Rachel's Salsa

Rachel's Salsa

3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 onion
pepper, red, green. yellow, or arange.
1 qt. tomatoes
salt
 lime juice

Combine the first four ingredients.  Using a food processor to chop evenly.  Add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice to the food processor and blend until smooth

Low Cal Tostadas - Pantry Staples

I have been watching recipes on Pinterest for new or improved recipes.  I have noticed a lot that are called Mexican Pizza's or Mediterranean Taco's or something similar.  I came up with something from my pantry.
I always have corn and flour tortillas in my fridge as well as salsa's or my own Pico.  In my freezer I have chicken breasts, chicken thighs, drumsticks, and whole chickens.  I also have cooked chicken, sometimes grilled, baked or boiled, cut up into pieces ready for certain recipes.  In food storage I have my home canned salsa, green chilie's, black beans, as well as frozen chilie's from my garden. so this is my version of Low Cal Tostada's

2-4 corn tortillias
olive or canola oil
black beans, warmed and drained of most liquid, mashed
1 c. cooked chicken, cubed
1/3 med. onion, chopped finely
1 t. cumin, more if desired
tomato, cut in pieces
1/2 half avocado, sliced

 Place tortillas on a foil lined baking sheet and brush with olive or canola oil.  Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes to turn crisp, a shorter time will make them tough.  Put black beans into a pan and heat thoroughly, drain leaving a small amount of the liquid to mash.  In a skillet place a small amount of oil and saute the onion until transparent, add the chicken, the green chilie's, and cumin and warm through.  Place the beans on top of the shell then the chicken, avocado, and tomatoes.  Additonal toppings if desired.



other possible ingredients: (this would add calories and no longer be dairy free)
sweet corn
cheese
sour cream
olives

Roasted Corn Salad

Gourmet Guy here.We had a couple of ears of fresh corn and didn't use them right away. Needed to find a way to use them, so I winged it and this is what happened!

Ingredients

2 ears fresh corn
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium bell pepper
2 slices yellow onion, 1/4 inch
1/2 small jicama
3 Roma toamtoes
1 Anaheim chili
1/2 small jalapeno
1 scallion
Cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Honey lime dressing

Coat corn with olive oil and grill over high heat until corn begins to char. Slice corn off cob and place in bowl. Cut sides off bell pepper core. Grill two sides and dice the other two. Remove skin from the grilled pepper and dice. Grill onion slices until browned and dice. Peel and dice jicama. Dice tomatoes. Dice scallion and chilies. Add all ingredients to the corn, stir, salt and pepper to taste.

Honey lime dressing
1 Tbsp honey
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp oil
2 small cloves garlic, pressed

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.

Spanish Rice

Over the years I have tried a variety of different recipes for Spanish Rice and this has become my go to recipe.  (From Suzanne Price)

 



Spanish Rice

 

3 c rice

5 c water

1 c tomato sauce

1 t cumin

1 med onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

 

Brown the rice, saute with onion and garlic.  Mix rice mixture with liquids and cook for 25-30 mins.

New "Bountiful Basket" Challege--Mexican

Another week of Bountiful Baskets, this time it was full of "Mexican" goodies. The tortillas which I forgot to take pictures of are so wonderful, they come in three sizes. Then there are these chile's and tomatillos that made me excited to start cooking.

First I began by pulling the husks off of the tomatillos, the inside is quite sticky once the husks are removed. Tomatillos are not apart of the tomato family even though you may hear that often.

After removing the husks I cut them up to place them into my food processor to make a delicious green sauce.
While I am working on the tomatillos I have the Anaheim chile's under a broiler in the oven.
The chile's will turn black and the skin starts to blister.
Remove them and place them in a plastic bag for a few minutes to let the skin soften and become easy to peel. While the Anaheim's sit cut the Jalapenos and remove the seeds, I ALWAYS USE GLOVES TO DO THIS. After removing the skin from the Anaheim Chile's cut them the Jalapenos and the Tomatillos into chunks and place in the food processor.
Process until they become an even texture.

