-licious

Anyone catch the premeire of the new season of this show? I love it! So, if you've been watching, you saw the crazy swimsuit designing, tanning obsessed, eye boggling designer, right? And you heard him say that his design was 'girl-licious' and one of the contestants confessed that he thought tanning/eye boggler guy said 'licious' way too much.

Well, to get into the new season of my fav show, I'd like to borrow eye boggler/tanning guys phrase to share with you some summerlicious new recipes! They are so yummy. And look I even have pictures!

Tangy Cucumber and Avocado Salad

2 medium cucumbers, cubed
2 avocados, cubed
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced green onions (optional) We used red onions- really yummy
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 large lemon
1 lime

In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, avocados, and cilantro. Stir in garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. Squeeze lemon and lime over the top, and toss. Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Zuchinni Chicken Pasta

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked pasta shells - I used almost 12 oz of bowtie
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 ounce diced roasted red peppers - I omitted this and it still tasted divine
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta shells in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Mix in the zucchini, and season with oregano, salt and pepper, and red pepper. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.

3. Stir the chicken broth into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the chicken, roasted red peppers, and cream cheese, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Serve over the cooked pasta, and top with fresh basil (I just mixed the fresh basil into the sauce before serving) and Parmesan cheese.

Both of these are mouth watering, gut loving, simple recipes. I love buying veggies that are 'in season' and zucchini and cucumbers are really cheap right now so we've been trying them in all sorts of stuff. We got both of these from allrecipes.com. GREAT recipe site. Make sure to read reviews for tips on how to make each recipe better.

Bon Appétit!