Panko Crusted Baked(or fried) Ocean Trout

So, one of my friends recently asked me something that I have asked my self, and others in the past: is there a fish, that doesn't taste like fish?

I love shellfish but have a hard time eating regular fish most of the time because of that fishy flavor or a fishy smell, so this was really a question that I needed to answer for my self as well as for my friend.  Now we had talked about different fish at the time and several were thrown onto the table as possible candidates for the non-fishy tasting/smelling fish.  Well, there are friends all over the place today, and one of those gave my wife about ten pounds of Ocean Trout(Sea Trout in some markets).  Regular Rainbow Trout are pretty hardy fish and also have a pretty hardy aroma and flavor that keeps me from enjoying it the way I would a steak.( frankly, why eat something if you can not enjoy it?) But this Ocean Trout was different.  It had the color of Tilapia, white with a rosy tint, in a distinctive trout filet shape, and boy when it cooks up, white and flakey, with no fish taste or aroma in the manner I cooked them.  Now you can try this method with other fish to see if it takes away that fishy smell and taste, but as long as I have 9 pounds of this trout left, I don't need any other fish.

Ingredients:

4 Ocean Trout filets

1 Omega-3 egg

8 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs

(Panko bread crumbs are seasoned bread crumbs made in a specific manner. There are as many different

types and brands of Panko as there are of regular bread crumbs.  I chose Panko because it fries or bakes

up to a beautiful golden color, and because all the cooks on T.V. use it. ;)  )

1/8 cup finely chopped chives

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil(or cooking spray)

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Beat egg in small container and blend in the lemon juice with a fork. Pat dry the filets with paper towels.  In a separate dish mix the Panko, chives and parmesan cheese together until thoroughly blended.  Brush one side of each filet with egg-lemon juice mixture, then lay filet into Panko bread crumbs with brushed side down.  Brush egg mixture onto exposed side of filet and then flip filet in Panko bread crumbs to make sure filet is completely and evenly coated. The result is a very lightly breaded fish filet.

For Fried:

Pre-heat 8" skillet with olive oil to medium high.  Place filets one at a time in hot pan.  Cook about two minutes per side, or until Panko is golden brown. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain.

I love this option.  It is a tiny bit less healthy, but oh, so worth it.  The fish comes out tasting like a fried pork chop(if it is not over cooked) and that was the goal here, right?  To have fish that did not taste like fish!

For Baked:

Pre-Heat oven to Hi broil. Make sure that you have a rack in the oven at about the middle. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the filets on baking sheet.  Place in oven on middle rack for 3-5 minutes per side.  You are watching carefully for the Panko to brown, and you don't want to wait to long because the fish will be over cooked and taste like a seasoned bread stick. If it is not over cooked, you get a nice juicy, lemony tasting filet, that does not taste like fish.

As far as the 'health' factor on this dish….one serving of olive oil is 1 Tbsp @ 14 grams of fat, but 12 grams of that is the good fat, the polyunsaturated fat that your doctor always talks about, the fat that your body NEEDS in order to function properly.

I chose the Omega-3 egg because not all fish is high in this stuff and you can always use more of it.  The Panko bread crumbs are the criminal in this dish, coming in with 430 mg of sodium per 2 Tbsp. So, do you have to use Panko? No, absolutely not.  I chose to use it because of the flavor factor.  As far as calories go, about 248 from the fish and the olive oil together. If you choose to bake, then only calories from the fish at 128 per 3 ounces, which is a filet about 2 inches wide by 5-6 inches long by about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. If you are concerned about exact portions, then a food scale is defiantly recommended.

So, the bottom line is:

Fried=248 calories

           14 grams fat

           430mg Sodium

           350 mg Omega-3 from the egg(each filet will be slightly more due to it's own omega-3)

         

Baked=128 calories

              0 fat from oil

              350 mg omega-3

              430 mg sodium (from the Panko)

Side dish recommendation:

The Zucchini and Asparagus dish went perfect with the fish.

