Authentic Guacamole

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Splendid Recipes

Guacamole is a very common condiment of Mexican cuisine.

Although it is pretty simple to make, it can be tough to get the perfect flavor.

With this authentic Mexican recipe and deliciously yummy, you will be an expert in no time.

Fresh made guacamole is also great because it will always contain fresh, nutritious ingredients, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make!

All you need is:

Avocado
Cilantro
Onion
Jalapeno (optional)
Garlic powder (optional)
Lime Juice
Salt
Tomato

How To Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown

The most common question that people ask me about guacamole, is how to keep it from turning brown?

There are a few different things you can do to keep your guacamole from browning.

Add the pit of the avocado to the finished guacamole
Cover with plastic wrap
Add an extra teaspoon of lime juice

The later is the most effective. Besides you will be adding citrus juice or lime juice to the guacamole anyway.

Guacamole goes great as a condiment with many dishes. Such as:

Authentic Guacamole

1 large avocado, seeded and peel removed

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 small tomato, without seeds, chopped

2 garlic gloves, minced

3 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

1 small jalapeño, seeded, vain removed, finely minced

1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced

Mash avocado in a medium sized glass bowl. Add lime juice and mix in.

Next add prepared tomato, garlic, onion, jalapeño and cilantro. Mix in and combined well.

Serve as a condiment with you favorite Mexican dish.

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Avocado & Egg Toast

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Splendid Recipes

Avocado toast has become a popular breakfast and brunch item, enjoyed both at home and restaurants.

Avocado toast, in its simplest form, is bread toasted and topped with either mashed or sliced avocados.

But some of you may ask, “But aren’t avocados fattening?”

While it is true, avocados are high in fat, but it’s a good fat.

Eating avocados has been linked with lower body weight, lower body mass index (BMI), and a smaller waist circumference (Cambridge University Press).

Avocado is an excellent source of B vitamins, folate, vitamin-K, and vitamin-E. It’s also a good source of magnesium, potassium, and vitamin-C (FoodData Central).

It contains a variety of phytonutrients as well. These include tocopherols, carotenoids, phenolics, and phytosterols.

These antioxidants have shown to be linked to heart health, eye health, and skin health (National Institutes of Health).

Avocado & Egg Toast

2 slices sourdough bread, toasted

1 large ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon garlic or onion powder

Himalayan salt and ground black pepper to taste

Juice of half a lemon or lime

Choice of Garnishing

Poached or sunny side-up egg

Thinly sliced fresh sweet peppers or pickled chiles, such as Serrano or jalapeño

Thinly sliced or diced onions, such green, red or white

Pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds

Herbs, such as basil, cilantro, mint, parsley or baby arugula

Cheese, such as shredded Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, white sharp cheddar, goat cheese, or feta

Toast the bread to your liking.

Meanwhile, remove the pit from avocado. With a spoon, scoop avocado peeling. Add to a medium sized bowl.

Mash avocado and mix with citrus juice, garlic or onion powder. and salt and black pepper to taste.

Drizzle the toast lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread avocado mixture evenly over each slice of toast.

Top avocado toast with any of the suggested garnishing.

Plate, serve and enjoy.

Try these deliciously yummy as well recipes with avocados.

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Thai Salmon Noodle Bowl

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Splendid Recipes

Tender flaky wild caught Alaskan salmon, prepared with a honey-miso glaze, that delicately sits over a bed of silky noodles, mango, avocado, radicchio, carrots, mint, basil, and peanuts tossed with a tasty refreshing vinaigrette.

It is a long list of fresh ingredients, but do not let the long list deter you.

If you are able to boil noodles, tear mint, shredded vegetables and open an oven door, you can handle this wonderfully delicious Thai Salmon Noodle Bowl.

What Is Radicchio

Radicchio, also known as Italian chicory, is a type of leafy chicory featuring dark reddish-purple leaves and white veins.

Though commonly mistaken for red cabbage or lettuce, radicchio has a distinctly bitter taste that goes well with many Italian dishes.

