Simple is beautiful. Thanks to my wife for this excellent appetizer idea. Try it at your next party.

Ingredients:
Roast beef, sliced thin. Here’s the recipe.
Green guac – just make this recipe, but omit the tomatoes.

Directions:
1. Smear green guac on slices of roast beef and roll up.
2. Arrange tastefully on fancy plate.
3. Be sure to eat one every so often just to assure quality.
4. Sit back and enjoy compliments from your guests.

The four pillars of Thai food; sweet, salty, sour & spicy join nicely with cucumber, red onion & cilantro for a refreshing side.

Ingredients:
2 cups hot tap water
2 tsp salt
1-1/3 cups white vinegar
1 cup honey
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Dissolve salt in hot water.
2. Add vinegar, honey and red pepper, stirring until combined.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir and refrigerate.

Notes:
Although this is great right away, make it a day ahead to achieve maximum flavor potential.

Video:
How to remove the seeds from a cucumber.

Find more of my videos, including higher quality versions on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

This gem was brought to me by my lovely wife. It’s fresh. It’s zingy. It sings a little song in your mouth. It’s a great cool meal for those hot summer days.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs chicken breast, with bone and skin (important note)
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed (see this video for easy peeling)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 carrots, shredded (or shaved if your feeling fancy)
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 small bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
1. Rinse chicken and place, bones up, in large pot with garlic, salt and pepper. Add water until it’s one or two inches above chicken.
2. Cover pot and bring to a medium simmer for about 60 minutes or until meat easily falls from bone.
3. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool 20 minutes.
4. Using two forks, remove the meat from the bones and skin and shred it.
5. Assemble your plate thusly: shredded chicken topped with peanut sauce, then cucumber and carrot. Lastly a generous capping of fresh cilantro leaves. Click on the image above for an example.

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
5 Tbsp honey (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/8 tsp garlic powder (important note)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt (if your peanut butter doesn’t already have salt)

Directions for Peanut Sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients except for salt.
2. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Notes:
The peanut sauce is great on other things too. Try it on different meats and definitely try it on sauteed baby spinach.

Video:
How to remove the seeds from a cucumber.

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

My wife does a little dance every time I make this.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1 medium, ripe tomato, diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Mash ingredients together in large bowl.
2. Taste and adjust lime and/or salt to suit your taste.

Notes:
A potato masher makes an excellent guacamole mashing tool.
The fresher your ingredients, the better your guac. Use the best tomatoes you can find. Don’t use canned lime juice. It really does matter.

To store:
Guacamole is a tender, fleeting treat. It will only keep for a day or three in your fridge. To maximize freshness, place in airtight container with plastic wrap pushed onto the surface of the guacamole. This will help prevent darkening.

Video:
Check out the video, “Frunkle Paul and his Amazing Guac!”. It also includes footage of cats!

To see my videos, including high quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

Ingredients:
4 cups ripe tomato, diced or about 3 large tomatos
1-1/2 cups yellow onion, diced or 1 medium to large onion
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, about one lime’s worth
3/4 packed cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 small jalepeno pepper, finely diced

Directions:
1. Combine tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro and salt in bowl.
2. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes then taste. Now is the time to add more salt or lime if you like. If you do this taste test after adding the jalepeno, it will be more difficult to discern.
3. Add jalepeno pepper. This can be tricky as the heat of the jalepeno can range from bell pepper mild to eye-watering hot. Best to start small. Add some to the salsa, give it a good stir and then taste. Too mild? Add more, stir and taste. Repeat till satisfied.

Notes:
Do not use sweet onion!
If you like extra mild salsa, just omit the jalepeno.
Keeps in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Good on eggs, refried beans, steak and just about anything you can imagine.

Bonus Recipe: A Fresher Bloody Mary using the juice produced by this recipe. Mmmmmm.