Zucchini and Asparagus

Ok, probably my two most absolute favorite vegetables...seriously.
Last night, I didn't really feel like cooking, but being at home, I have to make some thing wonderful and delicious for my wife...right?
This is strictly a vegetarian dish, but either one could be added as a side dish for any meal.

Ingredients:
4 good sized Zucchini Squash(about 1 1/2 " in dia by about 6-8" long)
1 lb(or bunch) Asparagus
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
a dash of salt(literally a pinch between your fingers)
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp grated light parmesan cheese
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Blend

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the Zucchinis in half long ways. Trim the asparagus to have no white on the stalks, just the most tender parts.
In a 9X12 glass baking dish, arrange the asparagus on one end, to take up about one fourth of the baking dish. First, sprinkle the olive oil over the asparagus, then dash of salt, then fresh black pepper.  Work the asparagus so that all stalks are slightly coated with oil, salt and pepper.
Arrange the Zucchini to fill the other 3/4 of the baking dish. Sprinkle the Zucchini with the parmesan cheese, then sprinkle the Mrs. Dash over the entire baking dish.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil to trap heat, which will steam the veggies.  Place in pre-heated oven for not more than 15 minutes. Remove foil, and change oven to broil for 5 minutes or until parmesan cheese is golden brown.

Makes 4 generous servings.
I did not calculate nutritional info on this dish because, frankly, no additives, no preservatives, fresh vegetables, and seasonings is pretty healthy.
Tip:
Make sure you use the 'light' parmesan cheese to keep the fat down. 1Tbsp has 85 mg of sodium, so if you break that out into 4 servings, you get 21.25mg of sodium from the cheese, and the dash of salt is fairly negligible, but we'll call it 40mg...which brings us to 31.25 mg of sodium per serving...well below Dr. recommended intake of 140 mg per serving.
Also, remember, some vegetables have natural sodium, like tomatoes, and asparagus, and corn, so when you are working on a low sodium meal, take those veggies into account as well.

One more thing; If you are on a "six small meals a day" type of diet, this will go great as a mid afternoon snack.

Turkey Sausage

Here we go.  The Taquitos called for Turkey Sausage:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey(93% lean gives the best flavor to fat ratio)
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Spicy Blend
1/2 tsp Sage
1/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Salt

Method:
Place all dry ingredients(herbs and spices) into a spice blender or pestle for grinding.
Grind spices until at a fine dust consistency. (almost to what the sage was before you added it)
Place 1lb ground turkey into large mixing bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture onto ground turkey and begin to mix by hand.  Mix thoroughly so that spices are well blended into ground turkey.
Cover and place into refrigerator for one hour.  This will give the spices time to "set in".

Preparation:
This can be molded into about 12 individual pattys or links for a traditional breakfast, or mixed with eggs in the following recipe for Taquitos.


Enjoy!

Easy Breakfast Taquitos

Ok.  Since everyone will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, what better place to start than there.  I had to do some research on this one so I could bring you all of the nutritional facts, so that you could see this was a healthy alternative to a traditional southwest style breakfast.  Keeping in mind that nutrition is only part of the battle, i.e. if you eat 5 taquitos, you are exceeding the recommended serving size, and therefore are consuming many more times the quantities quoted for each serving.  So, without further ado or explanation:

Ingredients:
1 dozen white corn tortillas
1 lb Turkey Sausage (recipe will follow)
8 Large Grade AA cage free eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
cooking spray

Method:
Beat 8 eggs and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl with hand beater.  Beat until slightly foaming, or on the verge of whipped. (you want the eggs really fluffy.)
Lightly spray a heated skillet with cooking spray.  Scramble eggs in skillet until almost completely done, then add Turkey Sausage.  Continue to cook and stir until eggs are completely done, and sausage to egg ratio is about 1-2.
Spoon about 2-3 tbsp of egg/sausage mix into each tortilla.

Makes:
12 Taquitos of which each is 1 serving.

