach ones weren't as healthy as I thought they would be, despite the name

To assemble:

1. Make the guacamole.  Add all the ingredients into a bowl starting with the avocado so you can use a spoon to get the avocado out and a potato masher or a fork to get it to the consistency you like - chunky or smoother. Taste as you go to get the right amount of salt and heat - chili's differ in heat so I always do half the amount the recipe calls for, taste, and then add the rest if I want to. 

Tip: You can always increase the heat but its very hard to subdue it afterward. If you do find its hotter than you thought add more sweet things like a 1/4 tsp of sugar or more citrus juice and serve it with sour cream. Dairy and Sugar are good counterparts to heat. 

2. Assemble the burritos. In any order but this worked well for me:
1/4 of guac on each one
1/2 of the beans
1/2 of the cheese cheese
1/2 of the rice 
1/2 of the lettuce

3. Roll up the burritos tucking in the ends, and heat them in a dry pan over medium heat until they warm up completely and you get some nice brown spots on your tortilla. That will help melt the cheese, bind everything together. This took about 5 minutes for me. 

4. Serve them with some tortilla chips, or corn on the cob, and/or salsa with the remaining delicious zucchini guacamole. 

5. Enjoy the rest of you day... and possibly eat dessert because not only did you have an amazingly tasty meal you ate incredibly healthy! 

Thanks for stopping by my Arizona kitchen

Stephanie

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"Healthy" Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins (dairy free if you want, vegetable oil free, white sugar free, & soy free)

Happy St. Patricks Day! I have been pinched three times so far today. Yes due to the little babies growing I don't have a green shirt I can wear. I was thinking though... maybe if you don't have a green shirt or outfit you can be green in what you eat. Green as in healthy :)

Speaking of being being pregnant, I have been eating a bit healthier - yesterday's fries at Red Robin don't count right? Good ;) These delicious muffins with no white sugar, no brown sugar, no vegetable oil, no butter completely fit into my goal of healthier meals and snacks. Seems like I am wanting a snack every 3 hours which is a new thing to me. I am not a snacker. I was not snacker I should say. Have a chocolate snack with me! Your body will thank you. Due to eliminating caffeine I had to sadly eliminate the espresso powder from my muffins, but I suggest leaving it in - to really bring out the chocolate flavor. Trust me. Every time I make chocolate cake I use espresso powder. I haven't had great luck finding in stores so buying it online is usually easier and preferred. 

The 12 muffin recipe takes only about 30-45 minutes to create. 

Author of the recipe: She Bakes Here 

Note: You'll need a food processor or blender for this recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp espresso powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 ripe avocado pitted, and peeled

2/3 cup real 100% maple syrup

3/4 cup milk or almond milk (I used cows milk because thats what I had)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (on stove or microwave)

1 tsp pure extract

1/2-3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

 (I used soy-free, nut free, milk free, semi-sweet mini choc chips brand Enjoy Life) but regular choc chips work too... dark chocolate chips are awesome! 
(I have done this recipe a few times)

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Line your muffin pans with liners and use cooking spray if you want - I did. I have had too many things stick. 

3. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, with a mixer, or just a large spoon

4. Use a blender or food processor to blend the wet ingredients until its smooth like a sauce

5. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

6. Scoop (the batter is thick) a couple scoops into each muffin liner. 

7. Bake for 17-20 minutes. The tops will be cracked. Some turbinado sugar would a be a cute little addition (before baking) and would make the cracks look original.  

8. Let the muffins cool 12-15 minutes before serving. They crumble less when they are slightly cooled. 

Enjoy this great breakfast - make it now and have easy snacks and meals for the rest of the week... Happy green holiday! Be green and healthy and don't get pinched. 

Stephanie

Delicious & Healthy Turkey Avocado Burgers

Hi there. Happy Wednesday to you. I am back! I have missed writing here and sharing fun things to eat. My almost-month long absence on my blog was caused by huge things happening around my house... surgery, and a few other fun things. 



First weekends full of truck shopping....  long weekends of truck shopping. But trust me after YEARS of my sweet hard working husband driving an almost broken-down, used, and loved on van for almost 10 years, he really deserved a cool HUGE looking truck. Silver, F150 king cab with a short bed. Yeah bragging just a little. Ten years is a long time of small trying repairs trying to keep that van. just. barely. going. 

