Chicken and Tortellini Salad

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp. garlic, minced

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced

10-oz. fresh cheese-filled ravioli

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup red onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup cucumber, diced

1 can sliced olives, drained

¼ cup feta cheese

¼ cup basil, chopped

Prepare the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar.  Cover and shake until combined.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook the tortellini to package instructions.

In a salad bowl, combine chicken, tortellini, spinach, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta and basil.  Toss with dressing (may or may not use all of dressing).

Serves 8.

 

Teriyaki Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner

1.5 lbs. thawed shrimp

Teriyaki sauce*

1 pineapple, cubed

8 oz. snap peas, ends trimmed

1 red pepper, diced

8 oz. broccoli florets

3 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided

Green onion, chopped & sesame seeds (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Marinate shrimp in 2 tbsp. teriyaki sauce and 1 Tbsp. sesame oil.  Mix the rest of the ingredients with most of the sesame oil and teriyaki sauce.  Spread on a lined and greased sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Toss in remaining sesame oil and teriyaki sauce.  Serve over rice, cauliflower 

rice, zoodles, etc. and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

*Teriyaki Sauce

1 cup soy sauce

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. ginger

1 cup water

¼ cup white cooking wine

4 tsp. cornstarch

Add all ingredients except for cornstarch and water to a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat.  Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry.  Add cornstarch slurry to thicken then remove from heat.

 

Cobb Salad

Salad

Tomaine lettuce, chopped

Tomato, chopped

Avocado, sliced

Chicken  Nuggets, cooked

Hard boiled egg. chopped

Bacon, chopped

Blue cheese

Parsley, chopped

Dressing

⅓ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. honey

¼  tsp. salt

¼  tsp. pepper

¼  tsp. garlic powder

Combine all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

 

Chia Seed Pudding

COCONUT 

1 14-oz can coconut milk

5 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of salt

Mix well and pour into an airtight container.  Refrigerate overnight.

BLUEBERRY

1.5 cups almond milk

6 Tbsp. chia seeds

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp mable syrup

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well and pour into an airtight container. Refrigerate overnight. 

Pumpkin-Maple Pie

For the crust:

2/3 cup pitted dates (soaked if firm for 1 hr and drain)

1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch pie dish.  In a food processor, combine oats, pecans, cinnamon and salt.  Process until coarse.  Add dates and coconut oil and process until mixture comes together.  It should stick together when pressed with fingers.  If still dry, add 1 tsp. water and process again.

Press down in base of pie dish going up the sides.  Poke several holes in the crust with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Let cool for 30 minutes on a cooling rack.

For the filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1 hr, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients until smooth.  Add 1 Tbsp. almond milk if too thick to blend.  Pour filling over crust and place in freezer to chill overnight or 5 to 6 hours until firm.

Serve with whipped coconut cream, finely chopped pecans and nutmeg.

Beet Smoothie

 1 small beet, peeled (cooked or raw)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup coconut water

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 heaping Tbsp. peanut butter

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and combine until smooth.

Baked Reuben Braid

1 loaf Rhodes Bread Dough, thawed and risen

⅓ cup cheese Italian herb dressing

½ lb. thinly sliced turkey pastrami

8 slices Swiss cheese

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

1 egg white, beaten

2 Tbsp. caraway seeds

Spray board or counter with non-stick cooking spray. Roll dough into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. With a clean ruler, gently mark a 4-inch space down the center. Then mark dough into 2-inch strips horizontally. Pour dressing down the center of the dough. Spread layer of pastrami, then slices of Swiss cheese. Top with sauerkraut.

Make cuts on sides from filling to dough edges. Begin braid by folding the top row toward filling. Then fold strips left over right, right over left. Fold bottom end towards filling and finish by stretching the last strip and tucking under.

Support the braid with both hands and place on a large sprayed baking sheet. Brush braid with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly and slice to serve.