It’s a traditional ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole plant foods.

What Ramen Noodles To Use

Ramen noodles are made with wheat flour that can be cooked and dehydrated after frying.

On the other hand, fresh ramen noodles are made with a combination of eggs, wheat, and alkalized water.

Why alkalized water? Alkaline water helps to give that unique and special springy texture to the noodles.

These noodles also have that slurping texture because it’s made with the combination of gluten flour and higher protein count as well.

These noodles have yellow tones that are available in straight and wavy forms.

Some scientific research, though not conclusive, has suggested that consuming instant ramen noodles two or more times a week can increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, as well as diabetes and stroke, especially in women.

To make a fresh Thai Salmon Noodle Bowl, we suggest using all fresh ingredients, including fresh, not dehydrated, Ramon noodles.

Making homemade fresh Ramon Noodles – Image source: Cilantro and Citronella

Thai Salmon Noodle Bowl

Miso Salmon

4 6-ounce wild-caught sockeye salmon filets

1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup peanut oil

1 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon toasted sesame soil

1 teaspoon chili paste, optional

1 teaspoon lime zest, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated

The Bowl

8 ounces ramen or lo mein noodles

2 cups arugula

1 cup watercress, stems removed

1 cup radicchio, finely shredded

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

2 fresno chilies, thinly sliced

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro

1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves, torn

1/2 cup loosely packed basil, torn

1/4 cup roasted and salted peanuts

1 large mango, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 hass avocado, cut into 1-inch cubes

Scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place salmon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix to combine miso, vinegar, and honey. Brush mixture onto salmon evenly and top each filet with sesame seeds.

Roast salmon for 10 to 12 minutes (10 minutes for medium-rare / 12 minutes for medium) until it easily flakes with a fork.

While the salmon is cooking, boil the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. When complete, rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking process.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk lime juice, peanut oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chili paste, lime zest, garlic, and ginger in a bowl.

In a large bowl, toss to combine noodles, arugula, watercress, radicchio, carrots, chilies, cilantro, mint, basil, peanuts, and vinaigrette. Add mango and avocado and gently toss.

Divide noodles into serving bowls, top with salmon, and garnish with scallions.

Serve with a squeeze of lime if desired.

Smoked Bacon And Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Splendid Recipes

It looks as though bacon will always rule as king of the breakfast meats. Interesting enough, we don’t reach for bacon near enough to add great flavor and fat to other meals, like lunch or dinner. The addition of bacon to other dishes can be a good way to enjoy its smoked flavor.

Do you know the process of smoking bacon?

Chef Jeff Raycroft explains that homemade smoked bacon is a simple process. Jeff says the bacon should be hot smoked in a smoker that has reached an internal temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the smoker is ready, the bacon should be hung or placed on racks and smoked until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Afterward being smoked, the meat needs to be cooled and sliced.

If using charcoal in your smoker, add soaked wood chips directly on top of the charcoal then a water bath added above that to keep humidity up in the smoker which stops the meat from being dried out.

Chef Raycroft recommends the book, “Charcuterie – The Craft of Salting, Smoking & Curing” buy Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn. Link here to have a look inside the book.

Our featured recipe is Smoked Bacon And Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts, and here is what you will need.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons crumbled cooked smoked bacon – 1 slice of bacon = 1 tablespoon crumbled, cooked bacon
6 basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butterfly the chicken by running a sharp knife horizontally through the thickest part of each breast. Place one hand on top of the breast to stabilize while holding the knife parallel to the work surface while cutting. Do not cut all the way through.

Open the breast so both halves can lie flat. Season the exposed surface with salt and pepper, then add 1/4 of the ricotta cheese, crumbled smoked bacon, and sliced basil leaves to each breast.

Fold the breasts in half so the cheese mixture is surrounded by chicken breast on the bottom, back and top. Secure with long wooden toothpicks, if desired.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Once hot, add the stuffed chicken breasts to the pan to sear.

Once browned on the bottom, carefully turn each breast over and repeat on the other side. Season top and bottom with salt and pepper, if desired, during this process.