Nutritional facts:(per serving)
Calories---149
Fat---6g
Sodium--131mg
Sugars---0
Calories from Fat---50

All of this nutritional information was gathered from each of the products themselves and then calculated to the servings size that I suggest.
Fruit is an integral part of every days food intake, and with few exceptions is generally not bad for you at any time in any way.
If you add half of an apple or half of an orange, or some other fleshy tree fruit to this breakfast, you will feel satisfied, and have energy from the natural sugars provided from the fruit.
Diabetics, of course, need to be cautious about their fruit consumption through the day as they monitor the total sugar  intake.

I hope this gets some of you off to a good start tomorrow morning, I know it will me.
Good luck, and good eating.

Healthy alternatives to Traditional recipes

Right now with the swing towards eating more healthily, which I agree with, I have had some requests for   traditional favorites, but healthy versions.  This is a very difficult task.  Healthy for who? is the first question.  Many different requirements across the board for healthy eating: low fat, low sodium, low sugar, low potassium, low carb, high protein...take your pick.
The best thing I can try to do is combine as many of these needs into a single days menu, and let you work out the variety of options for the main protein and side dishes based on your needs and desires.
So with that in mind, I leave you with this thought: dieting is for the birds, and any Doctor who is really concerned about your health will tell you: crash diets don't work. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is with exercise and the right amounts of the right types of food at the right times of the day for your lifestyle.
So coming soon, I hope later today, I will have the first installment of a daily menu that focuses on healthy, portion conscious, ingredient conscious meals.
See you soon.

Chicken Cacciatore

A request from one of our followers, for a simple crock-pot meal with chicken, got me to thinking.  Chicken Cacciatore is one of the easiest and most loved dishes out there, and can be prepared in a multitude of ways.  Preparing it my way (giggles) is a combination of a couple of ways I like to cook:

Ingredients:
one whole chicken~cut into individual sections (2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 thighs/backs)
Tip: If you remove the skin, you will cut the fat content of this dish down considerably.
3 cups of white rice
5 cups of water
4 medium tomatos~boiled, skinned and crushed
2 medium jalepenos~seeded and finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper~sliced into 1/2" crescents
1 medium white onion~sliced into 1/2" crescents
3 cloves garlic~crushed and minced
1 tsp fresh Thyme~chopped
1 tsp fresh Oregano~chopped
1 tsp fresh Rosemary~chopped
1 tsp fresh Basil~chopped
(all of these herbs can be purchased in the produce market at your local market.)
1 tsp salt
1 Tblsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Blend
2-8oz cans tomato sauce
1 cube chicken bouillion
Tip: Chopping, crushing or mincing spices and herbs releases more of their oils than
simply tossing them in whole.

Method:
Lightly dust the chicken with the 1 Tblsp of Mrs. Dash. Grill the chicken over a medium fire about 6 minutes per side. You are not looking for the chicken to be fully cooked at this point, only to have that smoke flavor from the charcoal.

While the chicken is grilling you can get your other ingredients prepared.  In a 5 qt crock-pot, place the crushed tomatos in the bottem, then sprinkle the garlic and jalepenos over the tomatos.  Place the chicken on top of the veggies. Place the onions on top of the chicken.  Add the tomato sauce. Add the fresh herbs~ Tyhme, Rosemary, Oregano and Basil.
Add 1 cup of water.

Tip: if you don't have the ability to grill, or you don't want to grill the chicken....saute the chicken in a low profile skillet with 1 Tblsp Extra Virgin olive oil, each side about 2 minutes, just enough to sear the chicken, then add 1 tsp of liquid smoke, to the one cup of water before adding it, to the crock pot.

Cover and turn the crock pot on low for about 6 hours.  The chicken will be smokey and tender and very flavorful.
Add the bell peppers and turn crock pot to high for about thirty minutes.  I like my peppers more crispy, and since they really don't affect the overall flavor of the dish, they don't need to be in the mix the entire time.

