If you grow herbs in the summer you may be overrun with so much of it you end up giving it away or just letting it go out of control.  Grab a few fistfuls of whatever is growing like crazy and whip up an easy pesto sauce in minutes.  It makes a great marinade for chicken, steak and seafood.  The version I use is dairy free and still is flavorful and delicious.

Ingredients:

• cup fresh herbs, packed cups (basil, cilantro, mint, whatever you got – or mix it up!)
• 1 cup raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, etc)
• cloves fresh garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except olive oil, to a food processor.
2. Give it a few quick pulses to combine.
3. Turn speed on low setting and slowly start to add olive oil, drizzling in slowly.
4. Pause part way through and scrape down the sides of your food processor and check the consistency. I prefer mine to be thicker (less oil) and some like it as more of a sauce (more oil).
5. Pour into a glass container and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 4 large eggs
• 2 slices of ham
• 1 green onion, diced
• pinch of salt
• black pepper
• Sriracha (optional)

Other filling ideas:

• Spinach
• Tomato, diced
• Broccoli florets
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• White onion, diced
• Red bell pepper, diced
• Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Avocado

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Using a fork, poke holes all over the sweet potatoes.
• Place uncovered in the microwave for 7-8 minutes until they have softened significantly.
• Slice in half and use a spoon to scrape out the middle, leave a ¼-inch thick border on all sides.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay potatoes face up on there.
• Fill with, diced ham, onion and 1 egg.
• Season each with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the egg has cooked to the consistency you prefer.  Check every few minutes to make sure they don’t overcook.
• Top with onions and sriracha if desired.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1-2 scallions, diced
2 medium zucchini, spiraled or julienned
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together sweet chili sauce, olive oil and sriracha until combined.

Add the coconut oil to a skillet and warm over medium heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and add to your skillet, cooking until browned on all sides.  Add chili mixture to the chicken. Stir well and cook for 1-2  minutes and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add onions, garlic and red pepper to the skillet and cook until softened. Add chicken back to the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the scallions and the zucchini, tossing well to combine.  Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes and once noodles are tender, add peanuts and toss together.  Serve warm and drizzle with sweet chili sauce.

This recipe comes from the kitchen of our New Member Success Coach, Kari! She has labored over perfecting the recipe and they are pretty darn good.  They have a good balance of protein, carbs and fat to satisfy the sweet tooth without going totally overboard. They are totally awesome – thank you KARI!

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 3 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
• 3/4 cup Extra Protein Peanut Butter (or regular)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2  3/4 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup of raw honey
• 4 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
4. Combine wet ingredients (except coconut oil) in another bowl.
5. Mix the wet into the dry and then add the melted coconut oil.
6. Scoop small amounts onto baking sheet and use fork to make “cookie” markings.
7. Bake for 10 – 11 minutes.
8. Place on rack to cool. Store in freezer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup egg whites
• 140 g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt chocolate slowly over a water bath until smooth and set aside to cool off.  In a large bowl, whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks with an electric mixer.  Check that the chocolate has cooled down – it should not be warm to the touch or else chocolate may seize up and you will wind up with grainy mousse.   Gently fold melted chocolate into whipped egg whites using a soft spatula. Using 4 smaller cups or bowls, divide the mixture up, stirring between each pour, the chocolate may sink to the bottom a little bit.  Put in the fridge to chill overnight (if you can wait that long to eat it).

Optional: Add a tsp of hot chili powder during the last step for fun.

Ingredients:

• 1 english cucumber, washed and sliced into rounds
• 6 ounces hummus of choice
• 1 large ripe avocado, diced into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• fresh black pepper (optional)

Directions:

Lay cucumber slices flat, season with sea salt and top each one with a tsp of hummus, top with avocado and sprinkle with sesame seeds and paprika. Serve cold!