Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Salsa
From the Kitchen of Julie Howard

This is the basic recipe for Cranberry Salsa:): 
1 bag cranberries
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 jalapeño (seeded for less spicy)
2 limes (juiced)
1/2-3/4c sugar
pinch of salt
Throw all of this in a food processor until it's coarse. Serve immediately or store in fridge. Enjoy!

Fall Spinach Salad

Fall Spinach Salad
From the kitchen of Stephanie

1 pear (chopped)
Feta
Organic Baby Spinach
Green onion (divided)
Candied Pecans
Rice Wine Vinegar (about 3-4 tbsp)
Yellow Mustard (about 1 tbsp)
EVOO (about 2 tbsp)
1/4 tsp sugar (raw or coconut)
Salt (1/2 tsp)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic ( 3-4 cloves minced)

Toss for first 5 ingredients together. Mix last 6 ingredients together for the dressing, plus the onion part of the green onion. Add dressing to spinach mixture and enjoy! :)

Simple Crockpot Ribs

Simple Crockpot Ribs
From the kitchen of Emma

Ingredients: 
1 yellow onion
 Favorite bbq sauce (I use Trader Joe's Carolina Bold)
1 slab of pork baby back ribs

Directions: Slice onion and line the bottom of the crockpot with them. Cut your rib slab in half and place in crockpot so that they are overlapping as little as possible. Pour BBQ sauce on ribs (save enough for another coating about 2 hours before they are finished and some to put on the table for dinner). Place slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours. About 2 hours before you plan to eat, pour some more BBQ sauce on ribs. When you're ready to take the ribs out of the crockpot, use tongs and a spatula because these ribs are fall apart melt in your mouth deliciousness.

Enjoy!

Healthy Tuna (no mayo)

Healthy Tuna (no mayo)
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

4 oz white albacore tuna (no salt added and packed in water), drained
1-2 whole green onions, chopped
1 hard boiled egg white, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
2-4 tbsps non-fat plain greek yogurt
salt, pepper, and dill to taste

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients together and enjoy :)

**Start with a few tbsps of greek yogurt and then add until you like the consistency

This is great by itself, with a few crackers or if you're making a sandwich, on some toasted bread.

Homemade Meat Sauce

Homemade Meat Sauce
From the kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, diced
1 bulb of garlic, minced (yes all of it)
Fresh Parsley (to taste)...dried will work if you don't have fresh
1 tbsp butter (the real stuff)
1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb Ground Beef (Organic-Grass-fed is preferred)
3 cans tomato sauce (15 oz each)
1 can diced tomatoes

Seasonings (all to taste):

Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano


Directions:

1. Add onion, garlic, parsley (I use about a tsp if fresh, if dried, a little more), EVOO, and butter to a large sauce pan.....saute for about 3-5 minutes
2. Add ground beef...I like to spread out the ground beef while it's raw and sprinkle about a tsp of each seasoning on top of the beef. Brown the meat in pan over medium heat.
3. Once meat is browned, add the canned tomatoes and turn heat down to medium/low. Add a pinch more salt. Stir for a few minutes.
4. Next, add the cans of tomato sauce and another tsp of each seasoning. Turn heat down to low and cover with a lid.
5. Now, you can cook this for another 5 minutes and use it or if you have time, let it simmer on low, covered (unless you want a mess to clean up) for up to 2-3 hours. The flavor only gets better.

***This quantity usually is enough for us to feed our family of four, make a left over bowl for my husband to take to work and then there is enough to freeze for another meal later in the month. If you are going to freeze the leftover portion of the sauce, make sure to cool completely.

Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette

Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Juice of 1 Myer Lemon
2-3 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Thyme
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Diced Shallot
EVOO, to taste (I like my dressing a little more acidic)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients together except for the EVOO. Then Slowly add EVOO until it reaches the taste and consistency you like. I like to make my dressing about an hour before I'm going to dress my salad, so that the flavors can really blend.

I like to add this to Mixed greens, avocado, feta, cooked bacon, bell pepper, candied pecans, and diced green onion. :) It's one of my favorite salads :)

Healthier Egg Salad

Healthier Egg Salad
From the Kitchen of Stephanie

Ingredients:

12 Large Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled
4-5 medium sized Dill Pickles, diced
3/4-1 cup non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt (just depends on the texture you prefer)
2-4 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1-2 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper
*optional...a dash of hot sauce

Directions:

I simply threw all of these ingredients into my kitchen aid mixer  (although I did cut each egg in half first). I mixed until combined.

You can also use a potato masher or a fork and mash the eggs by hand and then combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken, Cheese, Rice and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken, Cheese, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole
From the kitchen of Amy Meek (adapted from Jenna Grubb)



2cups cooked/ shredded chicken
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (my preference is just cream of chicken, I think the original recipe calls for one chicken and one celery- I use the Pacific brand cr of chicken- it tastes 10 bajillion times better than Campbell's and you recognize all the ingredients)
2 cups cooked rice (I usually cook a cup and just dump in however much that makes)
1 cup chicken broth
Broccoli, chopped small (cooked) - about a cup/ cup and a half
Cheese (to your taste)

Then top with cheese and crumbled crackers, stick in oven for around 35 minutes on 400 or until hot and bubbly