Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

A while back, I noticed a recipe on the side of a carton of Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream. I cut it out of the carton and saved it for a special occasion. The recipe is originally called Breyers Cherry Cheesecake, but I took the liberty to rename it something I think is more fitting. I made this for Mother's Day and it was a big hit. We loved it. It has the perfect ratio of cheesecake to ice cream. You'll have to try it out.

Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
3 Tbsp Sugar

1.5 qt. natural vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream (I think you could experiment with other flavors here, but would highly recommend trying it first with the vanilla bean or natural vanilla)

2 packages (8 oz each) Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling (Or fresh berries. I used fresh strawberries with a little sugar added to bring out the juices. I think any combination of fresh berries would be delicious.)

Combine crumbs, butter and 3 tablespoons sugar; press into 9-inch springform pan.

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Spoon ice cream into pan on top of graham cracker crust, pressing to form an even layer. Spread on cream cheese mixture. Cover; freeze at least 5 hours.

Top cheesecake with pie filling or fresh berries and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

I really love traditional Strawberry Shortcake. I don't think I ever had it this way until Becca made it for dessert one night when we had dinner with her and Shane. Growing up, Strawberry Shortcake was always made with Angel Food Cake, which is also good. However, I really love this recipe that comes from the Joy of Cooking.

BISCUITS

Pre-heat the oven to 450.

Sift together in a large bowl:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

Cut in, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, until the size of small peas:
4-6 Tbsp chilled butter
(it needs to be really cold butter, I take a cube of butter out of the freezer and only leave it out a few minutes before using it. I also do this part in my food processor to make it easier).

Make a well in the center. Add all at once:
3/4 cup milk (For added riches, use half-and-half instead of milk)

Stir just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead gently and quickly, about 8 to 10 times, Roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin (or pat out with your hands) to 3/4" thickness. Cut into squares and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

Strawberry Filling:
Wash, pat dry and hull strawberries. Crush one-quarter of the berries in a bowl with a potato masher or fork. Slice the remainder. Combine the sliced and crushed berries and add sugar to taste.

To assemble, cut each biscuit in half horizontally. Place one half on a plate, spoon the berry mixture over, and top with the other half of the biscuit. Spoon a generous dollop of whipped cream (it must be real whipped cream!) on top and serve.

Pasta Primavera

This is one of our favorite pasta dishes. The recipe is very versatile and you can add any fresh vegetables you like. Serve with a green salad and some crusty garlic bread and you've got yourself a great, tasty, vegetarian meal.

Pasta Primavera
12 oz. Rotini Pasta (I really like the Barilla Plus Multigrain Pasta)
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves- crushed with press
2 Cups Broccoli Florets, Asparagus or fresh Green Beans (We used asparagus this time)
1 ½ Cups Shredded Carrots
½ - 1 Pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
½-1 Cup Heavy Cream
½ tsp Salt

Cook pasta. Meanwhile heat oil in 12" skillet or wok. Add garlic and broccoli and cook 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook 4 minutes or until veggies are tender crisp. Stir in tomatoes, cook 1 minute. Add parmesan, cream and salt. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Drain pasta (reserve ½ cup cooking water). Toss veggies with pasta and reserved water. Serve with Parmesan on top.

Orange-Buttermilk Pancakes

In honor of National Pancake Day, we had pancakes for dinner. My mother in law made these pancakes for us over the holidays and my baby loved them. We loved them, too. Here are some facts I gathered about National Pancake Day:

Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products…hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday.

Orange Buttermilk Pancakes

Combine Dry Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
3 Tb sugar
1 Tb baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine wet ingredients:
2 tsp. orange zest
1 cup orange juice
1 Cup buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tb. oil

Combine wet and dry ingredients together. Cook on a griddle.

Star French Toast

This french toast is delicious. It tastes similar to some mascarpone stuffed french toast that I had at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas last year.

Star French Toast

8 slices french bread cut into 1 inch slices

4 eggs

1 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 cream and 1/2 milk so I could feel a little better about it)

¼ cup honey (heated in the microwave until runny)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup butter

Directions:
Cut bread into one inch slices. In a medium bowl, beat together, eggs, cream, honey, salt, cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla extract.

On a griddle melt butter over medium high heat. Dip both sides of bread in the mixture, transfer to the hot griddle. Brown on both sides and transfer to a warm plate. Serve with whipping cream, fresh raspberries, and chopped pecans.

P.S. These taste great with the buttermilk syrup that Heidi has posted on this site.