Place skillet in preheated oven and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted, approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover until ready to serve.

A few minutes before removing the chicken from the oven, start making the balsamic glaze. Heat balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.

Stir while heating until the vinegar is reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume. It will form a thick, syrupy consistency when it is ready.

To serve, place a stuffed chicken breast on each plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Pairs well with a mixed green salad or roasted vegetables.

Here are some ideas for roasted vegetables:

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How To Use Avocados In Your Culinary Adventures

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Splendid Recipes

Avocados are a popular fruit, though used like a vegetable, can find its way into almost any dish. It just seems that when adding avocados to a culinary or baked good, the dish has been enriched. Like this one at Tracy’s Culinary Adventures – Fudgy Triple Chocolate Avocado Brownies, Bobby Flay‘s Crunchy Avocado Salad, or how about pairing avocado slices with grapefruit as in Simply Recipes, Grapefruit Avocado Salad.

Avocados have a lot of descriptive words to explain its flavor. Such as a creamy, buttery, and smooth fruit, with distinctive colors like bright yellow and green. Their aroma can be described as floral, green, grassy, freshness, and earthy.

The texture of the fruit is a butter rich melt in your mouth taste and feeling.

How To Pit An Avocado

Pitting an avocado is not hard at all. As a matter of fact you can become a pro in no time once you know the technique.

Avocado Trivia

Image Credit: 17 Park Side

Do all avocado varieties taste the same? What do you think, yes they do, or no they do not? If you decided on, “No they do not,” you are correct.

There are taste variations between the different varieties of avocados available for consumption.

Not only does the variety determine the taste but it is also affected by the season and how ripe the avocado well get.

It is recommended to taste test the avocados that come into season and are fully ripe, so that you can see which ones you prefer to use in your recipes.

The summer and Fall season avocado favorite among many individuals is the Hass, and the spring season avocado favorite is the Fuerte.

Just remember you can get these avocados out of season because of international trading of produce, but they will not taste the same as when having them in season.

Tips To Selecting A Ripe Avocado

The appearance of a ripe avocado will vary based on the avocado you are selecting.

The Hass variety is one of the creamiest, making it suitable for spreads, dips, and any recipe requiring mashed avocado. Other varieties are firmer and better when consumed in whole slices or chunks.

The way to tell if the avocado is ripe or not is to hold the avocado in one hand, and place the thumb of the other hand over the small stem, then gently try and see if you can move the stem.

If stem is firmly in place and cannot be easily removed, that is an indication that the avocado is still not ripe.

The fruit should be fairly heavy and free of blemishes.

To ripen an unripe avocado for use, place it on the counter at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. It would be best not to refrigerate it, as refrigeration halts the ripening process, so you should not store unripe avocados in the refrigerator unless they have already been cut open.

Avocados ripen after they are harvested and not on the tree. If you are picking an avocado off a tree, you should pick a large one with even, dark coloring and a firm texture. After picking it, you will need to let the fruit harden on the counter for 2 to 7 days before it will be ripe and be ready to eat.

If you do not plan to eat the avocado immediately, it is in your best interest to buy an avocado that is still unripened. A ripe avocado will usually only last for a few days in the refrigerator.

To speed up the ripening process, place the avocado in a brown bag with an apple or a banana. These two fruits will release a gas called ethylene, a chemical linked to the ripening process.

Here is our featured recipe using an avocado.

Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado

1 avocado

1 lemon, juiced, to taste

1 tablespoon chopped onion, to taste

5 ounces cooked or canned wild tuna

2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

Himalayan salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Cut the avocado in half and scoop the middle of both avocado halves into a bowl, leaving a shell of avocado flesh about ¼-inch thick on each half. Cut removed flesh into small chunks.

Add lemon juice and onion to the avocado in the bowl and mash together. Add tuna, avocado chunks, dill, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust if needed.

Fill avocado shells with tuna salad and serve.

