Healthy Avocado Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Water as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 box spaghetti
• 1 small box of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 teaspoons parsley

Instructions:

1. Prepare spaghetti as per box instructions.
2. Meanwhile, combine avocado, basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor or blender. With machine running, slowly stream in the lemon juice, olive oil, and water as needed to achieve a smooth pesto. Puree until completely blended and creamy.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl, mix spaghetti and pesto. Serve with cherry tomatoes and parsley. 

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 1 package thick bacon--about 8 to 10 slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon pork rub

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. On a cutting board, lay out the bacon in a horizontal line. The slices should be slightly overlapping, as seen below.
   
3. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. 
4. Add oil to a large skillet over high heat.
5. Add pork to skillet and sear on all sides until nicely browned.
6. Remove pork from skillet. Place pork on the bacon slices. 
   
7. Roll the pork up while using a knife to help keep the bacon slices together. Finish with the seam side down.
   
8. Add bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin to a large baking pan. Drizzle honey over pork and brush to spread evenly.
   
9. Roast for approximately 35 minutes, stopping once or twice to baste with the accumulated juices at the bottom of the baking pan.
10. Remove from oven. Baste once again and then let rest for five minutes. 
11. Cut into thick slices and serve. I topped mine with caramelized onions, as seen above. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Slow Cooker)

Yield: 6 wraps, about 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons canned green chile peppers
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 head iceberg lettuce

Instructions:

1. Place ground chicken and minced garlic in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Mix together with a spoon and then microwave for about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 
2. Remove mixture from microwave and drain. Then pour mixture into slow cooker.
3. Add bell peppers, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, diced tomatoes and green chiles to slow cooker. Mix well.
4. Season mixture with salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. 
5. Cook on low heat for approximately 2-3 hours or until chicken is tender.
6. When cooking time is up, add in water chestnuts, rice, and rice vinegar. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
7.  Season with additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and/or paprika if desired.
8. Separate iceberg lettuce leaves and serve with chicken filling. Enjoy!

Lime-Cilantro Chicken Fajita Roll-ups

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients: 

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 large white onion, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Lime-Cilantro Marinade:

• Juice of one lime
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro

Garnish Suggestions: 

• Lime quarters
• Additional chopped cilantro
• Sour cream
• Jalapeno slices

Instructions

1. Let's start with the marinade first. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, garlic, olive oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, oregano,cumin, and cilantro. Whisk until combined.
2. Now  let's prep the chicken breasts. Slice the chicken breasts longways into 2 even slices. Then pound the chicken down using a meat tenderizer until desired thinness is reached . I would recommend anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch slices.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
4. Place chicken breast slices into a large resealable bag. Pour the marinade into the bag. Close the bag and shake it until the marinade is spread evenly over the chicken breasts.
5. Allow chicken to marinate anywhere from one hour to 10 hours.
6. Once chicken has marinated, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Place marinated chicken breasts on a paper towel. Then place bell pepper and onion slices in the middle of each chicken breast slice. Roll up the chicken breasts until it is tightly wrapped and then secure with a toothpick. Use several toothpicks if necessary.
8. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.
9. Place each roll-up seam side down in baking pan, 
10. Brush the top of the roll-ups with any extra marinade. 
11. Bake uncovered for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with additional cilantro on top and lime quarters on the side if desired. Enjoy!

Crockpot Hawaiian Pork Chops

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time:15 mins
Cook time:4-6 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bone-in center cut pork chops
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 15 oz can pineapple slices
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, the liquid from the can of pineapple slices, and garlic. Whisk together until well-combined and then stir in the flour until dissolved.
2. Lightly grease slow cooker or Crockpot with olive oil spray.
3. Pour half of the sauce into the slow cooker.
4. Place pork chops in the slow cooker and then add pineapple slices on top.
   
5. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the pork chops and pineapple slices.
6. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
7. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
   

Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs baby carrots
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Rinse carrots and set aside on a paper towel to dry. 
3. Grease the bottom of a baking sheet or pan with olive oil spray; set aside.
4. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
5. Add garlic to skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until garlic becomes flagrant.
6. Add carrots to skillet. Toss until carrots and garlic butter are well-combined. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Transfer carrots to the baking sheet. Arrange in one layer with none of the carrots overlapping.
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.
9. Remove from oven. Garnish carrots with parsley and toss until carrots are coated evenly.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Taco Bowls

Yield: 6 taco bowls
Prep time: 10 minutes
 Cook time: 5-6 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high

Ingredients:

• 6 tortilla taco bowls
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup taco blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup taco sauce
• Optional: sour cream, jalapenos, lime quarters, cilantro, salsa

Instructions:

1. Spread diced tomatoes across bottom of slow-cooker.
2. Rinse quinoa according to package instructions. Then add quinoa to Crockpot. Stir diced tomatoes and quinoa until thoroughly.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts on top of the diced tomatoes/quinoa mixture in slow-cooker.
4. Add bell pepper, onion, black beans, corn, paprika, cayenne pepper to slow-cooker
5. Cover chicken with chicken broth then add taco sauce and cheese to mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients in the slow-cooker.
6. Set Crockpot to low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
7. About ten minutes before the chicken mixture is done, heat tortilla bowls according to directions.
8. Once cooking time is up, stir contents of the Crockpot. Chicken should be shredded and mixed well with the rest of the ingredients.
9. Scoop contents of slow-cooker into taco bowls. Add extra taco-blend cheese and taco sauce on top. Also add the optional ingredients listed above if desired.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!