Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa:
1 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 Avocado, peeled, chopped
3/4 c fresh cilantro leaves
1 Serrano chili, chopped
2 Tbs Fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a small food processor or blender and puree. Serve with tortilla chips or chicken. Makes about 2 cups.

This is so good. I made it last night for the first time. I put it on top or our chicken and then sprinkled the chicken with some 2% Mexican cheese blend. Yum!

Beer Bread

Ingredients
3 cups self-rising flour
¾ cup sugar
12 ounce can beer, not cold

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*

Mix together all ingredients and pour into buttered loaf pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Check halfway through to see if you need to cover with foil if browning too quickly.

Cut a slit down the middle before the bread hardens and pour melted butter all over top.

Corn Casserole

This is a yummy side to serve with mexican food!

Ingredients
½ cup margarine, melted
15 ounce can whole kernal corn, drained
14.75 ounce can creamed corn
8.5 ounce package dry cornbread mix


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*

In large bowl, combine melted margarine, corn, creamed corn & cornbread mix.

Transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set and top is light golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Dried Cherry Scones

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dried cherries
Egg wash, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water, beaten
Sugar, for sprinkling
1 bag sliced almonds, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Work in butter with fingers.

Combine wet ingredients and mix into dry just until moistened. Add cherries. Mixture will be very sticky. Turn onto floured surface and knead 5 times with floured hands. Pat out to ½ inch thick and cut into triangles or circles.

Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and almonds generously (make sure they are pushed down into the dough to where they will stay).

Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 ½ sticks butter, melted
¼ cup & ¾ cup sugar
8 ounce container cream cheese
8 ounce container cool whip
6 ounce package strawberry jell-o
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries (I've also used fresh)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*

Mix pretzels, butter and ¼ cup sugar. Press in bottom of 9 x 13 pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Mix ¾ cup sugar and cream together and fold in cool whip. Spread onto the cooled pretzel crust. Refrigerate until set.

Dissolve jell-o into 2 cups of boiling water and allow to cool slightly. Pour over the cool whip mixture. Add strawberries. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

****Could also add 1 (8 ounce) can of crushed pineapple with the strawberries.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this from Reader's Digest. I am telling you ladies, I am totally in love with it. But my kids didn't like it at all. I went a little crazy with the lime juice though. :o) It really is yummy.

You Will Need

3 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 tsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 large onion, chopped

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 tbs. lime juice


What to Do

1. In large resealable plastic bag, combine tortilla strips, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Seal bag and shake to coat. Arrange tortilla strips on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once. Remove to paper towels to cool.

2. In large saucepan, sauté chicken in remaining oil until lightly browned. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add corn, chilies, cilantro, and pepper, and heat through. Stir in lime juice. Top each serving with tortilla strips.

Yield: 6 servings ($1.62 per serving)


-- M. M., Traverse City, Michigan

Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 1/2 cups) equals 221 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 757 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 19 g protein.

Mexican casserole

From Darrica
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Mexican casserole

2lb hamburger meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of green chilies
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 8oz package of cheddar cheese.
1 8oz package of colby cheese
6 corn tortillas

Brown hamburger meat, drain. add salt and pepper to taste. add soups,sauce,and green chilies mix well and heat until bubbly. Line pyrexs dish with 3 corn tortillas cut in half. pour half of meat mixture over this. cover with colby cheese. cut the last 3 tortillas and layer over cheese pour remaining meat mixture over this and top with shredded cheddar cheese heat in oven till melted.

Taco casserole

From Trisha
*****************
Here's a super easy and cheap taco casserole that we like:

1 pound ground beef
1 large can refried beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup or so cheese shreds
2 pkgs cornbread mix

Make cornbread batter according to directions. Brown ground beef with taco seasoning. Drain fat. Spread beans along bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Layer ground beef and then cheese. Pour corn bread batter over the top. Bake at 425 for about 10 to 15 min. until cornbread is done. Then add whatever toppings you like or have on hand.,.. lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, guacamole.

Super Easy Three Bean Turkey Chili

From Ginny
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Here is my fabulous Three Bean Turkey Chili recipe. I got the base recipe from Kraft Food and Family magazine, but I have changed it up a bit.

