To say that it has been a while would be a complete understatement. To be honest, I think the busy New York City life took over the reins for a little.. not to mention the hectic travel associated with my job. But if the past month has taught us anything, it is the importance of expressing ourselves in healthy ways. With so much negativity surrounding our daily lives, having a creative outlet to channel all that energy is so crucial and that is why I’ve decided that, come what may, I will make an active effort to continue to do what I love. 

It all started on a snowy January afternoon in NYC…I hadn’t eaten anything all day and my mind and stomach were seriously conspiring against me. After my “hanger” got the best of me, I spent a good hour brainstorming tasty and healthy dinner ideas. The result? Creamy Avocado quinoa “risotto” topped with a mango salsa! 

Super tasty and super super easy to make. I used this same avocado sauce with barley before and it tasted great as well. The mango salsa broke the creaminess of the avocado with just the right amount of tangy sweetnsss. Feel free to modify the recipe as you please and if you have any suggestions on how to do it better, I’d love to hear 🙂 

So, after somewhat of an unexpectedly long sabbatical, here’s looking forward to this continued journey in 2017. A journey that I hope will involve exploring new tastes, experiencing new flavors, and  always remembering to savor the moment..

What you’ll need..

Risotto

• 1 cup white quinoa
• 1 avocado
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste..

Mango Salsa

• 1 Mango
• 1/2 White Onion 
• 1/2 Tomato
• Juice of half a large lemon
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste..

(I didn’t have any cilantro on hand but definitely add some of you do!)

Put It Together.. 

• Start by boiling 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water for about 10-15 minutes
• While the quinoa is boiling, in a food processor combine the avocado, lemon juice, garlic, and salt together and set aside
• In a bowl, combine the chopped Mango, tomato, onion, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper together. You can make this as spicy or as sweet as you’d like!
• Once the quinoa is cooked and warm, fold in the avocado mixture
• Top the quinoa and avocado mixture with the mango Salsa and enjoy 🙂

Also, I served mine with a toasted whole wheat tortilla to give the dish some crunch but feel free to play around with yours. Have fun with it! Till next time…