SPAGHETTI AL PESTO

iNGREDIENTS

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 - 3 medium garlic cloves

3 cups packed basil leaves

1 teaspoon Kosher salt - or to taste

½ teaspoon pepper

4 ounces feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Quickly, gently, rinse the basil leaves in warm/hot water and drain.

If using a food processor, pulse all ingredients except the oil then drizzle in the oil and process until you have a smooth sauce.

If using a blender, add in your ingredients and blend until smooth stopping as needed to push down ingredients.

Serve with your favorite pasta.

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Beef fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Flank Steak
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced
•  Oil, For Frying
•  Flour Tortillas, Warmed
•  Cheese (grated Cheddar/jack Or Crumbled Queso Fresco)
•  Salsa
•  Sour Cream
•  Cilantro Leaves

Instructions

In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat. In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Heat the same same skillet (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare. Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.

Slice the meat right before serving and serve with all the fixins. Enjoy!

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Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
herbs (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200° F or the lowest setting. Wash the tomatoes and remove the stems.

Slice the tomatoes in half. Drizzle olive oil over a baking sheet and spread to cover the entire surface evenly. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. You can add other herbs if you like. Bake the tomatoes in the oven for 2-8 hours or until dry, soft and pliable.The baking time will depend on the type of tomatoes, oven temperature and your preference. I baked my cherry tomatoes for 2 ½ hours and the larger tomatoes for 3 hours at 275° F. These tomatoes can be kept in the fridge for short-term storage; freeze for long-term storage.

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Crispy Asparagus

Ingredients

·     1 pound asparagus, trimmed

·     1/2 cup flour

·     2 eggs

·     3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

·     1/4 cup parmigiano,grated

·     salt and pepper

     

    

     Instructions

Dredge the asparagus in the flour, dip in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko, parmesan, salt and pepper. Place the asparagus in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until golden brown, about 7-13 minutes.

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Soup With White Beans & Kale

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry white navy beans
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 small white potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
8 cups vegetable stock
1 lemon, squeezed
1/2 cup dry  pasta (optional)
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups kale, chopped
garnishes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Immerse the beans in cold water, and soak overnight for at least 12 hours. Rinse and set to the side.
In a large soup pot, on low-medium heat, fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the potato and continue to fry for another minute. Add the vegetable stock, juice from one lemon, and beans and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are soft.
Add the pasta (which is optional) and parmesan cheese, and continue to simmer until the pasta is al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Add the kale and simmer until tender, and the pasta soft. At this point, you may need to add some boiling water to the soup, as some of the stock may have evaporated (1/2 - 1 cup should be sufficient).
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top, season with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

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Guacamole

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled
• juice of half a lime
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• optional (for spicy version): 1 jalapeño, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mash together avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Serve right away or store covered refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

·      12 Oz/340 grams/2 small-medium Zucchini (it should yield 2 cups tightly).

·      1/4 cup grated Carrot

·      1/2 cup (abt 1 small potato) boiled and mashed Potato

·      1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

·      1/4 tsp Baking Powder

·      1/4 tsp dried Thyme (optional)

·      Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Grate the Zucchini. Use the large hole.

2.  Place it in a colander and 1 tsp Salt to it. Toss to combine and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Squeeze the water out of zucchini. You can use your hands or use a cheesecloth.

4.  Add them along with thyme, potatoes and carrots in a bowl. You can at this point do a taste test to see if you want more salt. Season accordingly.

5.  In another bowl, mix the flour and baking powder until combined.

6.  Add it to the vegetable mixture.

7.  Mix until well combined.

8.  Make small (lime sized) balls.

9.  Form into patties. Repeat for rest of them. At this point you can also refrigerate these in the fridge (for about 20-30 min) which will help to hold them up well while frying. It also helps to avoid oil retention. It’s not strictly necessary to do this.

10.  Add 1-2 tbsp of oil to your Cast iron pan (or as desired to coat the bottom of a non stick skillet. Note that regular non stick will require less amount of oil) . When hot, add the patties.

11.Cook them until golden-reddish brown on both the sides. Takes around 5-6 minutes each side.

