Mexican Bean & Rice Salad

from the Lancaster New Era - 8/12/09

This is delicious and light for a summer meal. The only cooking is the rice, and the rest is just chopping veggies. The dressing is what makes it so fantastic!

2½ cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup brown-rice medley
½ red pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped cucumber
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup grated carrots
16 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about one large head)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans

DRESSING:
1 tablespoon white-wine or rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon lime zest
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
¼ cup light sour cream

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the rice medley, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, chop all the vegetables and place in a large bowl. Use any kind or quantity of vegetables, to reach a total of 5 cups. Leave the lettuce on the side.

Drain and rinse the beans, then combine with the vegetables. When the rice is cooked, stir it into the vegetables. The heat will enhance the flavor of the vegetables as the rice cools.

While the rice cools, make the dressing. In a blender, combine the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, lime zest, cilantro and water. Blend until the cilantro is chopped very finely and all the ingredients are well-combined. Add the mayonnaise and sour cream, and blend well. Makes 1 cup dressing.

To serve the salad, combine 1 cup of the rice mixture with 2 cups of lettuce, and toss. Add 2 tablespoons of dressing to each serving and toss. The rice mixture can be kept for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Mix in the lettuce just before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Rice Burritos

From my sister-in-law Kim M.

This makes a delicious meal, and can be used in several ways.

1/3 c. green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. butter
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 ½ c. chicken broth
1 jar (16 oz.) picanté sauce
1 c. uncooked rice
½ c. sliced ripe olives
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
12-16 flour tortillas, warmed
Additional picanté sauce & cheddar cheese for topping.

Sauté garlic and onions in butter until tender. Stir in chicken, chili powder, ¼ c. broth, and ¾ c. picanté sauce. Heat through and set aside. In a medium saucepan bring rice and remaining broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in remaining picanté sauce, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes until rice is tender. Stir into chicken mixture. Add olives and 2 c. cheese.

Spoon ½ c. filling onto each tortilla, fold sides and ends over filling, then roll up and place in 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or heated through.

Can also be used as a filling for soft or crunchy tacos. Top with lettuce, sour cream and salsa.

Green & White Lasagna

For those who don't like tomato sauce in their lasagna, or if you would just like a change-up from the usual.

Ingredients:
Bechamel sauce:
4 tbs. butter
4 tbs. flour
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
salt & pepper & nutmeg
4 cups milk
1 pkg. frozen chooped spinach, thawed and drained well

Cheese filling:
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 c. shredded mozarella
2 eggs
basil, oregano, parsley - 1/2 tsp each
salt & pepper

1 box Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles

Directions:
Make a bechamel sauce by melting the butter with the garlic, then whisking in the flour. Cook a couple of minutes, then add all the milk. Continue whisking and cook until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add salt & pepper & nutmeg to taste. Remove one cup of the sauce and set aside, then add the chopped spinach to the rest and stir well.

Combine the cottage cheese, mozarella, eggs and seasonings in a bowl.

In a lasagna pan or 9x13 dish, ladle a bit of the bechamel sauce with spinach. Make one layer with the noodle, breaking if necessary. The number of layers you will get depends on the size of your pan. For a large lasagna pan, you will probablyonly get three layers. For a 9x13, you should get 4 layers. So divide your cheese filling into either 3 or 4 sections and begin layering in the pan, starting with the cheese filling, then a couple ladles of bechamel sauce, then begin another layer with noodles. End with a layer of noodles and the reserved bechemel sauce on top. Sprinkle with a generous handful or two of mozarella on top.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown on top. If it browns too quickly, m cover it with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.

Chicken Corn Noodle Soup

This is a great soup to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken, or any leftover chicken. If you have a while chicken carcass, you won't need any purchased broth.

Broth Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass, with chicken meat picked off
1-2 stalks celery, in big chunks
1 onion, quartered

Cover chicken with water and simmer for several hours until broth is brown and rich. I put the skins and everything in the pot for flavor. When done, pour through colander and discard bones, celery and onions. I usually end up with about 2 quarts broth. If you don't have a chicken to cook off, you can just use 2 qts. broth from the store.

