Avocado, Mushroom & Artichoke Salad

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon wine vinegar (white or red)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted & cubed

3 medium mushrooms, sliced

2 artichoke hearts, quartered (use drained canned or thawed frozen artichoke hearts)
3 tablespoons roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
3 scallions, chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon rind, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and oregano until the dressing is emulsified (thoroughly combined and slightly thickened). Add the rest of the ingredients and toss gently (so as not to smash the avocado too much) until all the veggies are coated with dressing.

Refrigerate any leftovers, then remove them from the fridge 30 minutes before serving again (olive oil turns into an unappealing sludge when refrigerated, so letting the salad sit at room temperature for a while gives it a chance to liquefy).

You can give the leftover salad a new twist by adding a protein (like beans, cubes of mozzarella cheese, or canned tuna or salmon) and/or additional veggies (like chopped tomato, chopped bell pepper, chopped jicama, sliced celery, sliced black olives).

Garlicky Bean & Artichoke Dip

This awesome dip is good with cut up raw veggies, pita chips, crackers, or by the spoonful. I just wish I had known about it when I was in the puree portion of my post-op diet.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian herb blend
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (15 oz) white kidney or cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained & quartered
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)

In a small nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic and herbs until tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In a large food processor, combine the beans, artichokes, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and the reserved onion mixture. Process until smooth.

Refrigerate 2 hours.