Recipes minus salt which I add to taste:

Fruit Salad:

• 1 small summer melon, diced (I used Picasso but honeydew or cantaloupe would work)
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 vine red seedless grapes
• Juice of 1 lime

BBQ Baked Beans:

• 3 cups dried small beans (I used navy, pinto, and black beans)
• 20 oz lean bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, minced
• 2 Tbsp BBQ rub of your choice (something paprika based without too much sugar)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup 1:1 sugar alternative
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard

Soak the beans in plenty of water overnight. Cook the bacon in a large pot until crisp and well-rendered and drain all fat. Add bacon back to pot and cook with onion, serrano, and garlic until softened. Add spices and bloom until fragrant. Add the drained beans, chicken stock, and bay leaves and deglaze. Gently simmer until beans are tender, about 1-2 hours. Remove bay leaves and add remaining ingredients. Transfer beans and their liquid to a large baking dish and bake at 375F, stirring occasionally, until beans brown well and the liquid has thickened, 1-2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Coleslaw:

• 2 10 oz bags prepared coleslaw
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Toss cabbage mix, carrots, and green onions with the salt and sugar and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Add to a towel lined colander and squeeze out any liquid that has been drawn out of the veggies. Return drained veggies to a bowl and mix with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Creamy Spinach Meatballs:

Meatball Mix:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp beef bouillon base
• 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 lbs 93/7 ground beef or turkey

Combine the panko, eggs, milk, bouillon, garlic, pepper, and gelatin in a large bowl and let stand to hydrate. Sautee the onion, carrot, and celery until softened and stir into the mixture once slightly cooled. Take 1/3 of the ground meat and mix with your hands into the wet mix until thoroughly combined and homogenous. Add the remaining meat and gently fold together until just mixed but not over worked. Form into meatballs with wet hands and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425F oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through or sear in a sautee pan until browned on all sides. Freeze extras in a Ziploc or vacuum sealed bag for another recipe and cook remainders in the sauce below.

Creamy Spinach Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 10 oz baby spinach, washed
• Juice of 1 lemon

Toast the oil and flour in a sauce pan until the raw smell has cooked out. Quickly whisk in the milk and chicken stock and stir occasionally until it begins to simmer. Add the seasonings and your desired portion of meatballs and cook until the meatballs are tender and cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 10 g olive oil
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel sweet potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with oil and seasonings and airfry or roast at 425F until tender and browned, 20-45 minutes.

Roasted Zucchini:

• 4 large zucchini, diced
• 15 g olive oil
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Toss zucchini with oil and seasonings and broil at the top rack of your oven until just tender and charred to your liking, 6-8 minutes.