Christina's "Green Noodles" (Spinach and Avocado Pasta)

from Perry's Plate

6-8 ounces of pasta
2 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
pinch of salt, more to taste
3-4 big handfuls of spinach (about a 10-12 ounce bag)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
1 handful fresh basil (optional)
1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Get the pasta cooking in a very large pot of salted boiling water. When it's finished, drain pasta from the pot, setting aside about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to large pot and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.) Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted.


Add the yogurt, avocado, and 2-3 Tablespoons of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture (also basil if using). Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and return sauce to the pot.) Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick.


If your pasta is still hot, simply toss the pasta and sauce together in a large serving bowl. If it's not, then combine the past and sauce in one of the pots (preferably the larger one) and cook over medium low until everything is hot. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese.


Add fresh tomatoes to garnish or other fresh/sauteed veggies.

Christina's Quinoa with Avocados, Beans and Corn

1 cup quinoa
1 cup frozen diced green or red bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (free from the garden)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, diced

In a large skillet, saute the green pepper, corn and black beans.

Once softened, add the lime juice and cilantro.

In a saucepan, cook the red quinoa as directed on the package.

Once cooked, mix the quinoa in with the sauteeing veggies.

Dice up an avocado.

Serve the avocado on top of the quinoa and veggies.

Christina's Steak and Mango Salad

from Our Best Bites

1lb steak (the original recipe said flank steak... I don't know the difference between the cuts, so I used whatever we had and it was good)
1 head romaine lettuce or green-lettuce mix 
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, sliced
2 avocados sliced
cilantro sprigs for garnish
1/2 C caramelized macadamia nuts (optional, I left them out and they were fine)

Dressing and Marinade


Side note: I thought this made a great marinade, but was lacking as a dressing. I think I would add some grated onion, more brown sugar, orange zest and maybe even a little teriyaki sauce (just a little!) to the dressing. I think pineapple juice could also be good.

1/2 C fresh squeezed orange juice
6 T fresh lime juice
6 T soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 T fresh ginger or 1 1/2 tsp dried ginger (I used dried since I don't like ginger chunks.)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 C olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic (and any extra ingredients you might be tossing in). Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until combined. Reserve about 3/4 C* (you could also just choose to add any ingredients to this reserved mix as it will be the dressing) and place the rest of the mixture in a zip-lock bag.

*Important note: Make sure when you're pouring out the 3/4 C you are constantly mixing the mixture to assure even distribution of ingredients.

Lightly score the steak in a diagonal pattern on both sides. Place steak in the zip-lock bag with marinade and leave in fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Caramelize the macadamia nuts, if you want to add them. Basically you saute them in 2 T brown sugar, 1/2 T light corn syrup, 1/2 T butter and 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional) for about 5 minutes or until they smell fragrant. Like I said, I didn't do this. No nuts and no time. 
Remove steak from fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking and leave at room temperature. You'll want to let the dressing portion to sit at room temp during this time as well. Heat grill (or grill pan for those of us without grills) to med-high heat. Remove steak from bag and let any excess marinade drip off if cooking on a grill. If using a grill pan, cook it right in the marinade. Cook steak for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done. In order to stay tender, steak should still be pink in the middle, but nicely seared on the outside. When done, remove from grill and wait at least 5 minutes before cutting to let the juices redistribute. Then slice into thin slices.

Divide lettuce onto plates and top with slices of mango, avocado, and red onion. Add steak slices and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle macadamia nuts on top and garnish with cilantro.

Christina's Green Goddess Rice

from Kate's Kitchen

4 c. cooked rice, still warm
2 avocados
2 c. basil leaves
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 lemons, juice and zest
2 T. olive oil, the greener the better
a pinch cayenne
salt and pepper

In a blender of food processor, mix avocado, basil, parsley, lemon, oil, cayenne, salt, and pepper until creamy. Fold into warm rice.

Christina's Spinach Mandarin Poppyseed Salad

from Our Best Bites

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach

1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled--I used ham instead and it was great!

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained--Blech. I used fresh mandarins instead.

Poppy Seed Dressing, to taste

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately.

Christina's Crispy Green Bean Salad

from my grandma

1/2 C Swiss cheese – shredded
2 avocados, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Italian dressing
1/2 lb. fresh green beans
2 tomatoes, sliced or wedged
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 tsp salt and fresh pepper

Make one hour before serving for flavors to mix.