Chicken and Rice Enchilada Soup *

 1 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil
2/3 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced jalapeno
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
1 jar red enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz each) cans diced green chiles
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite sized pieces
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Toppings for serving, as desired: greek yogurt, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, cornbread, avocado, jalapeno slices, sliced green onions

Heat oil in large pot.  Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, about 7 minutes.  Add smoked paprika, oregano, and cumin and stir to combine, toasting the spices for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in broth, enchilada sauce, and green chiles.  Bring to a rapid simmer.  Add chicken and rice to soup and stir to combine.  Redice heat so the soup is gently simmering, med-low heat.  Cover and cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Add the can of black beans (rinsed and drained), lime juice and cilantro.  Stir gently to combine and let simmer for 5 minutes.  

Thai inspired Chicken Skillet *

 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to 1/4" thickness and cut into strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp red curry paste
3/4 cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup creamy sesame salad dressing
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted cashews
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
Hot cooked rice

Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.  In large deep skillet, heat oil over med high heat.  Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer cooked chicken to plate and set aside.  Reduce heat to medium and add more oil if needed.  Add bell pepper and cook, stirring, until slightly tender, about 3 minutes.  Add green onions and red curry paste, cook, stirring, to lightly toast the curry paste, 1-2 minutes.  Pour in coconut milk, sesame dressing, and lime juice and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to light simmer.  Add chicken and let it simmer for about 4 minutes.  Top with roasted cashews, more green onion, and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges on top of rice.

Serves 3

Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Orzo Skillet

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness (i like to cut mine into chunks)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 cups spinach
1 cup orzo
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges 

Preheat oven to 350.  Season both sides of chicken with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.  In large deep oven safe skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.  (It's ok if it's not cooked all the way through as it will continue cooking in oven) Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.  Reduce heat in skillet and add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Saute for 2 minutes, just until softened.  While whisking, add dijon mustard and 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Continue stirring and cooking until liquid reduces by about half, about 3-4 minutes.  Add cream cheese and stir until smooth.  While stirring, add 2 cups chicken broth, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Next, 2 cups at a time, add spinach to skillet.  Stir to combine and cook until the spinach begins to wilt.  Add orzo, salt, pepper, artichoke hearts, 1/4 cup parmesan and parsley.  Stir to combine.  Place the chicken back into the skillet and top with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.  Place skillet in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until orzo is cooked through.  Serve a lemon wedge on each plate.

Serves 4

Creamy Sesame Chicken Satay Skewers *

 1 Tbsp red curry paste
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup creamy sesame salad dressing
1/4 cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
Skewers
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

In bowl, whisk together curry paste, lime juice, sesame dressing and coconut milk until smooth.  Place cubed chicken in large bowl and pour 1/2 of the sauce mix over the chicken.  Add salt and toss until well combined.  Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.  After marinating, thread chicken onto skewers.**  Heat grill and oil grill grates to keep chicken from sticking.  Place skewers on grill and cook on first side for 3-4 minutes or until grill marks have formed.  Flip skewers then baste the grilled side generously with reserved marinade.  Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with green onions and lime wedges before serving.

**You could also do this in a pan, no skewers.  After marinating chicken, pour chicken and all marinade into large pan and cook until chicken is cooked through.  

Serves 4

BLT Chipotle Ranch Pasta Salad *

4.5 oz fusilli pasta, cooked according to pkg directions
6 oz bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
2-3 cups roughly chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 Tbsp chopped chives
4-6 oz chipotle ranch salad dressing
**Additional optional topping ideas: avocado, cooked chicken, seasoned taco meat, chopped steak, matchstick carrots, shredded cheddar cheese, cooked and cooled shrimp**

After pasta is cooked, chill for at least 30 minutes.  Add all ingredients (including salad dressing) to large bowl and mix.

Serves 3

Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Shells *

 8 oz jumbo pasta shells
1 pound ground beef
8 oz mushrooms, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce (your preferred brand and flavor)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for serving

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain.  Meanwhile, cook ground beef in large skillet over medium high heat, stirring to break up lumps, until about 80% browned.  Add mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened and beef is cooked through.  Pour off grease.  Transfer beef mix to a bowl; cool 10 minutes.  Add ricotta, egg, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to beef mixture; stir until combined.  Spread half of the spaghetti sauce in an even layer in bottom of 13x9 baking dish.  Fill each shell with about 1 -2 Tbsp beef mixture.  Arrange shells, filling sides up, in prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella.  Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubblin4g at the edges, about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley.  