Christmas Guacamole

Who am I kidding? I'll pretty much eat this guac year-round as long as I can find pomegranates. It is especially festive for Christmas with the green avocado and red tomatoes and pomegranate seeds. I know it sounds different, but give it a try. It's delicious!

Christmas Guacamole
Seeds of 1 ripe pomegranate
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped,
2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. Lemon or Lime juice
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips. I love the "hint of lime" tortilla chips served with dips that have avocado in them. Click HERE for a great tutorial on de-seeding a pomegranate that won't leave your clothes, fingers and sink stained red. Also, did you see Jane's (of This Week for Dinner) tip about how to select good, ripe avocados? If not, click HERE.

Wassail

This is my new favorite wassail recipe. I have traditionally used the Lion House Cookbook recipe, but this will be my new go-to recipe. My sister gave this to me a couple weeks ago after attending a cookie exchange. She said it best: "it tastes like you want wassail to taste." And, guess what else? It's easy!

Wassail:
4 Cups Apple Juice
2 Cups Cranberry Juice
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 can (12 oz.) Apricot Nectar
1 Cup Sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Apricot Nectar is kind of a unique ingredient. It is typically sold by the 12 oz. can in the juice aisle at the grocery store. Some brands I am familiar with are Kerns and Goya. At my grocery store I could only find a six-pack of small 5.5 oz cans.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This really is the best pumpkin chocolate chip bread. It is so moist and has great flavor. It can also be made into muffins. The cinnamon sugar sprinkled in the pan and on top of the batter prior to baking makes a delicious crust.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 (16oz) can pumpkin puree

3 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

2/3 cup of water

1 cup chocolate chips, optional (toss with 1 Tbsp. flour to prevent chips from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.)

Cream sugar and oil together. Add eggs and pumpkin; mix well. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with water. Mix well. If adding chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter at this point. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Sprinkle pans with cinnamon sugar. Pour batter into the two pans and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once bread has cooled (at least 30-40 minutes), remove from the pans. Waiting for the bread to cool prior to removing it from the pans will ensure that your bread won't split with half of it coming out onto the cooling rack and half staying in the pan.

Little Owls

I bought this magazine last fall because I thought these cupcakes were adorable. There are lots of other fun and festive recipe ideas in the magazine, too. If you are interested, you can purchase it here. I made these cupcakes a couple weeks ago. The cupcakes themselves weren't great, but I do love these little owls. The cupcake recipe included for these was a white cake with shredded coconut (this says spring to me...not fall) and cream cheese frosting. When I make them again, I'll probably use a spice cake or carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Anyway, here's what you need for the decorations if you want to try them.

Eyes: place two butterscotch candies for the eyes. Dip chocolate chips in a little frosting and place in the center of the butterscotch candies.

Nose: whole cashew

Feathers: slivered almonds placed around the eyes.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lighter Lasagna

I have been inspired by my friend Jill to try cooking more vegetarian meals. For some reason cooking vegetarian is a little intimidating to me. I think it is because I don't have many vegetarian recipes, nor have I tried too many vegetarian main dishes. I typically think pasta and soup when I think about vegetarian main dishes...but I know there are many options out there and I'm on a quest to find some good recipes to incorporate into our weekly menus. To start off, I tried a lighter lasagna recipe that Jill posted on her blog. This lasagna is delicious and simple to make. I love lasagna where you don't have to precook the noodles! What's your favorite vegetarian dish and where do you get your best vegetarian recipes? Please share your favorites...and try this recipe- you'll like it.

Lighter Lasagna, from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
This lasagna is so rich with vegetables, herbs, and wine that you'll never miss the extra cheese and fat that we're accustomed to finding in standard recipes. Serves 6-8, preparation time 40 minutes, baking time 60-70 minutes.

2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed bell peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used chicken stock)
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 recipe Tomato Wine sauce (page 350) or 3 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coarsely. Combine with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3-inch deep nonreactive 8 x 12-inch baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles, 1 generous cup of undrained veggies, and 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, 1 heaping cup of veggies, 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the veggies, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Baked French Toast with Apples and Caramel Sauce

Last weekend I decided to make something special for Sunday morning breakfast. We had recently been to the apple orchard and so I wanted to use up some of the apples we had picked. We decided to try this baked french toast recipe that a friend gave me a while ago. It was delicious. Now, the ingredients in this make it seem a little more like a dessert than breakfast, but it's okay to indulge every now and then. This recipe is absolutely worth the indulgence. It is really good.
Baked French Toast with Apples and Caramel Sauce
A glass baking pan will help prevent the toast from sticking. This recipe must refrigerate overnight, so work that into your planning and prep time.

