Almond Butter Chicken Linguine and Spring Salad

It’s finally spring… and time to spring clean your home and your diet.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to appear on LOCAL 3 in Chattanooga for a fun segment about spring cleaning your diet. There are many things to take into consideration when reevaluating what you eat.

Here are some quick tips:

1. Meal Prepping: Having a meal you can plan out the night, or even days before is an easy way to form healthier eating habits without going out of your way. Saves on quick trips through the drive-thru too.
2. Keep shelves stocked with healthier snacks and food: When we become stressed, bored or just hungry, we tend to go to what we have on hand that is easiest to grab. Set yourself up for success by stocking up on healthy food options.
3. Some items you should cut back on: Alcohol, added sugars and refined grains. Alcohol can be filled with added sugar, which can increase your risk for obesity and heart problems. Refined grains are stripped of all of their healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals, leaving few nutrients left.
4. Some items you should stock up on: Whole grains, fruits & veggies, healthy fats. All of these items are filled with nutrients that your body needs, helping it to function well and feel well.

Two recipes I had the chance to share in Chattanooga include Barney Butter Almond Butter. My absolute FAV brand of almond butter.

Let me know if you try these recipes!

Almond Butter Strawberry Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ medium avocado, diced
• ½ cup sliced strawberries
• 1 tablespoon toasted flaked almonds
• 1 kiwi sliced
• 1 ½ cups organic spinach or arugula
• 2 tablespoon Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter
• 3-4 tablespoons almond milk, plain or vanilla flavored

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together almond butter and almond milk until you have a thick creamy smooth dressing
2. Arrange spinach, arugula, strawberries, kiwi, almonds, and avocado on a plate or in a bowl.
3. Drizzle dressing over and dig in!

Barney Butter’s Chicken with Almond Butter Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz. whole wheat linguine
• 1 lb. of grilled chicken breast, prepared any way you like
• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 5 oz. feta cheese
• ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil, more for a thinner sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Grated cheese of your choice or additional feta

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine cilantro, peppers, garlic, Barney Butter, lime juice and zest, and cheese. Puree ingredients and, with the machine running, add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Combine pasta, chicken, and almond butter sauce. Toss to coat. Serve warm.