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National Hot Sauce Day

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Splendid Recipes

Chili peppers and other hot spices have been discovered and used by humans for thousands of years. The peoples of Mexico, Central America and South America have used chili peppers for more than 6,000 years, either used in culinary dishes, or in religious rites.

The chili peppers were discovered in the America’s in the 16th century, and taken to Europe and on into Africa and Asia.

The chili pepper has been altered over the years through selective breeding. The first known commercially bottled hot sauces in North America appeared in Massachusetts (USA) in 1807.

The well known “Tabasco sauce” appeared in 1868 in the United States, and in 2010 to present, Tabasco sauce was number 13 on the best-selling list of condiments sold in the United States.

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is a formulated sauce for use with the creation of Buffalo wings, and is the 12th best-selling hot sauce.

According to the Scoville scale, the Ghost pepper and Habanero pepper are used to make the hotter sauces with pure capsaicin extract and mustard oil added for extra heat.

The 2001 published book “The Handbook of Herbs and Spices,” is used as a standard reference for all manufacturers using herbs and spices, including the chili pepper in their products, and the book notes the Carolina Reaper as the world’s current hottest pepper.

Image Credit: The Carolina Reaper Chile

The Carolina Reaper appears in the Guinness World Records since August 7, 2013 as the world’s current hottest pepper, with an average heat level of over 1,400,000.

One unchangeable and not widely known fact about the chili pepper…is they are a fruit. Yes most chili peppers can contain up to 170% of your daily need for vitamin-C.

But not to worry, the bell pepper is the sweeties pepper, and you need only 1 whole medium pepper or 3 mini-sweet peppers to receive your daily vitamin-C needs, without the heat.

Here’s a recipe we found by the Insane Chicken to celebrate this day, National Hot Sauce Day. make the pepper sauce if you dare in your own kitchen, or you can purchase it. The Zest Fest name the sauce a 2015 Golden Chili Winner (check out their website…featuring ZestFest 2016 – January 29-31 zestfest.net).

Pineapple Ghost Pepper Sauce Recipe

8 ounces pineapple, cubed

2 ghost peppers

1/2 small onion, 6 ounces cubed

1/2 carrot, 3 ounces rough chopped

1/2 ounce golden raisin, 1/4 cup

2 cloves garlic, 1 ounce

1/2 lime, zest and meat the white pith discarded

1/4 ounce ginger, rough chopped

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 ounce cumin

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

3/4 cup vinegar

Place all but the vinegar in a food processor and pulse till pureed. Add to pot with vinegar and cook 15 minutes. If needed blend again for a smooth sauce.

Fill hot sauce into sterilized hot bottles or jars.

Place in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Let age for at least 1 week.

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Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Splendid Recipes

According to Vegetarian Times, avocado and grapefruit are a common salad combination in Spain and France. Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad is like capturing sunshine in a dish!

Our featured recipe couples the citrus fruits of navel oranges, and ruby-red grapefruit with zesty arugula, the unique flavor of fennel, and creamy avocado. It also has a homemade vinaigrette that includes extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Italian parsley, and the unique flavor of fresh thyme leaves.

Are you wondering about fennel? Well, fennel is a bulb shaped vegetable with tall, thin, wispy, fronds that have the appearance of dill.

Though the two are from different plant spices. Dill is from the celery family, and fennel is from the carrot family.

Apart from the crunchy rather spicy vegetable, the fronds can be used in salads as well.

Fennel is a firm and crunchy vegetable, and has a flavor much like licorice and anise. Sometimes in the market, the produce worker will refer to fennel as anise, though it is not. Just like comparing yams and sweet potatoes, also very different from one another.

Now for our featured recipe: – Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad – and here is what you will need.

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, remove leaves from stems

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and pith removed, cut segments into 3’s

1 large navel orange, peeled and pith removed, cut segments into 3’s

1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced, reserve fronds (optional)

4 cups arugula

1 ripe avocado peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

Mix first six ingredients in a large bowl, and set aside.

Prepare fruit, fennel, leaving avocado last so flesh doesn’t brown.