Place into a bowl and serve with chips or use as a sauce for enchiladas.

While all of this is going on I also saute' a yellow onion to a slight brown color.

I always have cooked, cubed, chicken in my freezer for quick use. So I place the chicken some grated Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese and the onions on the fabulous tortillas and roll.

I cheated by using some canned green sauce to the bottom of the pan and place the enchiladas on top to keep them from sticking. Top with the fresh green sauce more of the grated cheese and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Top with sour cream and avocado's and more of the green sauce as needed.

Yum.

Left Over Turkey Dinner Suggestions

While everyone knows that the next day turkey on a soft roll is the best way to have left overs even that can get old quickly so here are a few ideas to use up all of that turkey.

Turkey or Chicken a la king

½ c. margarine or butter
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 4 oz. can mushroom stem and pieces, drained (reserve liquid for later)
½ c. flour
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
1½ c. milk
1¼ c. chicken broth
2 c. cut up cooked chicken or turkey
1 jar diced pimentos drained
Noodles, or hot cooked rice

Heat margarine in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Cook bell pepper and mushrooms in the margarine, stirring occasionally

Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until bubbly. Stir in milk, broth and reserved liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.

Stir in turkey and pimentos, heat until hot. Serve over rice or noodles This can also be done in the microwave for a super fast and easy meal.

Chicken Zucchini Soup (Turkey)

5 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts or 2 c. turkey
3 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 zucchini sliced
1 can chicken broth
½ c. whipping cream
¼ c. flour

Fry chicken with small amount of oil. Brown and cook chicken, take chicken out of the pan and set aside. Add butter and chopped onion to pan. Cook until tender. Move zucchini and onions to sauce pan, add the can of chicken broth. Dice chicken and add to pan. In bowl mix flour and whipping cream add to sauce pan, heat on high until bubbling. Lower heat; simmer until soup thickens.

White Chicken Chili

1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 4 oz. can chopped, green chilies
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried oregano
1½ t. cayenne pepper
3 14.5 oz. great northern beans, drained, mash third can to use for thickening
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
jalapeno pepper, chopped

In a large saucepan cook onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add chicken, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low. With a potato masher mash one of the cans until smooth. Add to saucepan. Add remaining beans to saucepan. Simmer for 2-30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Top each serving with cheese and jalapeno pepper, if desired.

Creamy Turkey Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Orzo

2 T. butter
1 med onion, chopped
½ t salt, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. flour
7 ½ c. homemade turkey stock or canned chicken stock
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 c. diced sweet potatoes
2/3 c. orzo pasta
1 c. cooked turkey meat, cubed
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ c. cream

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over med heat until melted. Add the onion and cook for three mins. until fragrant. Mix in the garlic, salt, and flour, and cook, stirring continuously, for another 6-7 mins. Pour in the stock and turn up heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil, then stir in the thyme, sweet potatoes, and orzo. Cook at a gentle boil for 8-10 mins., until the potatoes and the orzo are tender. When the pasta is nearly finished, add the turkey to the soup and warm through. Salt and Pepper to taste. Whisk in the cream just before serving.


Turkey or Chicken Squares

2 8 oz. cream cheese
½ t. salt
2-4 c. cooked turkey or chicken or 2 large cans chunk chicken
¼ t. pepper
2 8 oz. can crescent rolls

Blend cream cheese until softened. Add turkey, salt, pepper, onion, chives, and milk. Mix well. Separate the 2 cans of crescent rolls, into 8 squares. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon ½ c. of meat mixture into the center of each square. Draw the corners of the dough up and around the meat and twist to seal. Brush top with butter. Dip in seasoned bread crumbs or sesame seeds. Bake at 350’ on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Good with gravy on top.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

3-4 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey
2 c. cubed fully cooked ham
1 ½ lbs. Swiss cheese, grated
1 small onion, diced, sautéed to soften
4 T. butter
½ c. flour
2 c. half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
3 c. crushed corn flakes
½ cube butter
dash of nutmeg

Grease 9x13 pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, mix ham, chicken, and 1 pound of the cheese. In a sauté pan melt the butter, add flour, and whisk to mix. Pour in the half and half and thicken. Pour into the chicken mixture along with the onions. Mix well and out into a greased cake pan. In a small bowl melt the remaining butter and add the corn flake crumbs. Combine the remaining cheese and top the meat mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through.