In a seperate 3 qt sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water and cube of chicken bouillion to a boil. Once bouillion is reduced and water is boiling, add rice, cover with tight fitting lid and reduce heat to medium to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for about 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

To Plate:
Place about 1/2 cup of rice slightly off center on your desired serving plate.  Place 1-2 pieces of chicken on the rice, opposite of center from the rice.  Spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce mixture onto rice and chicken.
makes 4-6 servings.

Thank You

Thank You all so much for coming and joining my blog.  This is the first step in my new career choice, and I intend to make it grow big and quick. If you check back once a week, you will be pleasantly suprised to see at least two new recipes. My original intention was to add one a day, and I will try to keep that pace....for now. If you have any specific requests for a style or flavor, please do not hesitate to mention it here.  When it comes to food, I do not discriminate one culture or one flavor from the next. Plain and simple, I love to eat good food, so I will share as many 'foodie' experiences as I can.  Keep spreading the word, and lets see how fast we can get 50, then 100, then who knows how many followers. This blog is as much you all's as it is mine, I am simple the progenitor.....LOL....tata for now.

Guacamole

Once again I bring you something very simple to make. Because there are so many personal preferences, it is hard to find anyone who makes it the way you like it. Every Tex-Mex restaurant has their own flavor, even though, if you get it made at your table, you see the same ingredients go into it.  This recipe has wowed my friends at parties time and time again, and it is so very simple to make. Now one last note: because Guacamole starts to turn brown after just a few hours if you do nothing, I will include some tips at the end of the recipe to keep it fresh AND green for at least a few days....but remember, guacamole always tastes better freshly made.

Ingredients:
5 medium avocados(about 3 1/2-4" long, about 2 1/2-3" in diameter)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powser
1/4 cup cilantro~chopped finely
1/2 medium tomato~diced(about 2-3" in dia.)
1/2 medium white onion~chopped
2 medium jalapenos~chopped finely(optional)
1/2 large lime~squeezed for juice(about 2" between poles, and 2 1/2" dia)

Method:
Peel, pit and mash avocados in a 5 qt mixing bowl. Now if you like your Guac creamy, mash more....chunky, mash less. Remember, the avocados chunks will get smaller, and more creamy each time you mix in ingredients. Mix in lime juice, garlic and salt. Mix in onions and jalapenos. Fold in the tomatos and cilantro with a rubber spatula.(you don't want mashed tomatos or mangled cilantro.)
serves 4-5 people generously.

Tips:
keep the pits from the avocados-after recipe is complete, place it in a sealable tupperware (not glad ware) container.  Before closing up the container, place the pits into the mixture, then place some plastic wrap right over the top of the guacamole, being sure to squeeze out any air bubbles. Oxidation is what turns the Guac brown.....aren't you glad your lungs are not made of avocados....


Have fun and enjoy.

Easy Stir Fry

Stir fry really is easy.  We always look at something, and maybe because we have never tried it, we think it is hard.  Well, that was me.  I started trying different things with cooking, and before I knew it, I was making the dishes that the Famous people on television were making. Then I started being able to recognize what I liked and did not like about their recipes, and started formulating my own. You will see me use Mrs. Dash blends alot. That is done for two very specific reasons.  The first, I have high blood pressure, and the less salt I consume, the longer I get to thnk about my bucket list. Now, the second reason~conveinance.  The Blends have most of the same herbs and spices I would use in my cooking anyway, so two birds with one Mrs. Dash~so to speak.
Stir fry can be made with any protein you choose as well as your choice of veggies, this is one such rendition:
(if you cannot eat spicy, substitute spicy items with non-spicy. i.e. all olive oil and all Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash and bell peppers instead of serranos)

Ingredients:
1 lb. sirloin beef~cube it first to about 3/4", then slice thinly long ways
1 tsp. Spicy Sesame oil
1 tsp. Extra virgin Olive oil
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Spicy Blend
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Blend
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1 tsp dark Soy sauce
1/2 cup carrots~julienned
4 green onions~cleaned and chopped(greens included)
3 Serrano chilis~thinly sliced into rings(with seeds)
1 cup Snow Peas
1/4 medium head cabbage~chopped to 1" squares
12 oz Whole Wheat Linguine
4 cups water

Method:
Pre-heat Wok(or large skillet) on med-high heat. Add Sesame  and olive oil when pan is hot. Add beef(or other protein) and quickly toss to coat on all sides with oil. Add Mrs. Dash Blends, salt, Chinese 5 spice and soy sauce. Continue to stir/toss beef until fully cooked and tender(about 5-6 minutes). Add carrots and serrano chilis and reduce heat to medium for about 7-8 minutes.

