Dinner Ideas to support spinal health

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup quick grits (not instant)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• ¾ cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco (Optional)
• 4 large bell peppers
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (16-20 count), chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Bring water and broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and hot sauce (if using). Cover to keep warm.
• Slice off stem ends of bell peppers and scoop out the seeds from the cavities. Place the peppers on one end of a large rimmed baking sheet; bake for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss shrimp, scallions, oil, garlic powder, salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to the empty side of the baking sheet, spreading in an even layer. Bake, stirring the shrimp mixture once, until the peppers are softened and the shrimp is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Stir the shrimp mixture into the grits, then divide the shrimp-and-grits mixture among the 4 bell peppers. Bake until the mixture is hot, about 10 minutes more.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes and Asparagus

• 1 pound thin/medium asparagus chopped into 1” pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Shrimp

• 1 pound medium uncooked shrimp, shelled, deveined tails off*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp EACH paprika, onion powder, dried basil
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4-8 tablespoons butter cubed

Garnish

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan optional

Serve with

• 1 pound linguine (or other pasta)
• zoodles
• Rice
• bread

Instructions

1. LINGUINE (optional): Cook linguine in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup water before draining. Drizzle drained pasta with olive oil and toss to combine.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Line a Jelly Roll Pan (10×15) with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Add tomatoes and asparagus, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper per ingredients. Toss until evenly coated then line in a single layer. Roast for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add all of the Shrimp Ingredients to a medium bowl EXCEPT butter and stir to evenly combine.
5. Remove pan from oven and push tomatoes asparagus to one side of the pan (keep in a single layer). Add shrimp and line in a single layer.
6. Top asparagus with 1 tablespoon cubed butter, evenly spaced. Top shrimp with 3-7 tablespoons cubed butter, evenly spaced. Roast for 6 minutes or just until shrimp is opaque.
7. Remove pan from oven and drizzle with 1-2 additional tablespoons lemon juice (to taste). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.
8. If serving with linguine: add all pan contents to linguine in a large bowl including all melted butter/juices. Add desired amount of olive oil or reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency (you may not need it). Add Parmesan (I use ¼ cup), salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups cooked white navy beans
• ½ cup cup aged cheddar (shredded)
• ½ to 1 teaspoon garlic clove (minced)
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 4 small corn tortillas
• olive oil or avocado oil
• ½ tablespoon coconut oil or real butter
• ¼ cup cream/milk or almond milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup shredded brussel sprouts or leafy green vegetable of choice
• 1 lime (for juice)
• chili sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• First drain the beans and add them to a saucepan over low heat. If you are using beans from scratch, be sure to still drain extra juices a well. Add in the black pepper and keep on low. Either set aside or keep on low.
• For the eggs, first break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add in a little coconut milk or regular cream to thicken. heat a skillet on medium low with coconut oil or real butter. gently pour int the eggs and add in your cheese, garlic, paprika, and dash of sea salt. stir all together on medium low until eggs are creamy and scrambled.
• While you are cooking the eggs, you can make the tostadas. Just brush each with little olive or avocado oil and place on foil. The bake in toaster oven or real oven on 400F for about 6 minutes, flipping once. Could be longer if you like extra crispy!
• Remove tortillas from oven. Spoon eggs on top, add a handful of Brussels sprout shavings, ¼- ⅓ cup beans, and chili sauce to top. Add more sea salt and squeeze fresh lime on top for extra kick!
• You can also add in avocado for more good fats!