Serves 4

Scotcharoos *

 1 cup honey
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp avocado oil
6 cups crisp rice cereal
12 oz butterscotch baking chips
8 oz dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt, for topping

Line 9x13 dish with parchment paper.  In saucepan, heat honey and bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and avocado oil until smooth.  Pour the peanut butter mixture into a large bowl and add the rice cereal.  Stir until very well combined.  Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and press into in an even layer.  Set aside to cool completely.  In microwave safe bowl, combine butterscotch and dark chocolate chips.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until mixture is completely melted and smooth.  It will likely take 2 minutes or less.  Pour the chocolate butterscotch mixture over the cereal in pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with flaky salt and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.  After it is completely cooled, cut into squares.

Korean Skirt Steak Tacos *

 For Sesame Slaw:
2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
Salt to taste

For Gochujang Mayo:
2 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp gochujang
1 tsp lime juice
For Steak:
2 pounds skirt steak, sliced against the grain into 1/4 inch thin strips
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (soy sauce)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp tapioca flour
2 Tbsp gochujang
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 cup kimchi

For Serving:
8 corn or flour tortillas
lime wedges
fresh chopped cilantro

Making the slaw:  Add cabbage, green onion, sesame seeds, EVOO, sesame oil and rice vinegar to a bowl and toss until well combined.  Add salt to taste.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Making the mayo:  In small bowl, add mayo, gochujang and lime juice.  Whisk to combine.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Making steak:  Place sliced steak in a large bowl.  Add sesame oil, 2 Tbsp EVOO, coconut aminos, sugar, tapioca, gochujang, salt and white pepper.  Toss until the steak is very well coated. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp EVOO in large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, carefully place sliced steak in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Do not crowd steak in skillet.  Cook in batches if you don't have a skillet large enough to accommodate all steak with some room between slices.  Once all steak is cooked, place all of it in one skillet and add kimchi.  Toss until kimchi is well combined with steak and just warmed through, about 2 more minutes.  

Serving:  warm tortillas.  Place desired amount of steak mixture at bottom of tortilla and top with slaw, a drizzle of gochujang mayo and sprinkle with cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4

Chili Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa *

For the Chicken Marinade:
 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt

For the Tomatillo salsa
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1/2 medium white onion, halved
1 small jalapeno
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

For Serving:
8-12 corn or flour tortillas
1 avocado, sliced thin
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
lime wedges

Trim excess fat off chicken.  Pound chicken until is 1/2 inch thick.  Transfer chicken to large bowl.  Add remaining marinade ingredients and toss until well coated.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up until 24 hours.  For salsa, place tomatillos, onion, and jalapeno in a small skillet and drizzle with oil. Sauté until veggies begin to blister and are just tender, 15-20 minutes.  reheat oven to 375.  Place marinated chicken in a baking dish and pour any remaining marinade left in bowl over chicken.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.  While the chicken rests, before slicing, make the salsa.  Place charred tomatillos, onions, and jalapeno (remove the stem) into a food processor with the cilantro, salt, cumin and lime.  Blend until just smooth and transfer to a bowl for serving.  Slice chicken and serve in warmed tortillas with sliced avocado, diced onion, cilantro and top with tomatillo salsa.  Serve with a lime wedge.

Serves 4

Curry Lentil Soup *

2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp ginger paste
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, adjust up or down per your spicy preference
1/2 cup lentils
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
13. 5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup matchstick carrots
lime wedges for serving

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add lentils and cook for about 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.  Add tomatoes, cilantro, 2 1/2 cups water and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside a few Tbsp coconut milk and add remaining to pot.  Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy, 25-35 minutes.  During last 3-4 minutes of cooking, add cabbage and carrots.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.  Serve in bowls drizzled with reserved coconut milk and top with cilantro and lime wedges.  

Serves 3-4