Soup Ingredients:
2 stalks celery, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled & diced
1 onion, diced
4 tbs. butter
4 tbs. flour
8 oz. fine egg noodles
1-2 cups diced chicken
2 c. frozen corn
1/2 tsp. thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Saute chopped veggies in butter until softened. Add flour and stir over med. heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a low boil and add noodles. Cook 5-7 minutes. Add frozen corn and chicken and seasoning. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with crusty french bread.

Mulligatawny Soup

from Family Fun Magazine

This is more of a stew than soup and packs lots of flavor. If you're not a curry fan, it really is pretty mild in the curry department, so give it a try! I used leftover cooked chicken the other night, so I just added it when I added the broth. 5 thumbs up from the family!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
1/2 cup flour
3 (or more)teaspoons curry powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. Melt the butter, or heat the oil, in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, green pepper, apple, and chicken, and sauté for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat to low.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and curry powder. Add the mixture to the pot, then stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

3. To serve, place about 1/4 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle the soup over the rice. Makes about 8 cups.

Creamy Broccoli Noodle Soup

I usually make double of this recipe and freeze half to pull out on a busy day. Nothing like warm soup on a cold day!

1 med. onion, chopped
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
1 quart chicken broth
16 oz. bag frozen broccoli florets
2 c. milk
1 c. cheddar cheese
8 oz. fine egg noodles
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions in butter until clear. Add flour and stir until thickened and smooth. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Add broccoli and bring to simmer until broccoli is cooked through. Pour all into blender and blend until smooth. Pour back in pan, bring to boil and add noodles. When noodles are soft, add milk and cheese and salt and pepper. Heat through, do not boil.

Pizza Bake

from Tara on Sonlight

The kids loved this! It's easy to put together and quite tasty, especially with Michelle's Pizza Sauce (recipe below). I like to keep bags of browned hamburger in the freezer so meals like this are quicker.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 can/jar pizza sauce(15 ounces)
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pkg sliced pepperoni (3-1/2 oz)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In skillet cook beef or turkey over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile, quarter the biscuits (easy with kitchen scissors!); place in greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with pizza sauce. Drain meat, sprinkle over biscuits and sauce. Layer with green pepper, onion, pepperoni and cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Michelle's Pizza Sauce

from Michelle on Sonlight

This sauce is so good and can be used in all sorts of ways, not just for pizza. It is very tasty and quite economical and quick to make.

Ingredients:
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teas. dried)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 teas. dried)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 teas of red pepper flakes

Directions:
Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Lentil Rice Casserole

from Bethany on Sonlight

OK, here's a healthy one for you after all that holiday food! Try this even if you don't normally like lentils! It is so tasty!

We like to put it in tortillas instead of ground beef, then add the toppings. We also like it as a dip for tortilla chips. For the dip, just add some sour cream and salsa and stir it up. We like it warm. I also like to make up baggies of the dry ingredients so it's easy to throw together on a busy day. I usually double it for our family so we have leftovers for lunch.

3 c veggie or chicken broth
3/4 c uncooked lentils
1/2 c uncooked brown rice
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp each thyme, oregano and garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove, minced)

Stir all together in a casserole dish. Bake, covered, for 1.5 hrs at 300 degrees.

Smoky Chicken Fettuccini

The Pampered Chef

This is so good and goes together quickly if you have leftover cooked chicken.

6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated smoked Provolone or cheddar cheese
12 ounces uncooked fettuccini noodles, broken in half
1 cup frozen peas, or frozen chopped spinach
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley


1. Bring water to a boil in large pot. Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook bacon over medium heat in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Drain grease from skillet (do not wipe out).
2. Dice onion. Thinly slice garlic. Coarsely chop bell pepper. Coarsely grate cheese, set aside. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper to skillet. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas to pasta pot; carefully drain pasta and peas. Add pasta and peas to skillet. Add bacon, cheese, chicken, half and half, black pepper and salt; toss well to coat. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened and mixture is hot. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Crock Pot Pizza

from my friend Lisa H.

This is a great meal for Sundays or those busy days when you're out all afternoon. It's quite tasty and easy to throw together. You can also change the "toppings" and add more veggies or different meat.

