Summer Spinach Salad

5 oz (1/2 bag) spinach
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice (for apples)
1 can mandarin oranges (or fresh cutie slices)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup toasted pecans
1 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
1/2 avocado (optional)

dressing:

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3-4 tsp sugar, or splenda, or honey
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Chicken Picatta w/ Lemon Noodles

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe with some small changes.  The way we made it knocked our socks off, so we're not changing a thing!

Buttery Lemon Noodles:
8 ounces pasta (fettuccine, linguine, angel hair, egg noodles)
1 tablespoon butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken Piccata:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (butterflied)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/2 cup Martinellis Apple Cider
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon drained capers

For the buttery lemon noodles: Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

For the chicken piccata: Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in the flour.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; fry them a little longer if the breasts are thicker, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the garlic to the skillet and saute. Pour in the chicken broth and cider, and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Allow the sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it's cooking.

Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cream. Add the capers, then cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it's too strong!

To finish the noodles, melt the butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the cooked pasta. Cook it in the butter for a couple of minutes so that a few of the noodles get a little bit of a pan-fried texture to them. Grate in some lemon zest and squeeze in some lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

Recipe credit: Rebecca Cooper

This should be the ONLY rice I ever make.  It's that good!  Distinct cilantro taste, and invisible spinach nutrients.

1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro
1 cup tightly packed spinach
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups rice

1. Put cilantro, spinach, and broth in blender and blend until pureed.  Add milk and salt and blend until well combined.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet.  When butter is milted, add rice and saute until brown (3-4 minutes). Stir constantly.  Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add cilantro/spinach mix, stir well, bring to a boil.
3. Cover, turn to low. Cook 20 minutes. Take pan off heat and let rice steam in the covered pan for 10 minutes.

Chickpea Farro Spinach Soup

• Chickpea Farro Spinach Soup
• (Twopeasandtheirpod recipe)
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (15 oz) cans vegetable broth
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups cooked farro
• 1 cup packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
2.  Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, basil, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the farro and spinach and stir just until the spinach is wilted. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and serve warm. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note-to cook the farro, rinse and drain 3/4 cup farro. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain any excess water. OR you can buy Trader Joe's 10 minute farro, it is my favorite and only takes 10 minutes to cook. For vegan, omit the Parmesan cheese.