Bean and Pepper Salsa

(This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Sandie.)

This is a sweet salsa, not hot or spicy at all.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can great northern beans

1 can shoepeg corn

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 white onion

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. rinse and drain beans

2. chop veggies

3. mix all the ingredients and refrigerate

Tuna Casserole

2 cans tuna
2 cups peas
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, diced
1 (13 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (8 oz) pkg noodles, cooked
2 cups potato chips

Combine all ingredients and top with crushed potato chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Graham Streusel Coffee Cake

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. chopped nuts
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. butter, melted
1 (18 1/2 oz) pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 T. milk

Combine cracker crumbs, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and melted butter; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour 1/2 of the batter in a greased 13X9 baking pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cracker mixture; spoon the remaining batter on top; sprinkle with balance of cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool. Combine powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over cake.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Fettucine

Jamie made this chicken solo a few weeks ago (awesome!). I decided to make fettucine alfredo more exciting.

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken breasts
1 1/4 cups Bread crumbs
1/2 Parmesan cheese (I used dried)
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter
Alfredo sauce (1 jar)
Fettucine noodles (12 oz box)

Directions:
* Pound each chicken breast to a thickness of 1/2 inch btw sheets of wax paper.
* Mix bread crumbs and cheese.
* Melt butter in pan.
* Dip the chicken in egg then bread crumb mixture, place in melted butter. Cook on medium high.
* Cook noodles at the same time.
* Drain noodles and mix with sauce.
* Serve with chicken on top.
* Ignore the amount of fat in this dish and savor the butter :)

New Twist to Angel Food Cake

Strawberry Angel Roll

Ingredients:

1 pkg (16 ounces) angel food cake mix

1 pkg (2.25 ounces) sliced almonds, chopped

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

1 (8 ounces) container sour cream

1 (8 ounces) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

red food coloring (optional)

1 pkg (3.4 ounces) white chocolate instant pudding

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bar pan (I use my pampered chef bar stoneware) with parchment paper. Prepare cake mix according to pkg directions. Pour batter over parchment paper, spread evenly.

2. Chop almonds. Sprinkle evenly over batter.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and springs back to the touch.

4. Remove from oven. Sprinkly powdered sugar over cake. Place another piece of parchment paper over the cake. Carefully invert the cake (I used a wire cooling rack to flip). Peel the parchment paper from the bottom (or now the top) of the cake. Roll up the cake from the short side while still hot (with the new paper still in place). Allow to cool completely rolled up.

5. While cooling: Combine sour cream, whipped topping, almond extract, and food coloring, mix well. Add pudding and whisk until thick.

6. Unroll cake. Spread preserves on cake. Spread whipped pudding mixture on top of preserves.

7. Roll up cake. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

Guacamole

This recipe is from my cousin, Becky:

* 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, quickly roasted in a dry pan (cut in half first), then minced fine
* 1/2 a medium white onion, chopped fine & rinsed
* 1 plum tomato, seeded & chopped* handful cilantro, rough chopped
* 3 medium-large avocados, scoop out with a spoon, leaving the flesh in chunks
* lime juice, salt, pepper to taste

Directions: Roughly stir together, eat, be happy. I've also learned that if you put leftovers in a ziploc and get all the air out, it will stay green a day or two.Sometimes, I also add roasted garlic. Yum.

Corned Beef Chicken Bake

This is from my friend, Angie. I hate corned beef, but like this dish.

Chicken Breasts
Corned beef sandwich meat slices
Bacon
8 oz Sour Cream
Cream of Onion soup

In a casserole dish, put 4-5 slices of corned beef under chicken breasts. Place uncooked bacon on top of the chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Pour off any liquid
Mix together sour cream and cream of onion.
Pour cream on chicken.
Bake another 30 minutes.

I serve this with rice and a veggie.

Beef Enchiladas

This is a great one to freeze. It makes 10 enchiladas, I freeze half.

1.5 lbs ground beef
2 onions
2 cans chili beans
1 jar enchilada sauce
1/4 jar salsa
veg. oil
10 tortillas (8 in)
shredded cheese

Cook beef and onions until meat is done; drain. Stir in the beans, half of the enchilada sauce and salsa. In a skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil. Dip each tortilla in hot oil for 3 seconds on each side or just until limp. Drain on paper towels.

Top each tortilla with 2/3 cup beef mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dishes. Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Balsamic Chicken

This recipe is from my sister, Stefanie.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
Sea salt
Pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons unsalted softened butter
5 cloves garlic, smashed or finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary (I just use about a teaspoon or so of dried)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 2/3 cups chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the oil. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook the breasts until golden, about 4 min per side. While the chicken cooks work the flour and butter together in a small bowl to make a paste. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Add the garlic and rosemary to the skillet over med-high heat and toss to toast slightly, about 1 min. Stir in the vinegar, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until vinegar begins to coat the pan, about 1 min. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Whisk in the four paste a bit at a time and bring the mixture to a full boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 1 min more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over.

