Black Bean sliders w/ Mango Sauce and Guacamole

I found this recipe on chefchloe.com
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-Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed

1/2 cup carrots finely diced or shredded

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 bunch cilantro-chopped fine

1/4 cup water

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Spicy Mango Sauce:

1 mango-peeled and cut 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes-whole or sliced

1 garlic clove

1 Tablespoon Vinegar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all in blender, blend until smooth

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Guacamole

3 ripe Haas avocados, halved pitted and mashed

1/2 lime-juiced 1/4 cup salsa fresca

salt and pepper

Mash together, fold in salsa fresca

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Directions:

1. Saute onions in sprayed pan, over medium heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients with the caramelized onions.
3. Using your hands form into mini patties to match the size of your bun. Brown in greased pan. Let each patty get brown before flipping about 3 minutes.
4. Slice each roll or bun in half.
5. Spread a couple teaspoons Mango sauce on bottom bun.
6. Add the black bean slider and about 1 Tablespoon Guacamole.
7. Put top on the slider.
8. If you have and mango sauce left, dip fries in sauce.

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Comments from Verna's Kitchen:

1. I browned the shredded carrots with the onions, as I find the carrots do not get cooked otherwise.
2. I used Panko Bread crumbs as I wanted them really fine.
3. I put 1/4 cup of water and cilantro in food processor and processed until fine.
4. I used Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.
5. in the Mango sauce and no salt.
6. I did not use any salt or the salsa fresca in the guacamole.
7. I had some small buns, cut the bun in thirds, and did not use the middle of the bun. I toasted my buns before assembling.
8. The sliders were really good but desperately needed the Mango sauce and Guacamole, as they tended to be dry. I had 6 medium sliders which I will be freezing.

I would assemble the sauce and guacamole in advance next time. I made this for breakfast and was doing it all at once.

I thought they where really good and would do it again with the changes.

Salsa Fresca:

Recipe from Tyler Florence

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped 1 jalapeno, minced

8 cilantro sprigs, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teas salt

Toss everything together. Leave stand for 15 minutes before serving.

I would love your comments or any ideas you may have.

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Enjoy!!!

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Have a super day.

Sweet Potato Fries

I came home from my sister's funeral this afternoon and felt like some healthy comfort food. They had lots of unhealthy comfort food at the funeral. I did mostly relish tray foods. I guess I surprised myself as there was lots of naughty food there that looked really tempting.

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I decided to make some Sweet Potato Fries as they are quick and so very good.

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Ingredients:

2-3 sweet potatoes or as many as you like.-peeled and cut into 1/4 " size pieces

1 Tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Cayenne pepper to taste

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Directions:

1. Put the sliced sweet potatoes in a gallon sized bag.
2. Add about 1 tablespoon oil and shook really well.
3. Add seasonings -Go easy you can always add more after they are baked.
4. Shake well
5. Put on a parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Make sure they are not overlapping and not to close together.
7. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes,
8. Turn with spatula, and bake about another 10-15 minutes, Watch so they don't burn.

Comments from Verna's Test Kitchen:

1. Use any seasonings you may like. I actually didn't measure, just guessed.
2. Cajun Seasoning is also good on these.
3. For a dipping sauce, I made a tarter sauce with Vegenaise .
4. Also had some CHUN'S authentic Asian, Sweet and Sour Sauce. Really liked the latter. I know sometimes sweet potato fries are served with a Ranch Dressing in the restaurants, but it is to high in sodium for me.
5. They are so easy to make, give ithem a try.

Comments appreciated.

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Enjoy!!!

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Hope you are having a wonderful day!!!!

Citrus Salad

I found this recipe in December's Better Homes and Garden Magazine

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Ingredients:

3 oranges

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon fresh snipped tarragon

1/4 cup EVOO

2 heads Bibb lettuce, torn

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and thinly sliced

2 clementines, peeled and separated into segments

1/2 cup unsweetened flake coconut, toasted

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Directions:

1. Squeeze juice from one orange and put in bowl. Whisk in tarragon, mustard and oil.
2. Toss lettuce with dressing, add citrus, top with coconut.
3. Serve immediately.

