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No More Brown Avocados
Sometimes, simple can be brilliant. Such is the case with the Avocado Saver. It's one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that items that elicited more awe and excitement from certain members of our team than a new mascara (and that's saying a lot). You simply pop the uneaten half of your avocado into the dishwasher-safe gadget, and strap it in. Voila -- your avocado won't turn brown and icky. This way you won't feel compelled to wolf down the whole thing. After all, a serving of avocado is technically just one-fifth of the fruit.
The Recipe: Avocado Bacon and Eggs
Ingredients:
1/2 avocado
1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the avocado in half. (Store the remaining half in your avocado keeper.) Scoop out part of the center of the avocado, making enough room for the egg to fit. Place it on a lined cookie sheet, and then crack and egg into the avocado. Top it with the bacon, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe via California Avocado Commission
Background image via Crave Bits
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Noodles Without the Guilt
Sad but true: Pasta is packed with calories and fast-burning carbs, making it less-than-ideal for everyday consumption. But with the Spiralizer, you can fill your plate with pasta, sans guilt. It transforms regular veggies (everything from zucchini to sweet potato) into noodle-shaped deliciousness that, granted, isn't exactly like the real thing -- but is definitely a healthy, yummy substitute. And anything you can do to noodles, you can do to these veggie iterations.
The Recipe: Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup white wine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
3 zucchinis, spiralized
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and then add the shrimp. Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and the salt and pepper. Sauté the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they are opaque. Remove from pan. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds and then add the white wine. Add the cherry tomatoes and cover the skillet. Let cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Put the shrimp back in the pan, along with butter, lemon juice, basil and the remaining red pepper flakes. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Sauté the zucchini noodles for 2-3 minutes, then remove and add to the other pan. Toss to coat.
Recipe via Joyful Healthy Eats
Background image via Inspiralized
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Strip Those Greens
The Recipe: Simple Sautéed Swiss Chard
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Swiss chard (use the stripper to remove leaves from the stem)
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 shallots, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for topping
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the shallots and sauté until fragrant. Chop the Swiss chard into 1-inch pieces and add to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the diced tomatoes. Sauté until the leaves are boiled down and softened (approximately seven minutes). Put in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese.
Recipe via Running to the Kitchen
Background image via Medical News Today
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Have Your Dessert
Banana ice cream has an entire Instagram account devoted to it, and for good reason: It's a creamy treat with the same consistency as soft serve, but is made from only a frozen banana -- no milk, no added sugar. Use this machine to whip up your own photo-ready concoction (it also makes frozen treats out of other fruits), and add the toppings of your choice.
The Recipe: Chocolate Yonanas
Ingredients:
2 frozen ripe bananas
2 ounces dark chocolate
Directions:
Insert one frozen banana, and then add the dark chocolate. Add the second frozen banana. Stir to combine.
Recipe via Yonanas
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Trick Yourself Into Drinking More H2O
The benefits of staying hydrated are numerous. Glowier skin, better digestion and even weight loss are all wonderful side effects of drinking enough water. So why is it so hard to drink the recommended nine cups per day? Probably because regular water is kind of, well, boring. This unique water bottle has a chopping compartment at the bottom, where you can put any fruit your heart desires. Let it steep for a few minutes, and it transforms your plain water into a must-drink beverage.
The Recipe: Strawberry Blackberry Orange Water
Ingredients:
3 fresh strawberries
3-4 blackberries
2 Clementine wedges (peeled)
Cold filtered water
Directions:
Add all ingredients to the bottom of the Aqua Zinger. Screw the rest of the bottle on and add water.
Recipe via Zing Anything
Background image via Drann Blog and Woolworth's