HEALTHY MEALS

For the Cashew Cream

Place cashews in a large bowl, and cover with enough water to fully submerge the cashews.  Allow to soak for at least 4 hours, up to overnight (to quicken this process, you can use boiling water and allow the cashews to soak for 30 minutes).

Drain the cashews and place in a high-powered blender.  Add just enough water to cover the cashews along with a generous pinch of salt, and blend on high speed for 1-3 minutes, until completely creamy.  Allow to cool completely, jar, and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Overnight Oats

Put old fashioned oats, chia seeds, and cashew cream (diluted with water) in mason jar.

You can also add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract, an artificial sweetener of your choice, and a pinch of Kosher salt.

Close and give a good shake, put in fridge, and let sit overnight.

Add berries of your choice and mint to top it off!

For the Turkey Bacon BLT

Cook low-fat turkey bacon to your liking.

Put cashew cream in small bowl. Add sprinkles of mustard powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to make it taste a bit more like mayo. Lightly whisk together and taste test your creation.

Thinly slice your heirloom tomato while you lightly toast your whole wheat bread.

Spread your “mayo” on the bread.

Place spinach or butter lettuce, turkey bacon, and tomato on bread to assemble. Finally add toothpicks and cut diagonally to enjoy!

For the Cashew Chicken Salad

Butterfly chicken breasts, press them between sheets of plastic, pound them to a uniform thin-ness using a meat pounder or frying pan.

Add chicken to a pot of not-quite-yet boiling water, about 185°F. This will lower the temperature so keep the heat on until water is at 185°F again. Cover the pot and after about 15 minutes check if the chicken is at 165°F internally.

Let chicken cool off for about 15-20 minutes. Then, place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and put in fridge for about an hour to chill completely.

After chicken is cool, chop up into bite sized pieces and add cashew cream.

Chop up an apple into bite sized pieces, finely mince green onions and parsley, and add to chicken and cashew cream. Sprinkle curry powder, Kosher salt, and black pepper to your liking.

Stir and enjoy!

For the Shrimp Pasta with Garlic and Basil

Cook the pasta according to package directions, until just shy of al dente, and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.

Optional: In a large, high-walled sauté pan, add shrimp shells and just enough water to cover. Simmer for 25 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half and opaque, and drain - set aside, and use in place of white wine to finish the pasta.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium flame until shimmering. Add the shrimp, sautéing 1-2 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through. Set aside and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In the same sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium flame until shimmering. Add the shallot and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and oregano, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes have blistered and softened, adding a bit of water to the pan if the contents begin to burn.

Reserving a teaspoon for garnish, add the basil, and return the shrimp to the pan to warm through.  Add the pasta, wine or shrimp stock, the reserved pasta cooking water, and the cashew cream.  Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, tossing frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the pasta has absorbed most of the cooking liquid.  Remove from heat and toss in parsley.  Garnish with remaining basil and serve.