Avocado Salad

Since I've started my blog I noticed that I blog about a lot of baked dishes and entree dishes, but those poor side dishes get left out a lot of the time. So I decided that I wanted to make a side that I could share with you all. I am always on the look out for light sides cause you want your sides to compliment your entree. Sean is a huge sides person. He loves his main dish, plus a starch and a veggie. He can do without one or the other sometimes, but I know he loves when I make all three.

Sean also loves avocados, so I knew when I made this he would instantly fall in love with it. Also combined with lime juice and cilantro. What's there not to like? It literally took me minutes to prepare and tasted amazing. I will for sure be making this salad again and maybe next time add some corn or some other veggies. It's so versatile that you can add or take away veggie. Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine. Have a great day everyone!

Shepherd's Pie

Lately I've been in a non cooking rut. Don't we all wish we could come home or go into the kitchen and have dinner ready for us on the table? I do, boy oh boy, do I ever! I've been wanting to cook things that are easy and fast, but also taste good. So when I first found this recipe I thought what a quick and easy dish to make, but did it taste good? It was also a healthy version, so that was a plus in my book. This pie was delicious and is a keeper! 

Did you all know that Shepherd's Pie is considered a comfort food? Well I didn't. Why I never knew this is beyond me. I love making comfort food and when I made this I felt all comfy and relaxed. It is one of those dishes that makes you feel like your home on a cloudy day all bundle up and enjoying a good book. So if your wanting a quick and yummy dish or maybe some healthy comfy food, try this Shepherd's Pie. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

I love peanut butter sandwich girl scout cookies. Doesn't everyone? I patiently wait every year for them to go on sale and then buy like 5 boxes. I think I gain 10 pounds and finish the boxes within two days. It's crazy how much I love these cookies, but come on I gotta get a grip. So when I saw this recipe floating around on pinterest I thought I was in heaven. Could I really re-create peanut butter sandwiches and I wouldn't have to wait a whole year to enjoy them again?

I was so on board making these. I thought that they might be a little difficult to make because doesn't it seem like everything you love to eat is impossible to re-create. Well these cookies were not only delicious, but super easy to make. The only thing I might do different next time is cook the cookies a little longer to make them crispier. So grab your peanut butter jar, stand mixer and get busy. I promise you won't regret it. Have fun!

Butter Chicken with Dal & Salad {Pakistani style}

So many of you don't know that my husband is Pakistani... I say it proudly because I love love love his culture! Singing and dancing in movies, bangles (bracelet's) galore, gorgeous clothes, henna and don't get me started on the food!!

I wasn't always a lover of Pakistani food, but have come around in my 13 years being with my husband. Now I am no where near as a good Pakistani cook as Sean's mom and sister, but I give it a try here and there. Sean's family lives 2.5 hours away and where we live they don't have Pakistani restaurants. So I have to get creative and create some dishes that will take our "paki" food cravings away. These pre-made sauces are a great way for us to have some Paki food, but also stay healthy. The butter sauce was gluten free and had no added ingredients, which I love.

One day I will learn how to make proper bhindi (okra) dish, kofta (meatball) and curry chicken dishes, but until then Sean doesn't mind having it this way. The jar is a great time saver to. Just throw it all together and be done within 45 minutes, which is actually fast for pakistani food. My mother in law can be in the kitchen up to 2 hours sometimes, but man is the food amazing!! If you've never eaten pakistani food, you have to give it a try. It's a little different than indian food. Indian food is more curry based where pakistani food doesn't have as much curry.

I will one day master those dishes and make my hubby proud, but for now this dish is a normal routine in our house. Hope you all like it! Good Luck and Enjoy!

Red Enchiladas

First thing first, Happy Mother's day to all you wonderful mother's out there!

Do you all remember my post for the Enchilada boats? Remember how I told you all that I love enchiladas. I could eat them every day and all day. Mexican food is just one of those foods that I never get tired of. I know that my poor husband and kids probably get tired of me cooking enchiladas and tacos all the time, but I can't help myself. I just love them. I have an amazing green sauce recipe from my wonderful sister in law, Raquel. But I really wanted to make red sauce enchiladas. In my younger days I used to use the canned red enchilada sauce, but lately you can taste that its not fresh and authentic.

I found a easy and quick recipe on line and decided to try it. I think I am going to try three to five different red sauce recipes and then I will let you all know which one was the favorite. They might all be my favorite or maybe a mixture of them all to make the perfect red enchiladas! So for now this recipe was a good start.

It didn't take long to assemble and tasted good. Sean and the kids liked them and even ate all the leftovers the next day. In my opinion if the leftovers are eaten the next day that means the meal was good!  Give'em a try. If any of you have a great recipe you'd like to share, I'd love to see it and try it. Thanks guys & Have a great Mother's Day!