The Ranting Cook

INGREDIENTS: FOR THE DRESSING: 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 c. lime juice 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 1 tbsp. hot sauce 1/2 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. kosher salt FOR THE SALAD: 1 c. black beans 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 c. corn 1 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 c. black eyed peas 2 orange bell peppers, chopped 1 avocado, chopped Corn chips, for serving DIRECTIONS: 1. In a small bowl, make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce, cumin,

It’s Sunday. This is the perfect hangover food. This Avocado Bavon Baguette with Honey will save your soul. Trust me. I know this to be true today :/ INGREDIENTS: 4 slices French baguette, sliced on the diagonal and lightly toasted 1 medium, ripe avocado 1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled honey DIRECTIONS: Cook bacon and remove excess grease with paper towel. Mash the avocado in a small bowl. Spread the mashed avocado on the toasts. Sprinkle with bacon and drizzle with honey.

Serves: serves 4 Ingredients: ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup sliced strawberries 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup halved mini mozzarella balls 1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced ⅓ cup pecans, toasted ⅓ cup loosely packed basil, torn Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions: In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a high simmer over medium heat. Stir, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vinegar has thicke

Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS: For the filling: 1 c. black beans, cooked 1 c. canned corn 1 4-oz. can green chiles, divided 1 c. Shredded chicken 1 c. shredded cheddar, plus more for topping 1 package Taco Seasoning 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, plus more for topping 3 ripe avocado For the dressing: 1 c. ranch dressing 1/4 c. lime juice 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper DIRECTIONS: Heat broiler. In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, 1/2 can g

It’s Sunday. This is the perfect hangover food. This Avocado Bavon Baguette with Honey will save your soul. Trust me. I know this to be true today :/ INGREDIENTS: 4 slices French baguette, sliced on the diagonal and lightly toasted 1 medium, ripe avocado 1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled honey DIRECTIONS: Cook bacon and remove excess grease with paper towel. Mash the avocado in a small bowl. Spread the mashed avocado on the toasts. Sprinkle with bacon and drizzle with honey.

This salad is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian… but you should make it anyway, lol, because it’s fresh and green and totally hits the spot. It also takes about 5 minutes, tops, to put together which means that you can make as much of a habit of it as we have. If you’re not into lime and cilantro or parsley, try lemon and dill. If you’re not into mayo, try using yogurt. Or, skip the creamy dressing entirely. You could make a Tex-Mexish variation with minced jalapeno, oli

This Strawberry Cobb Salad qualifies as a complete and balanced meal. The perfect answer to those "I don't want to cook because it's way too hot" days. Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS: FOR THE GREEN GODDESS DRESSING: 1 c. store-bought ranch dressing 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp. thinly sliced chives 8 large basil leaves FOR THE SALAD: 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 6-oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 romaine hearts, shredded 12 str

This chili crusted fish fillet dish has immediately jumped to my top ten list for fish recipes. The avocado tartar sauce is a creamy and gorgeous finish with it. When choosing the fish look for a firm, white fish such as cod, striped bass or pacific halibut. This recipe works best with fillets between ½ to 1 inch thick to keep the fish moist without over-browning the crust. Serves 4 AVOCADO TARTAR SAUCE: 1 ripe avocado ¼ cup light mayonnaise 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tsp grat

Easy is good right? This easy chicken avocado salad is just that. If you want to you can add cooked quinoa or rice to it as well. Personally I find it perfect just the way it is :) Serves: 2-3 INGREDIENTS: 2 large chicken breasts,* shredded or chopped 2 medium avocados 1 cup corn 6 oz Bacon, cooked and chopped ¼ cup Chives or green onion, chopped 2 Tbsp chopped Dill 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters, (optional) Lemon Dressing: 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp lemon zest 3 T

There's nothing better than a breakfast skillet. Especially if there's leftovers for the next morning. You can use leftover potatoes from last nights dinner to cut back on prep time or swap out rice for the potato. You do you baby. INGREDIENTS: 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes 1/3 c. water 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 10 large eggs 1/4 c. whole milk 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped 1 c. Shredded Monterey J

This is a super fast pasta salad that will last a few days as it makes a good amount.  As you've probably noticed I love anything Tex-Mex lol. Just add a pre-roasted chicken on the side to up the protein and voila! Servings: 10 INGREDIENTS: FOR THE PASTA SALAD: kosher salt 1 lb. dry pasta, such as elbow, bow tie, or rotini 1 15-oz. can corn kernels 1 15-oz. can black beans 1 c. shredded Cheddar 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes 2 avocados, diced 1/3 c. Chopped cilantro FOR THE DRE

Perhaps the greatest hangover killer ever invented, this brunch-inspired smash burger has it all: crispy smashed beef patties, a fried egg, melted cheese, avocado, bacon, and a jalapeño and lime-infused Hollandaise. YIELD: Serves 4 Ingredients: For the Bacon: 8 slices bacon For the Jalapeño Hollandaise: 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon water 1 teaspoon fresh juice from 1 lime Pinch of kosher salt 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons) 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, div

A friend of mine recently went vegan. The carnivore in me wanted to lock her in a room and force feed her bacon, but my logical side kicked in and reminded me that was basically kidnapping and I could go to prison. I hear the food is terrible in prison, so I decided against it. On a serious note, I realized that my blog wouldn't be very well rounded if I didn't include options for everyone. So here's one for the plant eaters. INGREDIENTS: Dressing: 1/2 cup tahini 1/2 cup Alm

Serve this tasty grilled chicken with a side salad or a rice pilaf and you've got a healthy dinner in no time. Serves: 4-5 INGREDIENTS: 3/4 c. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. Italian seasoning kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 slices mozzarella 4 slices avocado 4 slices tomato 2 tbsp. sliced basil Balsamic glaze, for drizzling DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, whisk together balsa

A refreshing take on chicken for the summer. It's easy, gorgeous to look at and so tasty! Makes: 12 cups INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges for serving ¼ c. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. ground cumin pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 1 ½ c. chopped mango 1 avocado, chopped 12 mini taco boats Lime wedges, for

This salad contains so many of my favorite summertime ingredients. It's got a good count of protein from the beans and quinoa, plus delicious bell peppers and onions, rich avocado, and a sweet touch thanks to the peaches and corn. You'll be surprised by just how tasty the fresh, raw corn is. If you've never tried raw corn I highly recommend it. It's sweet, slightly crisp, and more refreshing than cooked corn. Look for the peaches and cream or white corn for the best sweetness

For Cinco de Mayo I usually make a batch of one of my favourite Mexican dishes, guacamole, but unfortunately I was too busy this year FLEEING FOR MY EFFING LIFE! Thanks to that stupid fire and being evacuated on May 3rd, I missed my yearly moment of Mexican heaven. No worries though, since my return I have made it a mission to drink margaritas and eat guacamole every chance I get At its base guacamole is mashed avocados and from there you can start adding more ingredients lik

I already have a few hot melted cheese dips planned for my next party but I always want to include something a little on the healthier side and guacamole is the perfect party food! My basic guacamole is pretty darn irresistible but I cannot help but tinker with it by adding different things with an example being the blue cheese guacamole that I made not too long ago. THAT sounds way better than the real thing trust me. Blue cheese guac meet garbage can… This time however I w