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
1 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 chopped onion
4 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 box rigatoni noodles, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
2 cans pizza sauce
Pizza seasoning, to taste

Alternate layers in crockpot as follows:
hamburger, noodles, cheese, soup, mushrooms, onions, sauce, seasoning and pepperoni.

Heat 4-5 hours on Low in crock pot.

Hot Ham & Cheese Party Sandwiches

from my friend Sherri A.

Oh man, are these yummy! They are great for a party, as an appetizer, or can be part of a buffet.

1 pack mini Martin's potato rolls (very small dinner rolls)
1 lb sliced or chipped ham
1 lb sliced Swiss cheese

½ cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. mustard
2 Tbs. poppy seeds
2 T worcestershire sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Slice rolls in half horizontally. Line bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with the bottom of the rolls. Layer with ham and cheese and place the top of the roll on.
Mix other ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Pour over the sandwiches and bake for 20 minutes.

Meatloaf Minis

from Kraft ~~ very simple and yummy

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 box (6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 c. water
¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 375. Mix meat, stuffing, & water.

Optional add-ins:
American style – add in 1 tsp. garlic powder
Italian style – add in 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Mexican style – add in 2 tsp. chili powder
Mix well and then scoop into 12 muffin cups.

Make an indentation in the center of each meatloaf. Fill with sauce options:
American style – add 2 tsp. bbq sauce
Italian style – add 2 tsp. spaghetti sauce
Mexican style – add 2 tsp. salsa

Sprinkle each meatloaf with cheddar cheese. Bake 30 minutes until cooked through.

Pour Pizza

This is a great cheap and versatile recipe for those nights when you need something quick. You can easily double the "dough" part and split the hamburger over 2 pizzas, or even eliminate it or add veggies. The dough is more of a batter and doesn't need to rise. If you keep cooked hamburger in the freezer, this goes together in a few minutes.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp oregano
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 eggs
1 1/3 c. milk
1 15 oz. can pizza sauce
1 ½ - 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown hamburger with onion and oregano. Mix flour, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk. Pour into greased 9x13 pan or medium bar pan. Sprinkle hamburger over top. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Remove and spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Ham & Eggs Braid

The Pampered Chef ®

Great for breakfast, brunch or even dinner! Very tasty and pretty!

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions with tops, sliced
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
8 eggs, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 packages crescent rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese


1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop bell pepper. Slice green onions. Place cream cheese and milk in large bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Separate 1 egg; reserve egg white for later use. Whisk egg yolk, remaining seven eggs, salt and black pepper into cream cheese mixture until well blended. Add bell pepper and onion to egg mixture; mix well.
2. Melt butter in sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set but still moist. Remove pan from heat.
3. Unroll crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange dough on rectangle stone with longest sides of rectangles across width of baking stone. Roll dough to seal seams. Starting on longest sides of baking stone, cut sides of dough into eight strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Arrange ham evenly over center of dough. Scoop egg mixture over ham. Grate cheddar cheese over egg mixture.
4. Starting at one end, lift one strip of dough; twist one turn and lay across top of filling. Repeat, alternating strips of dough to form a braid. Fold bottom edges up at ends of braid. Lightly beat reserved egg white; brush over dough. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Yield: 10 servings

Annie's Beef Stew

This hearty and tasty beef stew that my family loves is an adaptation of a recipe from The New Basics cookbook.

Ingredients:
1-2 lb. beef, cut into cubes
10-15 baby red potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb. baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 c. beef broth
1 c. red wine
1 1/2 Tbs. Montana steak seasoning
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
salt & pepper
olive oil

Directions:
Sprinkle steak seasoning over beef cubes and let sit while you cut up the veggies. In skillet, brown beef with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Remove to dutch oven. Next, saute the onions, garlic and baby carrots for 4-5 minutes, until onions are slightly browned and caramelized, adding more olive oil as needed. Remove to dutch oven. Finally, saute potatoes, thyme and basil for 4-5 minutes. Remove to dutch oven. Add broth, wine, and salt & pepper to taste, and bring to a boil on the stove. Place in 375 degree oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Serve alone or over egg noodles.