Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds broccolini
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions

1. Trim broccolini of ends.
2. Place stalks into a skillet and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add salt and reduce heat.
3. Simmer broccolini 6 to 7 minutes, until tender and bright green. Drain the broccolini.
4. Return empty skillet to stove over medium heat.  Add extra virgin olive oil to pan, then garlic. Cook garlic 2 to 3 minutes. Add broccolini to the pan and coat in garlic and oil then serve.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta plus 1/4 cup, divided (can be made with blue cheese as well, but I prefer feta)
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk (shake well)
• 4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot sauce (add more if you like spicy)
• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Combine 1/2 cup feta cheese in a small bowl with buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; mix well, mashing slightly with a fork. Set aside.
2. Place chicken in another bowl; sprinkle with flour and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss until coated.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in hot sauce and the remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar and cook, stirring often, until the chicken is coated, about 1 minute.
4. Combine lettuce, carrots, celery and cucumber in a large bowl; add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with an equal portion of chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the reserved feta cheese.

2lbs of uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Good EVOO

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees.
2. Place shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
3. Spread them out in a single layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes until pink and cooked through.

These are amazing and so versatile!  You can add them to whole wheat or quinoa pasta with your favorite sauce, salads with vinaigrette or just eat them plain or on top of brown rice after squeezing some lemon juice over top.

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic (you can cut that in half, but I love garlic)

¼ cup toasted pine nuts (Just put them in a dry pan over low heat and toast until golden)

¾ c good EVOO

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (I just put a chunk in the food processor to speed up the process)

1. Combine basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add EVOO and process until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
2. If you use it immediately for the week, stir in the cheese at the end.  You can keep it up to a week in the fridge, just make sure you put a layer of oil on top each time you use it to prevent it from turning black.  If not, freeze in a container with a layer of EVOO on top and stir in the cheese after thawing.

It’s so good for you and so flavorful; I use this pesto for everything.  I add some extra EVOO and whisk for vinaigrette; I use it as a sauce for pasta.  I pour it over chicken, steak or seafood to give the proteins an extra punch.  You can even use it as a vegetable dip.  Delicious and so healthy!