Harvest Chicken Salad

Recipe courtesy of therealfooddietitians.com

Ingredients

For The Salad:

  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces (~2 cups)
  • 1 small red onion, diced (~1 cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lb raw chicken breast, cubed
  • 4 large handfuls fresh spinach (5 ounces)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 medium apple, diced (about 1 cup)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

For The Creamy Maple Dijon Dressing:

  • ¼ cup mayo
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. To a baking sheet add the diced sweet potato and red onion. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon avocado oil, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, spread out evenly on pan and bake for 15-18 minutes.
  3. While sweet potatoes are baking, place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon avocado oil, swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet, then add the cubed chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a small jar or bowl add all dressing ingredients, whisking until well combined. Set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, add the fresh spinach, dried cranberries, diced apple and chopped walnuts.
  6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Add the cooked chicken to the mixing bowl, add the roasted sweet potatoes and onions to the mixing bowl. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
  8. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe With Garlic And Oil

Recipe courtesy of therealfooddietitians.com

Ingredients 

Directions

  1. Chop off the bottom 1/2″ of the broccoli rabe stems. Rough chop 5 cloves of garlic.
  2. In a large deep pan, saute the garlic for 2-3 minutes in a 1/4 cup of olive oil set to medium-low heat.
  3. Add the broccoli rabe to the pan and give it all a stir as best as possible to coat with the olive oil. Just pack it in the pan as it will reduce substantially during the next step.
  4. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Turn heat to medium-high and let the broccoli rabe steam for 3-4 minutes until bright green.Remove lid and season with 1 tsp of kosher salt and if desired a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. Mix the broccoli rabe with a wooden spoon and saute for 2-3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on top. Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

Recipe courtesy of natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups fresh basil leavestightly packed*
  • 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts (Optional)*
  • 2 garlic cloves(large)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 small lemons)
  • 1/2 tsp saltor to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash and dry the basil leaves – you can use a salad spinner to make this step easier.
  2. Place basil into a food processor. Add parmesan cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
  3. Season with more salt to taste if desired

Watermelon Juice

Recipe courtesy of cookieandkate.com

Ingredients 

  • 1 small sweet watermelon
  • 1 small lime, juiced

Directions

  1. Slice the watermelon in half. Using a big spoon, scoop chunks of sweet watermelon into the blender. Discard the rind.
  2. Blend the watermelon until it is totally pulverized. This shouldn’t take more than a minute. For extra flavor, squeeze the juice of one small lime into the blender and blend for a few seconds.
  3. If your watermelon is notably pulpy or seeded, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. If not, you can pour it directly into glasses filled with ice. Watermelon juice will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. The juice will separate over time; stir it with a spoon to recombine.

Roasted Beets

Recipe courtesy of loveandlemons.com

Ingredients 

  • 6 medium beetstops removed, scrubbed well
  • Extra-virgin olive oilfor drizzling
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Place each beet on a piece of foil. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 to 60 minutes, or until fork-tender. The timing will depend on the size and freshness of the beets.
  3. Remove the beets from the oven, remove the foil, and set aside to cool. When the beets are cool to the touch, peel off the skins. You can hold them under running water and slide the skins off with your hands.
  4. Cut or slice the beets and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, toss, and serve.

Baked Artichoke Hearts with Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Recipe courtesy of sipandfeast.com

Ingredients 

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 14 ounce cans artichoke hearts rinsed and drained
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For seasoned breadcrumbs

  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
  • 1/4 cup parsley minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375f and set to middle rack. Mix seasoned breadcrumbs ingredients together and set aside.
  2. Mix the minced garlic and olive oil together in a bowl. Spoon half of the garlic oil into a large baking dish and spread it around to evenly distribute.
  3. Next, place the artichoke hearts into the baking dish and top them with the remaining garlic oil. Sprinkle the hot red pepper all over the hearts.
  4. Evenly sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs and bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot all the way through and the breadcrumbs have browned. For more color, the artichoke hearts can be broiled for the last 45-60 seconds but watch carefully. Enjoy!