1 can Pinto Beans, drained
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 can Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 can Sweet Corn, drained
1 16oz jar salsa (mild or medium depending on your taste)
2 cans Diced Tomatoes, undrained
16 oz Lean Ground Turkey
1 tsp Cumin (or to taste)
1 tsp Chili Powder (or to taste)

Super easy...cook the ground turkey separately and then dump in everything else with the turkey and let it simmer. You'll need a very large pot. This could serve an army. It is ready when it is to the temperature of your liking! We top it with 2% cheese and light sour cream. Kody throws on guacamole sometimes as well. It is super yummy and easy. No mixing bowls required! You can make this without the meat as well.

Tomato Basil Soup

From Cindi
**************
1 jar tomato basil spaghetti sauce (any brand you like)
1/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup chicken broth (I usually add about half cup to make it go farther)

* optional: chicken breast, boiled & shreddedBoil chicken, set aside, combine rest of ingredients and let "stew" 15 or so minutes then shred chicken and throw back in until warm!

Tastes yummy with Farm Rich mozarella bites and salad : )

Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken)

I'm only posting it for Avi. I only dream of having these kinds of recipes. :o)

********
So, unfortunately, because there are 1,000 spices we use in Indian cooking, I would have a tendency to just mix everything together…and everything would taste the same. So, my cheat sheet recipe book is called Complete Indian Cooking.” (On Amazon, there are used versions of the book for $6!)

This book totally gets my Indian approval if you are looking for an Indian cookbook. It has vegetarian dishes, lamb dishes, desserts, appetizers...and very large, colorful pictures of the food. Okay, moving on…:o)

Ingredients for Chicken Makhani
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 2 inch pieces)
Vegetable oil

Marinade
3 large red chilies, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves (I use garlic paste)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
0.5 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is always best)
.75 cup plain yogurt
(Note--I've been able to find all of these spices at regular grocery stores, by the way. :-D)

Sauce
3 lbs ripe tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt

Marinade - Place the ingredients in a food processor (I use a blender) briefly to produce a paste. Transfer the marinade into a nonmetallic bowl with the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. (I never do that because I don’t have time, by the way, but you can.)

Sauce - While the chicken is marinading, place the tomatoes into a large saucepan and cook them gently with no added water for about 20 minutes, until they are tender. Rub them through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan. Simmer the tomato pulp on medium heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is thick and reduced. Stir in the butter, stir often, and let it cook for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and heat it through. Taste and adjust the amount of salt if necessary. Put aside.

Heat oil in a large pan, pour chicken into pan and cook on high heat. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook until chicken is cooked through. Serve with a swirl of cream and cilantro sprig to garnish. You can serve it with rice or naan.

Notes about this recipe--just as the book states perfectly, I tend to spice the food that I cook a lot more than what they recommend and I never use measuring spoons. I add in chilli powder, some red peppers, more cilantro and garam masala…so, have fun with it! :-D Also, I usually double the recipe... (Click here if you want to see a picture of the finished product and my messy kitchen.)

Cooking, Korean Style

Yes I'm cheating - I copied this from my blog, by request! :)

Every once in a while I get the kick to cook Korean food. I used to do so frequently, before I got married and while I hosted international students. After marrying Minsu, that all changed because honestly Minsu is such a much better Korean cook than I am that I mostly gave it up (he encourages me to cook it more, but I just don't feel I can compare to his outstanding food). Now that he's in med school, he doesn't have time for it either, so occasionally I hope for the best and give it a try!

This is Kimchi Chigae (Stew). It is SUPER easy to make (like most Korean food) but the trick is in the seasoning. Ingredients are kimchi, water, tuna (in oil), onion, and Korean spices (basically a little beef bullion, a dash of sesame oil, and a dash of soy sauce. You can add a half tsp of gochujang (red pepper paste) to make it even better. Finally, at the end, you add slices of tofu and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

In my opinion, when done right, it is absolutely delicious! It has a spicy, sour taste. However, it's not nearly as spicy as raw kimchi - the secret is to cook it to get rid of some of the spiciness. YUM. Of course, it is served with a side of rice.



Next, I made kim-bap (literally: seaweed-rice). It's like Korean sushi, but it's all cooked - no raw stuff! :o) In my opinion, it is much more flavorful than Japanese sushi. It is one of the more challenging recipes because of the time spent slicing, cooking, and rolling.