Comments from Verna's test kitchen:

We had a very nontraditional Thanksgiving meal at my son's home. My kids are all into gourmet cooking, and wasn't real sure what the meal would consist of. I decided to try this recipe, 'cause if it didn't turn out, I would not have to eat it by myself all week.

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1. I used mixed dark baby greens instead of Bibb lettuce.
2. I used about half that amount of oil.
3. I did add 1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar as I felt the dressing was a little bitter.
4. I mixed the citrus and dressing together, but I did not mix citrus and dressing with the greens before hand, as I did not want my greens to get soggy.
5. When ready to serve, I put the greens in individual containers, added citrus mixture and then topped with toasted coconut.
6. Next time I may leave out the grapefruit and add bananas at the last minute, also grapes would be good in this.

Give it a try. Quick and easy!!

Enjoy!!!

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Have a super wonderful day.

Secretariat

My 19 year old granddaughter and her family are visiting from Kansas.

Amanda and I had the enjoyment of seeing the movie the Secretariat. It is a movie based on a impossible true story, about a housewife named Penny, who refuses to let her daddy's Horse Ranch go under after his death.

Coming into a man's world, and rekindling the love she had of horse racing, she overcomes many obstacles from family and the world at large, trying to make her dream happen to save the ranch.

I absolutely loved the story, as it is a story about determination, not giving up your dream, no matter how much opposition you may get.

It so reminded me of us CHIP People. The opposition is intense sometimes from the ones you love the most. It is a program that is so misunderstood by the community at large. I mean after all, where do you get your protein, a so often asked question.

We are the fish swimming upstream. In the process of going against the norm in can become difficult, maybe even seem impossible some times.

But little by little, our determination, and hanging on to our dream, (becoming and staying healthy) will change the world around us. Most of all it will change us, and help us to fulfill our dream.

Remember anything worth fighting for is going to have its challenges.

After those Thanksgiving temptations, let's get back on track as another big Holiday is right around the corner. We have a month to watch it closely, then the upcoming holidays won't find us with a weight gain, and feeling lousy and discouraged.

We can do it!!

Hang on to that dream and let's all stay healthy. Remember it is one day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time.

Have a super healthy, stick with it, CHIP day!!!

I am here if you need a friend and encourgment. Email me at verna.v@att.net

I Appreciate You!

I am posting this for everyone, but especially to the CHIP Alumni.
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I just want to tell you how very much I appreciate you, and how special each and everyone one of are to me. I basically share this with the CHIP Class the last class, but want to share it with you again. For the most part, the greater majority of you come to the first class and I do not know you. By the last class you have become very special to me! You come in, some of you embracing CHIP and some of you not liking it at first. But then I see you make wonderful choices in your life, which means the world to me. You turn your health around and lots of you, lose weight in the process.
That is so exciting for me to witness!!!! I have the best job in the world, helping to facilitate CHIP, and seeing these miracles happen.
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I share this with you, because especially again today, those feelings are very strong. about how I feel toward each and every one of you.
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I lost my older sister today. She had heart problems about the same time I did, but chose a different route to go with her life. How I thank God that Dr. Kay Theyerl, gave me the option of the CHIP Program. I know that I would not be on the face of this earth if it were not for CHIP.
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To all of you precious Alumni people, keep up the good work. If you stumble, which we all do from time to time, tomorrow is a new day. Just as long as you don't stay down, you are a winner!!!!
Falling from time to time, may actually make us stronger, as we can evaluate why we fell and next time make better choices.
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With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, we all have so much to thank God for.
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Go and enjoy the good food, do your best, and remember, it's not just the food, but treasure all of your loved ones that you will see. None of us know just how long we will be on the face of this earth.
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Stay on the program, 'cause I want you here for a very long time.
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Again, you are all very special to me, keep up the good work.