Using a knife remove peel from both the orange and grape fruit. Be careful while cutting away at the peel, so as to remove as little of the fruit as be possible.

Next slice away any white pith, again removing as little fruit as possible.

Add the arugula and fennel to the vinaigrette and mix until well coated.

On individual plate’s spoon salad mix and top with 1/3 cup grapefruit segments and 1/3 cup orange segments. Next add 4 to 6 chunks of avocado. Before serving add a few cut fronds to the plated salad. Prepares about 4 salad plates.

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Mango Guacamole Chicken Salad

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Splendid Recipes

This salad has flavors of the tropic’s, as it contains mango, avocado, and coconut sugar. It is a quick and easy recipe to prepare.

Did you know that mangoes are eaten fresh more than any other fruit in the world?

The mango has been around for some 4,000 years now, and it is biologically a close relative with other flowering plants like the cashew and pistachio trees.

The mango trees originated in sub-Himalayan plains, and there are over 1,000 different varieties, with the Hayden being the most popular.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Mango trees grow up to 115–131 feet tall, with a crown radius of 33 feet. The trees live a long time, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years. Though not a related tree spices, avocado trees can grow just as tall.

When preparing this recipe, it reminded me of our visited to the south of Mexico were the mango trees grow profusely. We seen young children throwing rocks up into the trees to bring down a mango. Yes, they threw a rock up 115 to 133 feet, and never missed to bring down a ripe fresh mango.

Now for our featured recipe: Mango Guacamole Chicken Salad

Preparation is for two servings.

1 large cooked chicken breast, without bone or skin

3 tablespoons mango puree

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (Link Here For Homemade Recipe)

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

Shred the cooked chicken breast into a medium bowl and mix with mango puree, mayonnaise, and sugar. Set the mixture aside.

For the Guacamole

1 avocado, seeded and peel removed

1 small tomato, without seeds

2 garlic gloves

2 teaspoons powder coriander

3 tablespoons chopped yellow onion

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

5 to 6 whole pepper corns

Place all the ingredients in a blender, and blend together for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.

Unless you have another use for the other half of the citrus half’s, and including the juiced half’s, you can either freeze the juiced rinds and save for zest in another recipe, or slice them up for lemon-lime water.

Plating The Salad

Now that you have your chicken mixture and guacamole prepared, let’s start to plate it.

Add a mixed few hand fulls of baby greens, like spinach, chard, beet greens, and arugula.

Next, using a 5 inch in diameter ramekin, fill chicken mixer to the top, and invert it over the baby greens.

Next, spread some guacamole carefully over the chicken mixture, and enjoy.

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Lentils and Purple Sweet Potato Stew

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Splendid Recipes

Lentils as well as any legume are an inexpensive source of protein, as well as fat-free, high in fiber and rich in a number of essential nutrients. Adding lentils to your diet offers a number of health benefits, from controlling your weight to promoting heart health.

You need 25 to 30 grams of fiber everyday, and one half cup of lentils will supply 8 grams of that fiber. Fiber in foods helps suppress appetite, helping you to manage and maintain a healthy weight. Eating a diet that is rich in dietary fiber also decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in your body.

If you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes, fiber rich foods can also help in the regulation of sugar in the blood stream.

According to the World Health Organization iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world, and 1/2 cup of lentils provides 3.3 milligrams in a 1/2-cup serving.

Keep in mind though, that your body can’t absorb as much iron from plant-based foods, including lentils as it does from meat sources. Eating lentils with a food rich in vitamin-C, such as sweet peppers, can help improve absorption.

As you might have guessed by now our featured recipe has lentils, and to help your body take advantage of the iron in them, the recipe includes vitamin-C sources, including green beans, carrots, and celery.

Our featured recipe is: Lentils and Purple Sweet Potato Stew, and here is what you will need.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium rainbow carrots, sliced (colors include yellow, purple, and red)

2 medium celery stalks, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

2 cups dried green lentils, picked over and rinsed

2 medium purple sweet potatoes, 1/2-inch dice

9 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 – 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Himalayan salt and fresh ground black pepper

Whole leaf cilantro and plain Greek yogurt, for garnishing

Prepare vegetables and in a extra- large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Cook the vegetables while stirring until they are softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next add the garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Next add 7 cups of fresh water and the green lentils. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook 10 minutes.