The above recipe makes a large batch so I made a small one for dinner and then freeze another one for a "Rainy Day Meal"

Dave’s Chicken Casserole

3-4 c. bread crumbs, mix with a few T. melted butter
1 10 ¾ oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 ¾ oz. can cream of mushroom soup
cooked, diced chicken
broccoli, corn, or whatever vegetable you want

Layer the bottom of the pan with half of the breadcrumbs then pour on one of the cans of the soup, then a layer of chicken, then a layer of the vegetables, then another layer of the chicken, then the other soup and then the rest of the breadcrumbs. It works best if you can make it and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Bake at 400 for one hour.
(Our first Dave made this for our family as one of his favorite’s just after he married Jessica.)

Cameron's Chicken Divan

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
croutons or buttered bread crumbs

Just microwave the broccoli and line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with it, then cover with chicken pieces. Make a sauce from the other ingredients and smooth over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with croutons or bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and serve with rice.

Wild Rice and Turkey or Chicken Soup-already posted under fall soups

Chicken (Turkey) Pot Pie-already posted, this recipe is large enough to make two pies one for tonight and one for the freezer for a "Rainy Day!"

Conference Traditions

Kerry’s Chile Verde

3-4 pounds pork cut into cubes
2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
flour
1 lg yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2-3/4 tsp black pepper
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 4 oz cans green chilies, chopped
3-4 Serrano chilies (depending on your preference)

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or heavy pan. Put enough meat in the pan to cover the bottom; brown on all sides. When brown put meat into a strainer and drain over the pan. Repeat the process until the last batch of the meat is in the pan. With the last batch brown meat about half way and then add the onion. Stirring until the onion is transparent. Put all of the meat back into the pan and stir, add the minced garlic and stir again; let cook for two more minutes. Add 2 tbsp flour to the meat and onions, continue to add the flour 2 tbsp at a time until the meat looks dry, stir constantly.
Add tomatoes, black pepper, and green chilies, stir in well. Bring up the remnants from the bottom of the pan to avoid burning, and to keep the flavor. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for an hour. (This will thicken as it cooks.) Add salt to taste and the Serrano chills to your preference. Cook another hour; stirring often to keep from sticking to the pan.

Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and refried beans.

Guacamole:
2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed roughly
¼ small onion, chopped finely
1 T. lime juice, fresh is the best
1 small Roma tomato, diced small
garlic salt, to taste

Blend ingredients and serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish.


Huevos Rancheros

Corn tortillas, 1 each
eggs, 2 each
2/3 cup chili sauce (homemade if you have it)
2 heaping tablespoons salsa
1 heaping teaspoon green chilies
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated cheddar cheese
Avocado wedges

Heat chili sauce, salsa, and green chilies in a small skillet until mixture begins to boil. Make small indention in center and crack two eggs into it. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until eggs are set to the desired stage.

While eggs are cooking, microwave corn tortilla for 15 seconds. Slide eggs and sauce out onto the corn tortilla, top with grated cheese and 3-4 avocado wedges.

Fresh from the garden

A couple of years ago I put together my version of "Pico" from the fresh ingredients in our garden. I fell in love with it and couldn't make enough. Peppers come in so many vibrant colors now that it makes it so colorful. It's very difficult to put the garden to bed for the winter because I have to buy ingredients from the local grocery store to make it and it just isn't the same. Nothing beats a fresh homegrown tomato!

Pico/Salsa
4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 red, orange, yellow, or green bell pepper, chopped
(or several colors in smaller amounts of bell pepper)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, yellow or red, chopped finely
½ -1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½-1 t. salt

Mix all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips or on salads etc. It is better if it has had time to set and let the flavors blend before serving. Refrigerate remaining salsa.