Strawberry Spinach Salad

Candied Pecan Ingredients

1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
pinch salt

Dressing Ingredients
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup extra light tasting olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Salad Ingredients
10 ounces fresh baby spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 small red onion sliced
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 avocado, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 (5 ounce) package blue cheese crumbles

Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter top to dry the pecans.

In a small skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until pecans are well coated. Stir until the sugar caramelizes, about 3-5 minutes.

Spread onto parchment paper. Separate pecans. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile: in a pint size mason jar combine dressing ingredients. Seal and shake until well combined. Set aside on the counter.

In a large bowl combine the spinach, onions, strawberries and blueberries. Pour about 1/2 of dressing over salad, and toss. Top with avocado, cheese and candied nuts. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving (or serve immediately).

Serve with the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy! 

Bacon Honey Bourbon Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 6 strips of bacon
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, washed and dried
• 16 ounces ground chicken
• 1 hot Italian sausage link, casing removed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped*
• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Honey Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

• ½ cup water
• 1 cup barbecue sauce, I used a Carolina-style sauce
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• fresh chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum and spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease a large skillet. Set aside.
2. Pulse together the bacon and button mushrooms until blended.
   
3. Place the mushroom and bacon mixture, ground chicken, and hot Italian sausage, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic, and breadcrumbs into a medium mixing bowl and mix until combined.
   
4. Scoop the meat mixture using a medium cookie scoop and place onto the baking sheet or in the skillet. Repeat until all of the meat has been used.
   
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
   

Honey Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

1. Whisk together the water, barbecue sauce, bourbon, and honey in a large skillet. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce, coat each meatball, and simmer over low-to-medium heat for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
   
2. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
   
   
   
   

Parmesan Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese with a sand consistency (don't use shredded Parmesan cheese)

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/4 teaspoon paprika

·         1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·         3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·         3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved (1.5-2 inch diameter)

FOR DIPPING (optional)

·         sour cream & Greek yogurt ( a half-and-half mixture)

·         chopped chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In small bowl, combine grated cheese, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, stirring with fork until mixed.

Pour olive oil into 9x13 glass baking dish. Tilt dish around until olive oil evenly coats entire bottom.

Carefully and evenly sprinkle cheese mixture over bottom of pan. (Don't dump it in and then try to spread it out. Once it touches the olive oil, it becomes almost impossible to spread the cheese out evenly--it will clump. It works better to sprinkle slowly and evenly over the entire surface so that no spreading is necessary.)

Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, on top of cheese mixture. Press down to insure potatoes are flat and in contact with cheese layer.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is browned and potatoes are soft when pressed or pierced with fork. Remove from oven and leave potatoes to rest in pan for 5 minutes. Remove potatoes from pan using a small spatula, being careful to keep the cheese layer intact on the cut side of potato. (Use a paring knife to cut cheese between the potatoes, if necessary.)

Arrange on serving platter cheese side up. Serve with sour cream & Greek yogurt, mixed half and half, then garnish with chives.