Then redoing the front yard.... tearing out the grass/weeds and putting in a pretty dessert front with golden, redish orange, sunset colored rocks. 

Feeling better after my surgery... thanks for asking. Still on lots of meds but doing well. I am enjoying the nice Arizona spring time! Be jealous of me so I can be jealous of you later when you have nice cooler summer temps and can actually go outside in July; instead of hiding in the a.c. conditioned house, play areas, public libraries, and anyplace you can take kids without disturbing others too much. 

So in honor me feeling better enough to try some new things... Heres a twist on the chicken avocado burger I made a month or so ago. It is moist and flavorful lean ground turkey avocado burgers. Perfect quick solution for school nights and also something to surprise friends with on your bbq once it warms up in your area. No one will guess how healthy it is, or that its turkey - ground turkey usually being dry, overcooked, and boring.  Enjoy!  

Also posted and linked to some other great recipes with other bloggers at Whats Cooking Wednesday.

serves 3-4 

prep + cooking time: approx 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

1 Tb olive oil

1/2 avocado, sliced into 8-9 chunks 

1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped baby spinach, arugula blend

1 lb. lean ground turkey (93% lean, 7% fat)

Toppings: buns, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, more avocado if you are an avocado lover like me, mustard, ketchup, ect...  

I used mayo, thick slices of cheddar, some more spinach instead of lettuce and a few more slices of avocado as seen in the picture. My boys did more standard ketchup, cheddar, and a few slices of pickles. Trust me my husband who isn't fond of avocado ate it, didn't notice the avocados, and thought it was great. Enjoy those healthy fats and let it really flavor up your burgers! 

Directions: 

1.Combine everything in a large bowl. Don't smash the avocado into the meat. Keep the chunks for pretty presentation and fun contrasting textures.

2.Separate the meat into four even sized patties (aiming for 1/4 lb each burger)

3.Sprinkle the tops of each patty with salt and pepper. 

If cooking on the stove, use a 1/2- 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet to help the lean turkey start. 

If grilling brush the oil directly on the burger so it doesn't stick. 

4.Salt and pepper the tops of each patty. 

5.Heat your cooking medium. You want that nice sizzle and crust that comes from having good heat from the beginning. 

6.Put the salt and pepper sides face down on your grill or skillet

7.Cook until done. Approx 6-10 minutes on each side depending on your heat level. Just keep an eye on it. 

8. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and sides such as green salad, coleslaw, potato salad, chips, fresh cut veggies and ranch, ect. 

Enjoy Spring

From my kitchen to yours!

Bacon Guacamole

I stumbled upon something truly remarkable yesterday. Bacon is known to enhance flavor, but yesterday's discovery was nothing short of EPIC!!

Combining bacon and guacamole tasted soooo good it made me want to sing, and dance across the room. 

Overall, this recipe is remarkably easy, quick, and accessible, even for novice cooks. As football season approaches, consider preparing homemade guacamole instead of store-bought options, as it requires only a few ingredients and 10 minutes of preparation time.

Serves 3 or 4 or 2 

(depending on how hungry you are?)

Recipe from Kevin at Closet Cooking

Bacon Guacamole Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
1/4 of a red onion approx 1/4 cup ( I didn't measure)
1 jalapeño ( I took the seeds out of mine since I have a youngster)
2 Tbs cilantro (healthy handful)
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1/4 tsp salt. kosher, course
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lemon juice (added this to the original recipe)
4 strips of bacon, cooked to a crisp

Directions

1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Pat the grease off and crumble it into a small bowl

2. Mash the avocados slightly, in a medium sized bowl, if you like chunky guac, just leave it all in chunks

3. Combine all the ingredients in the medium sized bowl.

4. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. This was pretty mild as far as heat. I kept it on the mild/medium side for my kiddo, but feel free to add heat by adding another jalapeno, more pepper, or even some red pepper flakes.

5. Serve with chips or on tacos or just grab a spoon! 

Enjoy! 

Steph ❤️