I started off with slicing and cooking everything in long strips - turkey sausage, crab sticks, egg, and spinach - and I used store-bought pickled daikon (like a radish but not hot). I added a little sesame oil and salt to the rice and mixed it well (as opposed to Japanese style sushi, which adds a sugar / vinegar mix to the rice). In the background is the kim, or dried seaweed for the wrapper. They sell a special kim for kim-bap, but I didn't have it so I used regular kim. The disadvantage is that it splits easily, so I had to be really careful when rolling it.




To get started, I thinly spread rice onto the kim sheet, then put a single strip (more or less - you want to keep a balanced flavor) of each ingredient. I placed everything on top of saran wrap for rolling purposes since I don't have a sushi mat. I dip my finger in water and dab it along the margin to make a "glue" and then put it on the plate seam-side down.




You have to eat it all the same day, you know! I hope you're hungry, Minsu!




This is what it looks like sliced (Minsu got to do the honors)... not a great picture, but you get the idea. :o)
Note: You can make GREAT "Americanized" sushi substituting well-drained tuna mixed with mayo, salt & pepper, then layering strips of cream cheese and avocado and rolling up! YUM, YUM....

Beef Runza's

2 packages of crescent rolls
1 lb ground beef
1 square block of Velveeta cheese
1 can of rotel
(you can also add onions, seasoning, whatever else you think might work - I'm plain jane, so I haven't really experimented with anything else.)

Brown ground beef.
Drain.
Add Velveeta cheese and rotel.
Stir until it's all melted and mixed together.

Roll out the crescent rolls. (You will probably need 2 pans for this - and there is enough meat for 2 packages.)
Put the meat mixutre in the rolls and roll it up.

Bake for however long the crescent roll package says. (I think it was 13 minutes?)

These are really good!! We ate these the other night and I had leftovers for lunch. :)

French Potato Salad

Out on the grill, tonight is beer and braut night at our house.  We have brautwurst, German purple cabbage, saurkraut and potato salad.  This recipe is a big hit when I serve it.  I've modified the recipe from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" by Ina Garten.

1 pound small white boiling potatoes

1 pound small red boiling potatoes (I usually omit the white and use 2 pounds red)

2 Tbsp chicken stock

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

10 Tbsp EVOO

1/4 cup green onions (white and green parts)

2 Tbsp minced fresh dill

2 Tbsp minced flat leaf parsley

2 Tbsp chiffonade of basil leaves

Note:  I've used dried herbs in the past and the taste is fine, but fresh is better.

Boil potatoes in salted water 20-30 minutes, until they are just cooked through.  Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes.  when they are cool enough to handle, cut them in large bite sized pieces.  Toss gently with the chicken stock.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, EVOO, onions and herbs.  Whisk together.

Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes.  Toss and serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon chicken with veggies

This is an easy, go-to, Thursday night meal at our house.  I've modified it from the book "mom-a-licious" by Domenica Catelli (a pretty good one).  You don't have to add an additional side dish. It's a one dish meal.  Enjoy!

1 pound chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless breast cut into 1 inch strips)

2-3 Tbsp minced garlic

2-3 cups vegetables of you choice, cut into small bite sized pieces (sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. - we usually use sweet potato and broccoli)

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

pinch salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken, garlic and veggies in a 9X13 baking dish.  (I like to steam the veggies for a few minutes in the microwave before I add them to the dish.)

Drizzle with lemon juice and EVOO.  Mix in the salt and pepper.

Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake 20-25 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy! 

Ritz poppyseed chicken

This is one of my faves! I think there are also a lot of variations on this, so you may have already known about this one -

boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz sour cream
poppyseeds (I never measure, just shake them in)
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter

1. Boil the chicken.
2. Shred it into smaller pieces.
3. Mix chicken with the cream of chicken soups and sour cream.
4. Melt the butter and drizzle butter over the top.
5. Crumble up the ritz crackers and put on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (although I did 30 mins last night, I'm thinking it could have stayed in a little longer too.)

We had this last night and the best part is - leftovers for tonight!

so, have you heard about this one? Do you have a different variation?