Next add the sweet potatoes and continue to cook, with the pot covered, until the lentils and sweet potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes.

Nest add the green beans and can of diced tomatoes with juice, and cook until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove bay leaf from stew pot, and add the chopped cilantro and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt and whole cilantro leaves. Enjoy!!

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Greek Marinated Chicken with Butter Leaf Lettuce Salad

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Splendid Recipes

Greek food or Mediterranean cuisine has a lot of flavors. Such as olives and olive oil with its three primary flavors: bitterness, pungency (or pepperiness), and fruitiness. There is also lemon juice, cheese, eggplant, zucchini, yogurt, herbs, wine, fish, lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork.

Greek desserts also are known for their use of nuts and honey. Some of the desserts are Baklava, Greek Rice Pudding, and a Quick and Easy Greek Yogurt Dessert, that consists of only 4 ingredients, strained Greek yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest and juice.

Greece has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 years. Yes, 4,000 years to perfect their flavorful culinary meals and desserts.

Ancient Greek cuisine rarely included meat in their food preparations as it was not readily available.

But fish was always available, as well as today, their more common source of animal protein.

Their favorite beverages are Portokalada (orangeade) and Lemonada (lemonade). These beverages have been popular in Greece since 1971. These refreshing beverages are served everywhere, in Greek homes, cafes, taverns, and restaurants. They are made with fresh strained orange juice or lemon juice, and mixed with the choice of carbonated water or flat mineral water, and sugar is added to taste.

Greek Marinated Chicken with Butter Leaf Lettuce Salad

First prepare the marinade for the chicken, then set it aside to prepare the salad dressing. Here is what you will need.

Greek Marinated Chicken

1 cup Greek strained yogurt, plain

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tablespoon dried oregano

1 medium lemon

½ teaspoon Himalayan salt

Freshly cracked pepper corns

¼ bunch fresh cilantro

3½ to 4 pounds chicken (mix of drumsticks and thighs)

For the marinade, mix together in a large bowl the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and freshly crushed pepper corns. After mixng ingredients thoroughly, add lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix in.

Chop a big handful of cilantro, or about ¼ bunch, and stir it into the marinade. You can use parsley, if cilantro doesn’t agree with your palate. We could not find any history of the use of cilantro in Greek food, though cilantro is cultivated in Southern Europe where Greece is found.

Add the chicken pieces and marinade to a large glass bowl, making sure all chicken parts are covered with marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place in refrigerator for a least 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinading, make the Herbed Goat Cheese and Pear Dressing for the salad. Here is what you will need.

Herbed Goat Cheese and Pear Dressing

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons pear nectar

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sweet garlic Dijon mustard

One half of a 6-ounce ripe red Bartlett pear, cored and diced, do not peel

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, with herbs

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly crushed pepper corns

Blend together in a blender, or food processor the oil, pear nectar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, diced pear, cheese, salt and pepper until smooth.

Pour into your favorite dressing server, or a jar and set aside in the refrigerator.

Next preheat your oven to 375 degrees. If it has been 30 minutes, remove chicken from glass bowl and place into a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.

Bake chicken for 45 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked (about 165 degrees internal temperature) and golden brown on top. Set aside to cool about 5 minutes, meantime prepare the Butter Leaf Lettuce Salad.

Here is what you will need.

1 head butter leaf lettuce, cut into 4 wedges

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced

1/2 half of a 6 ounce ripe red Bartlett pear, quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup pecan pieces

1/3 cup dried fruit mix, such as blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and raisins

Place the Butter leaf lettuce wedges on 4 salad plates or one side of a dinner plate. Arrange the avocado slices, pear slices, pecan pieces, and dried fruit over the lettuce. Drizzle with the dressing.