My race season has been slightly delayed due to a knee injury and surgery.  I may not be eating as much but I’m still eating well and always coming up with new, easy recipes.  I find my appetite is lacking (which is sad because I train to eat and love to cook) but it’s still important to eat well and stay healthy in times of injury or reprieve.

First up: my guacamole recipe.  Have a BBQ and give this guacamole a shot.  The key is the fresh-squeezed lime juice.  Don’t skimp on it.  Not only does it keep the guacamole from turning brown but it gives it a “bite”.  The cucumbers give it a nice refreshing crunch.

Phaedra's guacamole

• 6 limes juiced (approx ½ cup)
• 5 firm, ripe avocados
• 1 bunch cilantro-finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1serrano pepper, seeded and sliced (can use a jalapeno pepper if serrano not available)
  
• 1/2 english cucumber peeled and finely diced (these are the crunchiest and they have no seeds)

Juice limes. Clean and chop cilantro before cutting avocados. Cut avocados length wise and removed pit. Scoop avocado out of skins and put in a large bowl. Add lime juice and ‘chop’ avocado-do not mash. The goal is to have lots of little ‘chunks’ rather than a bowl of mashed avocados. This gives texture to the guacamole. Once avocados are chopped, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Lastly, add finely chopped cilantro and cucumber.  You may want to add more kosher salt and garlic powder.  I usually do, but find what your preference is.

Note: when choosing avocados in the grocery store, I pick the ones that are still firm but not rock-hard. They have just a little give to them. You don’t want mushy avocados. I often make this recipe the night before or earlier in the day. With all the lime juice, it keeps for days.

NEXT UP: Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a grain of sorts. I started using it to avoid wheat. Not all of my recipes are wheat free but a lot have the ‘wheat free option’. Quinoa has a nutty texture and is gluten free. This salad is perfect to make in advance and snack on. It also goes great as a side dish with grilled steak or chicken. This is another recipe that a rice cooker works really well for.

• 2 cups dried Quinoa
• 4 cups chicken broth (I get the organic chicken broth that comes in the 32 oz containers-use whole thing)
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup finely chopped greek olives (I buy the pitted ones in a jar)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes (I cut them in 1/8^ths)
• ¾ cup packed fresh basil chopped

Combine quinoa & chicken broth in rice cooker-hit ‘start’ (see how easy that is?). When rice cooker dings add lemon juice and mix well. Take quinoa out of rice cooker and mix in bowl with tomatoes, olives and basil. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Please feel free to add comments or make requests for recipes.  I’ll do my best to oblige.  I’ve got a lot of great BBQ recipes as well.  More to come….