In a seperate 2 quart sauce pan begin to heat 4 cups of water to a boil as soon as you have the beef started.

(Tradition states that you throw a dash of salt and a Tblsp of oil into the water. This will affect the taste and overall flavor of the dish by adding more salt and oil that the pasta will absorb while cooking....so if you want more salt, this dish is light in that department, you can add it to the water for the pasta.)
Once the water is boiling add your pasta.

Back to the Stir fry~the carrots and the peppers are cooked down to tender by now, so we add the remaining veggies: cabbage, onions and snow peas and reduce the heat again to med-low and cover for about 6-8 minutes.  This will steam the tender veggies with out over cooking them.

Drain the pasta when done and plate 4 equal servings, then cover the Linguine with the Beef Stir Fry.

Total prep time for the veggies, about 10-15 minutes. Total cooking time about 20-25 minutes, because the pasta takes longer, and you want the veggies to be done after the pasta so that they do not over cook. 

I had this one tonight, and it is always enjoyable....and mighty tasty!

Angelica's Winter Beef Vegatable Soup

Cold winter days and nights alway make me think back to those old Campbell's soup commercials where the snowman comes in from outside, and melts into a little kid to eat his soup.
So this one is a tribute to my wife, Angelica, because she loves to make and eat soup.

Ingredients:
1 lb. beef stew meat~cubed to about 3/4 inch size
1 1/2 cups carrots(baby carrots work best)
1/2 cup onions~chopped to about 3/4 inch size
1 cup Fennel stalk~ chopped to about 3/4 inch size(can substitute celery)
1 cup mushrooms~sliced(baby portabella's)
1/4 medium head cabbage~chopped to about 3/4 inch size
2-3 cups Red Russett baby potatoes(cut in quarters)
2 medium ears of corn~cut into about 1 inch thick rounds
2 Tblsps extra virgin olive oil
1 Tblsp Mrs. Dash Spicy Blend
1 Tblsp Mrs. Dash Cipotle Blend
1 Tblsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Blend
1 quart organic vegetable broth
1 quart organic chicken broth
3-4 cups of water(depending on how soupy you like your soup.)
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Methods:
In a 5 quart stock pot combine both broths, 3/4 of the onions, carrots, corn, and 1/2 of the fennel.
Then add Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb blend. Add water, then salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil.
In a pre-heated 10" skillet add olive oil and cubed stew meat. Sear the meat on all sides.
While searing add Mrs. Dash Spcy Blend and Mrs. Dash Chipotle Blend. Do not completely cook meat at this time, only sear it with the seasonings.
Transfer the stew meat to the stock pot.
Take one ladle full of the stock and use it to deglaze the skillet, then add this deglazed mixture back to the stock pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour.
Add the remaining onion and fennel, cabbage and mushrooms and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes or until corn is done.


You can make you own broths and it will save you money in the long run. It is healthier, and YOU control what you put in them. We chose to use store bought broths this time because it is much, much quicker.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

This is not a low fat, low sodium recipe but a few easy changes can make it one. It is definately influenced by my mother, but she kept all of her recipes in her head, so I have no idea if it s the same. Also remember, when you are using pre-made items from cans or packages, check the sodium content before you start adding your own. Salt piles up fast and can get so overpowering that it will burn the inside of your mouth.

