Homemade Nicaraguan Tortillas

My best friend Cassidy just got back from a service trip in Nicaragua, and while she was there some of her friends taught her to make Nicaraguan tortillas. Being a great friend, she taught me how to make Nicaraguan tortillas as soon as she got back to the States. Each country has their own tortilla style, so this is the distinctly Nicaraguan way to make them.
The recipe is simple: mesa (corn flour) and water. I served these as a side with yummy buffalo chili, but you can serve them in any way your taste buds desire.

A's Easy Mashed Cauliflower

Potatoes are deceiving. You buy them in the produce section, so you feel like you're eating something healthy. I have news for you though... potatoes are a starch bomb making a beeline straight to your bloodstream in the form of simple sugar. Bad, bad news.
"But I looooove potato dishes like mashed potatoes," you say.

Who doesn't? They're delicious. I believe that mashed potatoes are too iconic of a food to mess up with a so-so substitution. That's why I like making cauliflower mashed potatoes. They are so much healthier (low fat, low carb, high fiber) and you can barely tell the difference! This recipe is husband approved too, because Adam really likes these.

Alina's Shrimp Avocado Wraps

This is a quick hor dourve with a high-class flair. Delicious, abounding with flavor, and can be enjoyed as finger food! What's not to love?!

As an aside, these are quite rich and should be enjoyed in moderation.
  

Alina's Spice Infused Edamame

I've been eating a lot of edamame lately. What's not to love? It's tasty and fun to eat. It's simple to whip up some well-seasoned edamame and it makes a great side for salmon, sushi or stir fry.

Grapefruit and Cucumber Salad

I created this grapefruit, cucumber, onion, and jalapeno salad to compliment my delicious crab cakes. It's a zippy, slightly bitter salad that set the crab cakes apart from your average crab cakes. I made some slight modifications to the original recipe I found, such as substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream.

I'm not a big fan of grapefruit, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone for this salad and ended up really liking it! This went super well with my crab cakes, and there's a great chance I'll be whipping up another batch of this salad and some crab cakes again soon.

Alina's Avocado Deviled Eggs

I love deviled eggs. As in an if-there-is-only-one-deviled-egg-left-and-you-eat-it-I-will-silently-die-a-little-inside kind of love. Of course, deviled eggs are always filled to the brim with mayo (which also happens to be my favorite condiment). This equals a less than healthy addiction.

You know what I also love? Avocados. I started brainstorming... What would happen if POOF! The most unhealthy ingredient in deviled eggs (mayo) was replaced by nature's delicious source of good-for-you fat (avocado)? I was willing to bet it would be pretty amazing (and I was right).

I did a quick google search and discovered I wasn't the first person to think of this substitution. The only problem is that every recipe I found still used mayo. I wanted to go completely sans mayo, so I did it my own way. Protein + healthy avocado fat = a delicious AND healthy deviled egg! Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles!

Alina's Veggie Tian

When I saw the veggie tian recipe on the For the Love of Cooking blog, I couldn't resist making it. It just looks so. stinking. delicious!