Rapid Guacamole Ala Fieri

For a quick and simple Guacamole take three Haas avocados, seeded and the meat scoped into a bowl. I like to rough chop the avocado so its chunky. Then add three tablespoons of Guy Fieri's Salsa Verde and mix it up. Let it sit for an hour and serve.

Serve with Ryvita or Wasa crackers for a great tasting healthy snack. You can add more salsa to taste or your favorite spices to jazz it up some.

No, I'm not getting paid for this. It's just good and easy.

Citrus Poultry Brine

This is a great brine for that Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey to keep the meat moist and tender. The citrus fruit in this brine not only adds a great tangy flavor but also acts to tenderize the meat of the poultry. The mild acid of the lemon will help to carry flavors deep into the meat.

Prep Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Yield: Makes about 1 gallon of brine

To Buy Organic Or Not

Organic fruits, vegetables and meats. Are they any better for us than their normally grown counterparts? It depends on your perspective and concerns. Recently it has been determined that organically grown fruits and vegetables have no more or less nutritional value than normally grown fruits or vegetables.

While normally grown fruits and veggies had more pesticide residue than the organic ones, all levels were below the government recommended levels. While they offer no extra nutrition, the theory is that the extra pesticides can build up in our bodies and possibly cause health issues. If you are worried about that, simply wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them. You should do this with all fruits and vegetables as being organic does not prevent other health risks like e Coli.

Fats and Oils

Fats and oils of a variety of types can be found in many processed foods, in healthy foods and in their basic usable forms. So whats good and whats bad? You may have heard terms like polyunsaturated or Omega 3, but how does that relate to your daily diet and cooking?

Our bodies need some fats, at least 20 to 30% of our daily calorie intake should come from healthy or "good" fats, and most peoples diets contain fats and oils with too many omega 6 fatty acids and not enough omega 3s, knowing the differences of these 2 acids and what foods contain them will help you make the right food choices.

There are three types of fats and oils so lets run down the list.

Beer Marinade for Ribs

OK! You're gonna love this one. Mix this beer marinade for your pork or beef ribs and they will be the best ever! If they are a full rack of pork ribs, make sure you peel the thin layer off the back of the ribs first, this will allow all the marinade into the meat and it doesn't need to be eaten anyway.

The type and brand of beer is your personal choice, I use Sam Adams Boston Lager, but you can use what ever you like.

Awesome Dry Rub

This is my "Go To" rub when ever I am grilling anything. Hamburgers, Pork Chops, Country Style Ribs, Chicken, you name it, I've used this rub on it.

After a few mixes and trial runs over the years I came up with this mixture. I suggest using fresh spices for the best flavor. If its been in your pantry for over a year, throw it out and go shopping.

• 1 tbl granulated sugar
• 1 tbl brown sugar
• 1 tbl garlic powder
• 1 tbl black pepper
• 1 tbl cumin
• 2 tbl chili powder
• 2 tbl cayenne pepper
• 2 tbl paprika
• 2 tbl curry powder
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix everything completely and pour into a shaker bottle. You can use one of those empty glass spice containers that you just emptied from your pantry. Just shake it liberally on your favorite grilling meat, rub it into the meat, let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and then grill it to perfection.

Shake a little more on as you cook for a little more flavor.

Steak Marinade

The next time you go to grill some steak, cook a roast or even if you make your own beef jerky, give this marinade a try.

• 3 tbl brown sugar
• 3 tbl soy sauce
• 5 tbl white vinegar
• 5 tbl olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic chopped fine

Mix everything up and let it sit for an hour. Pour over your steaks or roast and let sit at least 4 hours. Grill to perfection.

1 tablespoon of this marinade equals approx.the following nutrition per serving: 35 calories, 3g fat, 3g carbohydrates, .5g protein

BBQ For Real

One of my favorite foods is BBQ. BBQ anything. Beef, pork ribs, chicken, turkey, whatever. The smoky slow cooked flavor of food cooked over an open flame just tastes good. I have a charcoal grill I use for everyday grilling, the picture to the left is my home built smoker. This is the "plan your weekend a week in advance" kind of dinner prep.

Depending what is being cooked depends on the time. A 13 pound rotisserie turkey takes 6 hours or more. A pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches gets started before the sun comes up so its ready for dinner. The time to brine or marinade your choice is done a full 24 hours before that.

Why do i do it? Well if you have ever had good BBQ then you know the answer to that. And believe me 4 ounces of smoked pulled pork goes a long way on a bulky roll with a slice of onion, 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and some homemade coleslaw on the side.

You can buy your own smoker almost anywhere and start small. A rack of ribs, a chicken or two, even smoked meatloaf! Whatever you want, just plan ahead and make sure you have a good thermometer to make sure your food is cooked all the way through. The only limitation I have found in smoking is turkey and chicken. Due to the long cooking time chose a bird under 14 pounds so food poisoning does not set in during the long cooking process.

Try this next Thanksgiving or Christmas. Smoke your turkey the weekend before, Separate the meat into foils pans and freeze it. Thaw, warm in the oven and serve.

Portion Control

The first thing that was challenging for me was portion control. It was clear that I was over eating. As a kid we were taught to clean our plate and go back for seconds. As adults we follow the same patterns.

Measuring a cup of pasta or weighing out 4 ounces of chicken breast always sounded like it would never be enough food for one meal. Until I did it.

I was surprised that when I measured out what I was eating for dinner, that I really was full with the recommended portion size. A cheap kitchen scale was necessary for most foods as are a good set of measuring cups and spoons. A quick way to gauge a 4 ounce portion of meat is compare it to a deck of cards.

Try to control your portion sizes for a few weeks and see if your weight drops. If you stick to it, I know you will drop the pounds.