12. Serve hot with ketchup / Chilli sauce/ Yogurt or sour cream.

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Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

·         1 chicken (4-5 pound),at room temperature

·         4 carrots

·         6 spring green onions

·         1 head of garlic, cut in half

·         3 lemons, 2 cut in half and remaining half sliced into thin slices

·         4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

·         1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

·         ½ cup white wine

·         ½ cup chicken stock or broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Mix the butter with lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Pat the chicken dry and rub half of the butter and lemon zest mixture under the skin and the rest over the chicken. Work 4-6 lemon slices under chicken skin and season with salt and pepper.

Generously season cavity of chicken with salt and pepper and stuff with lemon half, ½ head of garlic, 3 onions and thyme sprigs. Truss legs with cooking twine and tuck wings under bird.Arrange remaining vegetables on bottom of roasting pan and set the chicken breast-side-up on top of vegetables in roasting pan. Add ½ cup of white wine.

 Roast for 30 minutes or until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down, baste with juices and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned.

Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up and baste again. Add a ½ cup of water. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 155° to 160° and juices are running clear.

Transfer the bird to a cutting board and tent with foil. Remove vegetables from roasting pan. Set the pan over high heat. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Press the lemon to release the juices. Carve the chicken and serve with lemon jus and roasted vegetables.

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Greek Tortellini Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 orange bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, cut into spears and then quartered
16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup sliced Kalamata olives, divided
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
½ (19 ounce) package tortellini

Greek Salad Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook tortellini according to directions on the package (do not add salt to the water).  Drain and set aside once cooked.

Chop vegetables and set aside.  Mince 1 tablespoon Kalamata olives for the dressing, set aside.  Combine remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Set aside.
In a pint size mason jar add salad dressing ingredients and minced olives.  Be sure to crush oregano with your fingers as you are adding it (to release the flavor). Shake mason jar until dressing is combined.  Pour dressing over salad and gently toss with salad tongs until well coated.

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Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 cups low or no-sodium beef broth

1 (28oz. can) petite diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. sliced mushrooms 

1 green bell pepper

1 small onion

4 slices pre-cooked bacon 

4 oz. sliced pepperoni

1/2 of a loaf of Italian bread 

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

instructions

Turn on the broiler and position the rack 6-8 inches from the heat source.

Put a large pot or Dutch oven on high heat. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and black pepper. Stir and cover. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the green pepper roughly and add it to the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the onion and add it as well. Stir. Chop the bacon and add it. Chop the pepperoni and and add it. Stir. Stir occasionally until onions and peppers are softened a bit.

Cut the bread into 4 thick slices. Put the bread on a broiler pan and put it under the broiler to toast it lightly. Remove and flip it over. Put 1/4 cup of the cheese onto each bread slice. Return it to under the broiler just until melted and browned in spots, 1-3 minutes.

Stir the mushroom mixture into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the remaining cheese. Serve with the cheese toast.

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Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet white onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 2 cups whole milk
• water, as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese wedge, finely grated
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil until onion is tender. Add sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with a little bit of salt, and continue cooking on medium heat, constantly stirring until mushrooms are soft and lightly browned - no more than 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup of uncooked rice and 2 cups of milk to the skillet, bring it to boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Add Italian seasoning and mix well. Cover the skillet with the lid. Let the mushrooms, rice and milk simmer until liquid is absorbed. Add water if more liquid is necessary for the rice. Simmer the rice mixture (and add more water if necessary) until rice acquires the desired consistency. When rice is done, stir in shredded Parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Season with more salt and pepper. 

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Roasted Tomato and Chicken Pasta

6 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lb tomatoes, cored and sliced in half
2 portabello mushroom caps, diced to 1/2 inch

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp seasoning salt

1 package linguine pasta
1 tablespoon table salt

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup torn basil leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl and mix to combine.

3. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray (or line it with foil) and arrange tomatoes cut side up along with portobellos. Drizzle with juices from bowl and bake for 45 minutes or until tomatoes begin to brown and release juices. Set aside to cool.

4. Meanwhile drizzle chicken breasts lightly and season with seasoning salt. Place in oven along side tomatoes for 40 minutes or until they begin to brown and are lightly firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.

5. Once tomatoes have cooled, crush half of them with a potato masher (or with your fingers), removing the skins of the crushed tomatoes. Allow other half of tomatoes to remain intact.

6. Shred chicken into bite sized pieces.

7. Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt and pasta and cook according to package directions. Once al dente, scoop a cup of pasta water out of pot before straining. 

8. Combine tomato sauce, chicken and pasta in large bowl adding pasta water if needed to moisten sauce. Top with parmesan and basil leaves. Enjoy!

