Spinach Apple Salad

11 oz. fresh baby spinach

1 apple (any kind)

1 cup toasted, slivered almonds

2-4 TBSP real bacon bit

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1 TBSP minced red onion

1) Wash spinach and chop apple. Combine with nuts and bacon.

2) Combine oil, sugar, salt, vinegar and red onion in a blender until smooth.

3) Pour sale dressing over salad, mix, and serve.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

 original recipe found here

1 lb linguine pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled & diced
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets 
2 small zucchini (or 1 large), cut into bite size pieces
1 small orange bell pepper, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 cup basil paste
salt & pepper to taste

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta to water and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add diced carrots to heated oil. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until carrots are softened. 
• Add broccoli and zucchini to skillet. Stir and cook another 3 minutes. Then add all the bell peppers. Continue to cook and stir vegetables for another 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and basil paste. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat off and remove skillet from burner.
• Drain water from linguine. Return linguine back to the pot and add the cooked vegetables, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Carefully fold and stir to combine everything. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve warm with extra basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Blackened Shrimp Fajitas

18 oz. uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

 --> Mix spices together in a ziplock bag, add raw shrimp, and shake zipped bag to coat raw shrimp.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1/2 cup scallions, diced

--> Sauté vegetables in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add shrimp mixture and cook 3-5 minutes.  Serve in tortillas, topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and sliced avocado.

Mac Salad

 original recipe found here

1 lb. macaroni
2 cups celery
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups mayo
6 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
4 TBSP sweet OR dill relish
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt

1) In a large pot, cook the elbow macaroni in salted water according to the instructions on the package. Do not overcook. Drain well and rinse it under cold water to stop cooking.

2) To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, relish, mustard, salt and pepper a small bowl. Mix well.

3) In a large bowl, add the cooled macaroni, the dressing, celery, carrots, red pepper, and onion. Mix well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

4) Refrigerate the macaroni salad for at least 1 hour before serving.

Balsamic Salad Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

Blend & dress salad

Raspberry Chia Pudding w/ Sweet Walnut Cream

 recipe from Grow With Jo

3 cups almond milk, separated 

12-16oz raspberries

6 TBSP Chia Seeds

1/2 cups -- 3/4 cup walnuts

5 pitted dates

1) Put 2 cups of almond milk, raspberries and chia seeds in a blender and blend for 15-ish seconds

2) Pour into a container and let chia seeds expand in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight

3) Blend together one cup almond milk, 1/2 cup walnuts, and dates. The consistency should be like pudding, so add in a little more walnuts to thicken as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4) Place 1/2 cup chia pudding in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sweet walnut cream on top. ENJOY!

Salmon Risotto w/ Feta

 original recipe found here

4 cups chicken broth

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP garlic infused olive oil

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white grape juice

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz raw salmon filets 

• Pour chicken broth into a small-medium saucepan and set over low heat. Bring it to a low simmer. Keep an eye on it as you cook to make sure it stays simmering and well-heated.
• Add the butter and the olive oil to a large pot set over low-medium heat. Swirl the pan around as the butter melts.
• Add the dry Arborio rice and salt to the pan and stir to coat. Toast the rice for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the white grape juice and stir. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until the juice is almost all absorbed by the rice.
• Add about one cup of the hot chicken broth to the pan with the rice and continuously stir until the rice has just about fully absorbed the broth. This will take several minutes.
• Repeat the above step, adding one cup of broth and stirring, until all of the broth has been added. Focus on stirring consistently (it doesn't have to be a fast stir) and bringing up the rice that's on the bottom of the pot and mixing it into the rest of the rice.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and feta. Replace lid. Sauté salmon filets in butter, cooling 3-5 minutes on each side. Crumble salmon and add it to risotto. Mix to combine and add more Parmesan and Feta if desired.