Ingredients
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread sliced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4-6 apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions
1) Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a lightly greased 9 X 13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat eggs with 1 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/3 cup white sugar, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Make sure all the bread gets soaked so it doesn't leave any dry spots. The liquid left in the bottom will all be soaked up by morning.

2) Arrange apple slices on top of bread. Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 Tbsp. white sugar then sprinkle over the apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3) After mixture has refrigerated overnight, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4) Bake toast in preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour.

5) While toast is baking, prepare caramel sauce by combining 1/2 cup white sugar, flour and melted margarine in a small sauce pan. Stir in brown sugar, 1/2 cup skim milk and 2 tsp. vanilla. Cook until thick, stirring often.

Serve French toast hot with warm caramel sauce.

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

The weather has really cooled off this week and yesterday it was rainy and cold. I was craving some kind of soup and ended up making this. It was really yummy and total comfort food.

STEW:
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used part of a rotisserie chicken)
5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 pound new potatoes, quartered
3 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces (I just used baby carrots)
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 (10oz) package frozen peas

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add all the ingredients except the chicken and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the cooked chicken.

Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in 1 cup of half and half, cream or milk and stir into soup mixture. This step is optional but helps to thicken the stew a little bit.

DUMPLINGS:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (I just used a few shakes of dried)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and parsley. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into simmering stew. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the dumplings are tender.

Southwestern Chicken Wraps

We've been really loving these wraps lately. It seems like every time we've had them we've also had impromptu guests who have also enjoyed these. Good thing it makes more than what Paul and I could eat! Try these...but be warned that they may attract visitors to your door at mealtime! :)

Oh yeah, and full credit goes to Everyday Food magazine for this one.

Dressing:

3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapenos (find these by the green chilies at the grocery store)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Freshly ground pepper and coarse salt

4 Sandwich Wraps (10-inch), We've used whole wheat and tomato basil but any kind is fine.
3 Cups baby spinach
3 Cups shredded, cooked turkey or chicken
1 Can (15 oz) drained and rinsed black beans
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Combine sour cream, jalapenos, lime juice and salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread sour cream sauce on the wraps, leaving a 2 inch border. In center of wraps, layer equal amounts of baby spinach, shredded chicken, black beans, tomato, onion, and avocado. For each wrap, fold two sides of wrap over filling, then roll tightly, ending seam side down.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I really like squash but it hasn't always been that way. Let me tell you a story of squash that my family will never let me live down. I think I was probably 4 or 5. The scenario is the dinner table. On the menu was something and squash. The conversation must have gone something like this:

Mom: Kristy, you need to eat your squash or you can't have dessert after dinner.
Kristy: I don't like squash.
Mom: Well, veggies are good for you so you need to eat it.

We always used those tupperware cups when we were little. Did you have them as a child, too?
The glorious thing that was that you couldn't see through those plastic cups. I thought that I could trick my mom into thinking I had eaten my squash. I would put a bite in my mouth and then take a drink and proceed to spit the squash into my cup. Gross, I know. Well, I "ate" all the squash off my plate and must have thought I was home free. That was until my Mom was doing the dishes and dumped out my cup to find a whole lot of mushy squash in the bottom of the cup. I don't remember what happened from there but I think we just laughed about it. This story comes up on occasion, whenever squash is served.

OK. Moving on....the moral of that whole story is that I have really come to love squash over the years and it is always one of my favorite side dishes. A friend brought me this butternut squash risotto and after tasting it, knew I HAD to have the recipe. So, here is the really yummy risotto recipe, courtesy of my friend Kim T.

Butternut Squash Risotto

you will need :

1 32 oz box of chicken broth
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
2 cups aborio rice (this is a fatter italian rice)
1 12 oz pkg of cubed butternut squash (you can also buy a small whole squash and cube it or buy a box of frozen squash puree)

nutmeg
salt/pepper
1 cup grated parmigiano - reggiano cheese
2 T butter
1/4 cup fresh sage cut into really fine pieces

In a large sautee pan cook onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil until soft (few min) add the rice and cook for about another 2-3 min or until mostly translucent. Add hot chicken stock 1 cup at a time and stir until the liquid evaporates. repeat until all of the broth is used up. Sometimes you need to add a little more water as well because the rice isn't quite cooked by the time all of the liquid stock is absorbed. This process usually takes about 20 min on med-low heat. Meanwhile, steam your squash until tender and then puree it and add it to the rice. If you are using frozen puree , then just thaw it and dump it in. season with a dash of nutmeg and salt and pepper and then right before you are about to finish add the cheese and butter and sage.