*Stef likes to make brown rice and cooked radishes with this. I'm not a fan of cooked radishes, so I roasted broccoli with garlic and olive oil at 375F on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

S'mores Cupcakes

The cupcake part can be any chocolate cake (from scratch or from a box)

Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream
Cream the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla. Then add the marshmellow. Mix until creamy.

I use a ziplock bag with a clipped corner to pipe onto the cupcakes.

The tops are dusted with graham cracker crumbs, and each cupcake is topped with a square of Hershey's chocolate.

Makes 2 dozen.



Nutritional info: really, does it matter? These are too good to care.

Oreo Fudge

Oreo Fudge

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 13 ounce jar marshmallow cream
4- 1.55 ounce Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, chopped
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups crushed Oreo cookies

1. In a large saucepan, heat the evaporated milk and sugar until boiling. Continue heating over medium-high heat and at a low boil for about 10-12 minutes, or until it has reached the soft ball stage. (Check this by adding a small drop to a bowl of cold water. If you can roll it into a soft ball, it is ready.)

2. In a mixer, add the butter, chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, and chocolate bar chunks. Pour in the milk and sugar mixture and whip until all the ingredients are melted and smooth. Add in vanilla extract. Stir in the Oreo’s.

3. Pour directly into a greased 9X13 pan and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

* Note: even after consulting Mike, the milk/sugar mixture never did hit the 'soft ball stage.' It would just dissolve in water. From the picture above, you can tell that the fudge turned out awesome.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best chewy recipe I have found. It was in a church cookbook I bought at a garage sale.

Ingredients
* 2 1/4 cups flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 cup oleo
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2 eggs
* 1 pkg chocolate chips

Mix flour and baking soda; set aside. Combine oleo, sugars, pudding, and vanilla in a bowl with a spoon. Mix until smooth. Add eggs with spoon. Add flour mixture; stir in chips. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes. They may not look done but if you bake longer they won't be chewy.

Recipe note: I add 1 cup nuts. I also never have oleo, so I use 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup shortening instead. For extra chocolate, use chocolate pudding.

Chicken Enchilada Hotdish

This is from my sister-in-law, Sue. She didn't have a recipe, so this is from her memory. It may need tweaking. I don't always follow this exactly. There have been times it turns out dry and I always forget to write down the exact amount of sauce to use.

Ingredients
* 4-5 Chicken breasts (cooked and cut up into small pieces)
* 1 can cr. mushroom
* 1 can cr. chicken
* 1 jar salsa
* Colby jack cheese
* Tortilla chips

1. Mix soups and salsa together.
2. Smash chips.
3. 1/2 chips on the bottom of baking pan (9x13)
4. layer chicken and cheese.
5. pour sauce on top (as much as you like, whether you want it more moist or dry)
6. repeat layers
7. top with cheese.
8. 350 F for 40 minutes.

Rating: Awesome! I use a hot salsa for more of a kick.

Chicken Panini

* I actually made this up. I'm sure there is more I could do to make it better, but it works.

Ingredients

* chicken - cut up lengthwise
* red pepper
* green pepper
* onion
* pepper jack cheese
* sourdough bread - sliced
* olive oil

1. Brown chicken in pan on medium heat.
2. Add peppers and onion, cook on high until veggies are tender.
3. Brush on olive oil on outsides of sourdough bread.
4. On panini grill- load up the sandwich with cheese, chicken and veggies.
5. Cook until cheese is melted and bread is golden.

I have a panini grill, but a panini press would work.

Swedish Meatloaf

Ingredients:
Meatloaf
* 1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained and finely chopped (I hate cooked mushrooms, so I skip this)
* 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley
* 1 cup fresh rye or white bread crumbs (about 2 slices of bread)
* 2/3 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
* 1 pound lean (90%) ground beef
* 1 pound ground pork

Noodles and Cream Gravy
* 1 package (12 ounces) uncooked egg noodles
* 1 jar (12 ounces) mushroom or beef gravy (I've only tried beef)
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix mushrooms, onions, parsley, bread crumbs, milk, egg and seasonings.
2. Crumble beef and pork into mix. Mix lightly.
3. Shape into loaf pan.
4. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until internal temp is 160 degrees.
5. Meanwhile cook noodles, drain. For creamy gravy, heat gravy in saucepan with milk on medium heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in sour cream.

Serve meatloaf over noodles.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition: Calories 550, Fat 29 g, sodium 990 mg.

* I normally HATE meatloaf, but I love this recipe. It tastes a lot like swedish meatballs.