INGREDIENTS

• Bacon strips
• Very thin white bread
• Cocktail tomatoes
• Boston lettuce
• Mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS:

Put baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut bacon into thirds. Cook at 400°F for 15-18 minutes. Place bacon from oven onto paper towels to drain excess fat.

Use cookie cutter to cut circles out of the lettuce & bread. Slice tomatoes. Spread mayo on bread.

Assemble starting with bread, lettuce, tomato, & bacon. Repeat. Skew with cocktail forks.

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 pork tenderloin
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Prepare the chicken breasts by placing them between 2 sheets of parchment paper and use a mallet, or the back of a wooden spoon, to pound and flatten the chicken breast. The idea is to pound the breast until it is an even thickness, this will help the breast cook quicker and more evenly. Repeat with the second breast.

Sprinkle breasts with 1/2 tbsp of thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare the tenderloin. Roll tenderloin through 1/2 tbsp of thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place oil in an oven safe sauté pan, and warm over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot place chicken breasts into the pan. Brown each side of the breast, approximately 2-3 minutes a side.
Once browned, remove from pan and set on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet into the oven, on the bottom rack to continue roasting the chicken breast through.
Remove from oven when breasts are cooked through, about 10 – 15 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven place tenderloin into the same hot sauté pan. Brown each side of the tenderloin – about 5-10 minutes to brown entire tenderloin.
Once browned, place the sauté pan and the tenderloin into the oven. The tenderloin will finish roasting in the oven.
Roast until tenderloin’s internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Remove tenderloin from the oven and set on cutting board to cool before slicing.

Once the chicken and the pork are cooled, slice the meat however you like and store in resealable containers in the fridge for 4-5 days. Turn the chicken into a simple chicken salad by tossing chopped chicken in a bowl with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, sliced grapes, sliced celery stalk, salt and pepper. Feel free to marinade the meat before cooking. Use your family’s favorite marinade or experiment with different herb and spice rubs.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 c. onion, chopped
• 1 c. green pepper, chopped
• 15-oz. can pizza sauce
• 1/2 c. sliced pepperoni, chopped
• 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• 6-oz. pkg. thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 c. milk
• 1 T. oil
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

To make the filling, in a skillet over medium heat, brown your beef, onion and green pepper. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the pizza sauce, pepperoni and Italian seasoning. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Spoon the beef mixture into a greased 13″x9″ baking pan.

Place mozzarella cheese slices over the hot beef mixture.

For the batter topping, combine eggs, milk and oil in a bowl and whisk for one minute. Add the flour, salt and Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth.

Pour the Batter Topping over the casserole. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2½ pounds, I used two 12-ounce bags of pre-sliced butternut from Trader Joe’s), peeled and sliced into ¾-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cabbage and black bean slaw

• 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped into 2-inch long pieces
• 2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
• ⅓ cup chopped green onions, both green and white parts
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste

Simple guacamole (double if you love guac!)

• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• Pinch of salt, more to taste

Everything else

• 8 corn tortillas (certified gluten free if necessary)
• Optional garnishes: additional chopped cilantro, hot sauce, toasted pepitas, crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan tacos)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line one large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. To roast the squash: On your prepared baking sheet, toss the cubed butternut in enough olive oil to lightly coat all sides, about 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chili pepper and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the butternut in a single layer. Bake until the butternut is tender throughout and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway.

Meanwhile, to assemble the slaw: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, black beans, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Toss to combine, then taste and add additional lime juice and/or salt if necessary. Set aside to marinate.

To prepare the guacamole: In a small bowl, combine the diced avocado, lime juice, coriander and salt. Mash with a pastry cutter, potato masher or fork until the mixture is blended and no longer chunky. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.

To warm the tortillas: In a small skillet over medium heat, warm each tortilla on both sides before transferring to a plate and covering with a lint-free towel to keep warm. Repeat with each tortilla, stacking each warmed tortilla on the last.

To assemble the tacos, spoon an ample amount of slaw down the center of your taco, top with roasted butternut and spread a spoonful of guacamole down the side. Top with garnishes of your choice and serve immediately.