I love that this is a healthier version of risotto because it is like you replace the cream with the pureed squash. SO yummy! This works as a great main dish, served with a green salad.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

It was love at first sight, really. The moment I clicked on the link for The Pioneer Woman Cooks, I knew I had found a gem of a site. She's witty, creative and her posts are so fun to read. Her recipes usually include step by step instructions and pictures. Her recipes are great (though not necessarily your "go to" for light and healthy meals). For me, her site is all about indulgences. I feel like just reading her site is an indulgence in and of itself. The recipes I have tried have been really yummy.

I made this steak for Valentine's dinner for my hubby and I. It was awesome and the best steak I have ever made (hands down). A word of warning to the wise...if you live in Whitehall or some other place where the smoke detector is sensitive, open a window before putting your steak in the pan. It'll be smokin' baby...but it gives the steak that nice crusty outside!

Check her site out. It's a good one. And hey, we all need an indulgence once in a while!

Ranch Chicken Pizza

My friend Kari brought this pizza over the day we brought our son Ethan home from the hospital. It was so good and is the epitome of comfort food. I am craving it just looking at these pictures. It is really easy to make, too.

Kari used a pillsbury pizza crust (you know, the kind that comes in a can?) and it is really good. I haven't had a lot of luck with pizza crust, so this is the way to go for me. I know you are thinking, "pizza crust from a can?" but I promise it is good. And easy.
Ranch Chicken Pizza

1 prepared pizza crust (first cook for 7 minutes at 350 before adding toppings). I am sure you can use a homemade pizza crust too, if you want.

mix together:
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 package/3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T tomato paste or sauce or marinara

saute the following ingredients:
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (last time I made this I just used some leftover rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 - Partially bake crust before toppings go on (7 mins. at 350)
2 - Spread cream cheese mixture over crust
3 - Sprinkle on meat and veggies
4 - Sprinkle 1 can/2 1/4 oz. sliced olives, drained
5 - Sprinkle on 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

bake another 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Sugar Cookies: Happy Valentine's Day!

One of our family traditions is to make sugar cookies for Valentine's Day. This recipe has been passed down through generations and is such a good one. You really can't go wrong with this recipe. It produces a nice, soft, yummy cookie. Typically I frost them with a butter cream frosting. Today I decided to go with some royal icing. You can make royal icing with egg whites or with meringue powder. Today I opted for the slightly safer meringue powder (you buy it at craft stores) and it turned out great. The recipe I used for royal frosting came from Joy of Baking and you can click HERE to see that recipe. I added some almond extract to mine.

Okay...here's the cookie recipe:

SUGAR COOKIES
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and eggs for 5 minutes. Add milk and dry ingredients. Chill overnight. Roll out on floured board and cut into shapes. Bake at 375 until edges just start to brown. Frost with butter cream frosting. Don’t overbake cookies….it is better to have them a little underdone. You just want them to be barely turning brown on the bottom. This is key to soft sugar cookies! This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Happy Valentine's Day to you! xoxo

Blueberry Dumplings

Last summer I picked a ton of fresh blueberries at the orchard. I froze a bunch of them and last Sunday was trying to come up with a dessert to make that would use some of them. I ended up trying these blueberry dumplings and served it with vanilla ice cream. It was an all around hit and I love having fresh berries in the middle of winter!

Blueberry Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 quart (4 cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
2 cups water
Vanilla ice cream or fresh cream, for serving

Stir flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter or fork. Add milk to form dough. Set dumpling dough aside.

In a large saucepan, combine berries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and water and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into hot boiling berries by the tablespoonful. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not remove the lid before 20 minutes has passed, and do not stir dumplings. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream.

Tuna and Peppers

My favorite way to eat tuna fish is in a bell pepper. I got this idea from weight watchers and have loved it for several years. It's really simple and is so fresh and yummy. Obviously, the less mayo you use, the less fattening it is. I use low-fat mayo, some lemon juice and pepper. Clean out half of a bell pepper (you choose red, yellow or green) and stuff it with the tuna fish mixture. Serve it with some fruit and you have a delicious, fresh, healthy lunch!

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

This is a great and healthy recipe that comes from this month's Everyday Food magazine. Paul and I both really enjoyed this yummy dish! The photo is courtesy of the magazine's website, since my picture didn't look near as lovely.

Here's what you need:

Course Salt and Ground Pepper
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lime juice
1 Avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and cayenne. Rub all over chicken. In a lare skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout. 8 to 10 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.