Going Green Smoothie

From Vitamin cookbook

Great quick smoothie - I didn't used to like green smoothies, but lately I've become a fan.  By using a good blender to pulverize the greens, and just enough fruit, this one's a winner.   It's a lower-calorie-than-usual smoothie.  You can always add or substitute a non-dairy milk to the water to add some protein.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks (or mango or peach)

1/2 medium banana (even better with frozen banana slices)

2 cups lightly packed fresh spinach

1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions: 

1) Place all ingredients in the order listed

2) Blend until desired consistency is reached. 

Quick Seared Okra

Adapted from a Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/okra-2/ 

I've never been a fan of okra - it always seemed to be slimy and fibrous.  But maybe I just hadn't had it prepared well.  Lately, my husband has become a fan, so we've had it at a few restaurants and it was good, so i experimented with it.  I was told that cooking okra whole can keep it from getting slimy, but that also doesn't allow you to check if some are fibrous.  This recipe hit the right notes with the nuts, jalapeño and tomatoes. The okra that seemed fibrous before they were cooked remained that way.  It seemed the larger ones were fibrous; the others were fine.  Next time, I'll either cut those into smaller pieces or discard them.  

I also simplified the tomato ingredient by using a small can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. 

It's quick, nutty, tangy and spicy.  A great side dish, especially if you're a novice with okra. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 or so pieces okra, sliced in half
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• Small handful cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted)
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When your pan is really hot, add the okra and sauté until it starts to turn brown. Add a few pinches of salt.
2. Add the shallots and jalapeños and sauté for 1 minute, turning down the heat as needed. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the walnuts and tomatoes, and toss to incorporate.
3. Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar, and reduce until it’s almost dry. Remove the pan from heat.  Enjoy!

Perfectly grilled chicken breasts

From:  https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/perfectly-grilled-chicken-breasts.html

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Garlic, Lemon & Herbs
This has MANY 5star reviews.  I think it can use a little less salt and more lemon - maybe a squeeze after it's already cooked - to avoid the leathery texture that Jennifer mentions can occur with using vinegar or citrus in the marinade.  A bit of new info for me!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1-3/4 to 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon

Directions:
Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.
Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (make sure they are well-coated with the marinade; the more garlic, lemon zest and herbs on the chicken, the better!). Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side.
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Nutrition Information

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Serving size:1 chicken breast (Note: Nutritional data includes marinade, so numbers are inflated)
Calories:413
Fat:25g
Saturated fat:4g
Carbohydrates:2g
Sugar:0g
Fiber:0g
Protein:42g
Sodium:958mg
Cholesterol:127mg