Chicken, Mango, Avocado and Cilantro Pesto Panini

Say that three times fast!  (Actually I just did it, and it's not too bad)

I recently received a new panini maker and a cookbook.  Ever since I have been eyeing this recipe.  I have a love for mango and pesto and everything that has to do with this sandwich, really.  I had never made pesto with cilantro before but was completely confident in my premature love of it.  And I was right to love it even before making it.  

Southwest Fiesta Salad

I guess the trend in the food blogging world is to post sweet things on Friday.  I haven't caught on to that yet.  Unless we are saying sweet-as in awesome, because then this is pretty sweet.  

We have this salad quite often and have had a few different variations so it's pretty versatile.  You can add pretty much

Fish Tacos

The first time I heard of fish tacos was when we were living in Hawaii.  Something about the sound of it made me want to throw up a little bit.  

It's not that I don't like fish.  I don't have a lot of luck cooking it; it doesn't seem to ever taste good when I do but I've ordered fish in restaurants before and enjoyed it.  Just the idea of fish being in a taco seemed to be a little ridiculous to me.  (If you invented the idea, I don't mean to offend you.)  They seem to be a big deal lately though.  My dad and Jan posted a recipe on their website recently and they seem to be featured in quite a few restaurants now-a-days.  I put them on my to-do list for the future, but I thought it might be further in the future.   And my plan was in place until a couple weeks ago when my dad and Jan were here, they took us to Taco Surf and I actually tasted a fish taco.  

Avocado and Mango Salsa

 Look at this!  A healthy recipe!  And you guys didn't think I had it in me.  Okay, I know I have a few healthy ones on here, but I probably don't want to know the percentage of healthy vs not-healthy.

My brother, Davey, and I made this recipe about a year ago and served it with tortilla chips.  It was a hit.  When we went to prepare the ingredients, I was a little nervous.  I had never worked with mango before.  Davey said he knew what he was doing.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

I know it's Halloween.  I should be posting some kind of gruesome thing to eat.  Like those witches fingers or eyeball cupcakes or something.  But alas, I have no such post.  If it makes you feel better, it's a dead pig. ;)  

When I was growing up we used to eat pork chops with cream of mushroom soup over rice quite often and I loved it.  This is kind of a play on that but I think tastes a little fresher and is a bit healthier. We had it with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes but you could serve it with white or brown rice.  I had a pork roast in the freezer that I cut into pork chops but you could definitely buy them already cut.  This is a pretty painless recipe with few ingredients and not a lot of supervision.  I hope you like it as much as we did. :)

Almost Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burritos

I don't think I can call this actual Cafe Rio burritos since I didn't get the recipe from the restaurant itself. When I first got this recipe (from a friend at church), I didn't even know what Cafe Rio was.  I was sheltered.  I made it anyway because it seemed to be a big deal and I have been making it regularly ever since.  I have changed it a bit and I think I have it about how I like it. So if you like Cafe Rio (or Surfin' Tacos for my Hawaii friends), then you might like this.  The original recipe makes a ton and calls for a 5 lb pork roast.  I have scaled it back to be a bit more realistic.  Today when I made it, I only used a 1 lb pork roast and it was still plenty for our family of 4, leftovers included.

Guacamole

I have been on the biggest Avocado kick the past little while.  I am obsessed with putting avocado or guacamole on everything.  I think it's because avocados are so good for you and I only eat things that are healthy. (I can't even type that without laughing)  It does make me feel good that something I am eating is healthy.  It's good and easy and we know I like that.  I just put everything in my food processor and push the button.  I make this guacamole recipe for a lot of things, some of which are coming soon....

Pico de Gallo

I didn't know it was spelled like that, I just educated myself the other day when I emailed this recipe to a friend.  Now I wonder if I am saying it right.....

If you had a garden and you have tonz of tomatoes lying around then I am so jealous of you. 
I wish I did, I love tomatoes. 
This is an easy recipe for fresh salsa.  I have some recipes I want to post later that this goes really well with but we also just eat it sometimes with chips. 
I really wish someone could send some garden tomatoes to me!