1 lb. boneless chicken
1 large tomato~diced
1 medium poblano pepper~diced
1 medium red onion~finely chopped
2 cloves garlic~crushed and minced
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp dark chili powder
5 cups water
3 cups(16 oz.) Green enchilada sauce ( I make my own and that recipe will follow, but you can use Hatch or Old El Paso)
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Using a 5 quart stock pot, bring water to a boil then add your chicken, tomato, poblano, garlic onion and seasonings. Boil chicken until done, no pink reamaining and red onions should now be clear. Remove from heat and strain off liquid reserving about 1/2 cup. Place chicken mixture back in stock pot and add 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup green enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup of liquid reserved from boiling chilcken. Stir together until well blended.

Pre-heat small skillet on medium low heat, then add olive oil. Place each tortilla into pre heated skillet for about 1 minute on each side, just enough to warm it so it will roll easily.

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Place 2 to 2 1/2 Tblsp of chicken mixture onto each tortilla, then roll up and place in
a 8 X 10 inch baking dish sid by side.
Spread remaining sour cream across the top of rolled up enchiladas, cover with remaining green enchilada sauce and then cove the entire dish with the cheese.
Bake until chees is melted and slightly golden.

makes 6-2 enchilada servings.

Home made croutons that make you go 'Wow'

I love croutons, but very rarely have I found store bought ones that make me go 'Wow'. I don't know why, it did not seem hard at all to make my own, with the flavors that I wanted. I guess when you are selling a national product it does get hard to please everyone. Well, now that I know I can make my own, I will not purchase another bag of croutons from a store. If you have a bread maker this works perfect for you because you are saving money twice, and get to pick what type of bread you want to make your croutons out of. For this recipe I chose Sourdough, and it went really well with the Artichoke and Avocado salad.

You can start with the amount of cubed bread you want, just remember to calculate all of your other ingredients to match.

3 cups cubed(1 inch) sourdough bread
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1Tblsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

Pre heat oven to 300 degrees.
Place cubed bread in mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil onto bread while flipping the mixture.
Once all of the cubes apper to have some oil drizzle, add the Mrs. Dash and the salt and flip the ingredients again until you see all cubes coated with seasoning.
Place seasoned cubes onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown.(approx. 10-15 minutes)

Store extra croutons in your pantry in a sealed air tight tupper ware type container.

(flipping is a trick you see the chefs do with a saute pan when they have their hands full and need to stir the ingredients: grab the bowl by the rim and in one quick move push it away from you about 3 inches and then pull back towards you the same distance. The ingredients slide up the far wall of the bowl and into the air, and your motion catches them as they fall. Try it the first time over the sink, otherwise you will be cleaning the floor of the ingredients that were in the bowl.)


Tip:
If you have a recipe that calls for breadcrumbs, you can make your croutons ahead of time and crush them to the disired consistancy for your bread crumbs. This, again, will allow you to control tha amout of salt and fat that goes in to your cooking; not to meantion the lack of preservatives and other chemicals you will miss out on.

Happy cooking!

A new recipe with Greek influence~Artichoke & Avocado salad

Often times I find my self searching my memories for something good too eat, because I love food of course. Blending cultures and ingredients, that would normally not come into a recipe together, in order to create something new, exciting and most important of all~tasty. That is what I love to do most and this blog will help me share that passion with you.

My wife loves artichoke hearts and I tolerate them, so I wanted to find a way that I could enjoy eating them as much as her. Enter the Avocado:

1 can medium quartered artichoke hearts in water( rinsed and drained)
1 cup large pitted and garlic stuffed green olives
1 large avocado(not totally soft, just barely soft)
2 cups fresh snow peas(still in pod)
1/2 cup of diced white onion
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesean cheese
1 cup home made croutons
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large bowl combine artichoke hearts, olives, snow peas and onions.
After peeling and pitting the avocado, cube it into 1/2~3/4 inch cubes and then add to other ingredients.
Pour salad dressing onto other ingredients and gently fold all ingredients together so as not to mash up the avocado.
Portion out servings onto salad plates, sprinkle with grated cheese and about 5~6 croutons, and garnish with cilantro.

This makes about 4~1 cup servings and is a light and fresh addition or substitution for a standard tossed salad.