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Black Bean and Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Mexican pizza

• 8 large (7-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 14.5-ounce cans organic refried black beans
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can whole black olives, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced
• ¾ cup shredded light monterey jack cheese
• Avocado cream, to taste (recipe below)
• Optional: salsa for serving.

Avocado cream

• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

Mexican pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a pizza stone (or a large baking sheet) inside.
2. Working in batches, lay as many tortillas out as possible on the pizza stone without overlapping and bake for 10 minutes, or until just crispy. Repeat until all tortillas are crispy.
3. Meanwhile, heat the black beans, paprika, cumin, and cayenne over medium heat until smooth and pliable (it doesn't need to be heated all the way through, just enough to make it easy to spread).
4. Divide the black beans among the crispy tortillas (about ⅓ cup per tortilla), and use a rubber spatula to spread the beans out evenly to the edges.
5. Evenly the olives, red onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper among the tortillas.
6. Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the top of each pizza.
7. Bake the pizzas for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the toppings are cooked through. My pizza stone holds only 4 pizzas at a time, so work in batches if needed.
8. Before serving, dollop or swirl avocado cream over the pizzas, to taste, and sprinkle sliced green onions on top. (To swirl it, I put the cream in a Ziploc bag and cut off the tip!).
9. Optional: serve with a side of salsa.

Avocado cream

 1.Toss all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. You'll likely have leftover cream that you can dip chips in too!

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Chicken & Orzo Salad

INGREDIENTS

For The Dressing

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves

⅓ cup olive oil

Salt and black pepper

2 cups cooked orzo, cooled

1 large bunch of fresh watercress leaves

½ cup olives cut in half

¾ cup sliced red onion

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled

1 large grilled chicken breast

Salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and olive oil to a blender. Blend for 30 seconds and set aside. Take the cooled orzo and place in a large bowl. Chop the leafy part of the watercress from the stems and add to the bowl.

Add the  olives and red onion. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Lay the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle the green onions, pine nuts and cheese on top. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Slice the chicken breast on a diagonal and serve alongside the salad.

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Oven Baked Salmon

INGREDIENTS

1½ pound filet of salmon

1 pound baby fingerling potatoes

½ cup red onion, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1½ cups small broccoli florets

1 large clove garlic, sliced very thinly

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Salt and black pepper

Lemon for flavor if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the salmon into 5 pieces. Slice the potatoes in half and set on a large baking tray (17inches x 12inches). Add the broccoli, red onions, garlic and both herbs to the potatoes. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over the mixture and toss well. Spread the vegetables out evenly. Place each piece of salmon onto the baking tray with the vegetables around them. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon. Pour the white wine over the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

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Baked Chicken Nuggets

2-3 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 medium), diced into bite size pieces
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, white or wheat
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil Spray

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a shallow 13 x 9 baking dish (I used a small cookie sheet) generously with olive oil spray. Pour 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil into a small mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces into olive oil and toss chicken to evenly coat. Drop oil coated chicken, working with about 5 pieces at a time, into bread crumb mixture and coat each side (I kind of pressed the pieces into the bread crumbs to get more to stick). Place all of the coated chicken pieces onto oil coated baking sheet then sprinkle remaining bread crumb mixture over chicken pieces. Spray top of chicken pieces with olive oil spray. Bake in center of preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove from oven, rotate chicken pieces to opposite side and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm with ketchup, barbecue sauce or honey mustard for dipping, if desired.

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Grilled shrimp with garlic butter

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb medium-large shrimp

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped basil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper

skewers

 INSTRUCTIONS

Start by melting butter in a small sauce pan and add garlic to it just long enough enough so it gets a little brown,maybe a minute or so. Transfer to a shallow dish. Place deveined and shelled shrimp on skewers and coat well with the butter garlic mix. Sprinkle coated shrimp skewers with paprika, parsley, basil and pepper.

Spray cooking spray on your Grill and preheat with the lid closed for at least 5 minutes. Use high setting if you have it. Just prior to placing shrimp skewers on grill, spritz them with some lemon juice. Not too much though.

Place shrimp skewers on grill, close lid, and let cook for approximately 3-5 minutes. Give the skewers a turn after 2 minutes to assure even grilling.

When shrimp are done it will be firm to the touch with an opaque color. Serve immediately.

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