Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken and Avocado

 Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 T. golden balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 T. roughly chopped fresh tarragon

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Salad:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 cups loosely packed fresh spinach 

6-8 large strawberries, hulled & quartered

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

3-4 thinly sliced rings of red onion

1/4 cup feta or goat cheese

2 T. sliced candied almonds*

Instructions:

Whisk the EVOO with balsamic vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow bowl & cover with half of the dressing, cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Spray a grill pan with cooking spray & heat to medium high. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill pan. Cook for 3 minutes then flip the chicken breasts. Cook for another 3 minutes, and turn. Reduce cooking temperature to medium low & cook the chicken for 20-25 minutes more, turning every 5 minutes or so. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken, but it will be done when it hits 165 degrees internal temperature. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then slice into 1/4" slices.

Arrange the spinach, strawberries and red onion in a bowl. Lightly toss with the remaining dressing. Add the avocado, sliced chicken & top with feta or goat cheese & almond slices. Serve immediately.  

*Candied almonds (melt 3T. butter then add 1/2 cup sugar and let it get melty for a few minutes, then throw in sliced almonds and stir it around for a few minutes on medium heat until it turns light golden brown. Then spread on parchment paper until it cools.)

via: Foodie Crush

Cheesy Cauli Rice

2-10 oz. packages of riced cauliflower (cooked according to package directions.) Add to bowl and combine with:

garlic powder

pink salt/pepper

shredded cheese

Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Chicken Drumsticks

Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:

1/3 cup avocado oil

juice of 1 lemon

3 tsp. garlic powder

3 tsp. onion powder

3 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

Add 10 drumsticks and mix the seasonings all over. Place drumsticks on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Flip drumsticks and cook for another 15 minutes.

Goat Cheese Salad

Fried wontons

Bacon

Goat cheese (or Feta)

Strawberries (blackberries or raspberries also work well. Apples in the fall)

Red onion
Chopped romaine lettuce

Candied almonds (melt 3T. butter then add 1/2 cup sugar and let it get melty for a few minutes, then throw in sliced almonds and stir it around for a few minutes on medium heat until it turns light golden brown. Then spread on parchment paper until it cools.)

Dressing

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup blackberry or raspberry seedless jam

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup to 1/3 cup sugar

plop of mustard

1 tsp. kosher salt

couple dashes of Louisiana hot sauce

Combine all ingredients and blend.

Pork Tenderloin

2-3 lb. pork tenderloin

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

6 T. honey

1 small onion

1 tsp. garlic

2 bay leaves, crumbled

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender and pour over meat. Marinate overnight. Grill meat and save marinade. During the last 5 minutes of cooking the meat, boil the marinade. Use to pour over meat and potatoes or as a dip. 

Chicken or Steak Fajitas

FILLING

1-1 1/2 pounds chicken (boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs) or steak (sirloin or flank steak)
2-3 red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers, halved (or use a few handfuls of baby peppers)
1 large onion, sliced into 1/2″-thick slices

MARINADE

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke (see note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or chipotle chili powder (chipotle chili powder will have heat and smoke)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

Place meat in a Ziploc bag or shallow dish.  Place vegetables in another.  In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well.  Reserve 3-4 tablespoons of marinade for later use. 

With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat.  Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

GRILL INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat outdoor grill (our preference) to medium heat. When the grill is hot, place everything on at the same time in a single layer when the grill is hot. Cook until desired doneness is reached, flipping once (about 7 minutes per side for chicken breasts, 3-4 minutes per side for chicken thighs, or see this tutorial for steak.) You may need to remove the vegetables before the meat is done–just transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. When the meat is done, transfer to a plate and allow to stand for a few minutes, then slice the meat.

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

 After you’ve sliced the meat, toss the meat and vegetables with reserved marinade and serve along side any or all of the following:

Flour Tortillas
Black Beans
Lime-Cilantro Rice
Pico de Gallo
Salsa 
Diced avocado
Guacamole
Sour Cream 
Shredded cheese 

via: Our Best Bites

Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients
1 28 oz. can whole tomatillos, drained, ½ cup juice reserved
1/4 to 1/3 bunch fresh cilantro
¼ cup canned jalapeños or 1 fresh jalapeno, stemmed and seeded according to taste
4 TBS sugar
3 cloves garlic
1/4 white onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
juice from 1/2 fresh lime

Directions: In bowl of a food processor, pulse onions and garlic until combined, about 5 pulses. Add tomatillos, jalapenos, cilantro, sugar and salt. Pulse until smooth; add reserved tomatillo juice and fresh lime. Pulse one more time and serve. Refrigerate leftovers, makes about 2 cups and will keep about 1 week.