Tortilla Meatball Soup

Ingredients



2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on the cob
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.


2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.


3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside. *Watch these! I burned 300 of  them*


4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).


5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.

*I added an additional chipotle pepper, chopped, in the soup as well as the meatballs*


Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light


OCTOBER 2011

Tom Colicchio's Braised Short Ribs

Made these for dinner the other night. Delicious!!! The recipe calls for marinating overnight Doh! What if you don't have overnight? I marinated mine for about 5 hours during the day. They were still superb!

I served them with PW's Creamy Herbed Potatoes- which totally deserves a post of its own. Heaven on a plate.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 flanken-style short ribs with bones, cut 2 inches thick (about 4 pounds); see Note (I used regular short ribs and they were great!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
One 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
4 thyme sprigs
3 cups chicken stock- I used beef because thats what I had.

Directions
1.In a large skillet, heat the oil. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crusty, about 18 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer.

2.Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the ribs once.

3.Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Uncover and braise for 45 minutes longer, turning the ribs once or twice, until the sauce is reduced by about half and the meat is very tender.

4.Skim off as much fat as possible, serve

Make Ahead:
The braised short ribs can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Notes: Flanken-style short ribs (short ribs cut across the bones instead of parallel to them) can be ordered at butcher shops.

Jack O' Lantern Cheese Ball

(Or just a Cheese Ball!) I hosted a Halloween Party fit for toddlers yesterday. This little guy turned out so cute! This is a recipe from my Step Mother In Law, and it's my go to Cheese Ball Recipe. For occasions other than Halloween, I roll it in Chopped Pecans.
2 (8 oz) blocks of Cream Cheese, softened
1 (4.5 oz) jar of Dried Beef (see note)
Bunch of Green Onions, finely chopped. I used 4 large ones, white and green
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
* For this party, I rolled it in finely shredded mild cheddar cheese. The face is Black Olives and the stem is a small, whole Dill Pickle*

Mix all ingredients and form a ball. Roll in desired Cheese, or Chopped Pecans, or Walnuts. Serve with assortment of Crackers, Veggies etc.

*Note~ Dried Beef  I thought what the heck is dried beef? and it sounds so gross. Don't let it scare you! I found it in the isle with all the canned meats (think tuna). It was in a small, clear jar, and it's like dried, thinly sliced summer sausage. It's delicious in this cheese ball.

Rainbow Jell-OOOOOOOOOhhhhh!

A friend of mine made this Jell-O for her daughter's 2nd birthday party. I forgot how much I enjoy a bowl of this gelatin delight with a dollop of cool whip... so refreshing, so delicious, so EASY!

You'll Need:

5-6 small packages of Jell-O in different colors/flavors

Cool Whip (or any whipped topping)

What You'll Do:

Make one recipe of Jell-O at at time, follow the directions on the box.

Then pour into any glass dish. Place in the refrigerator until firm.

Repeat the process with the remaining Jell-O packages.

(I recommend making this the day before a party or get-together, that way it has over night to set.)

Before you are ready to serve, top with cool whip (or any whipped topping).

Incredible Potato-Bacon Torte

This dish was simply incredible!! This was the best, flakiest pie crusts I have ever made. It was super easy,  just about as much work as any 'add water' pie crust you would buy at the store. I would suggest that you try it!  A nice, hearty lunch when served with a green salad, or a light dinner when it's warm outside.  This is seriously yummy!!

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Pie Crusts, recipe follows
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)
Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
Pie Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts
Recipe: Melissa d'Arabian, Food Network, 10 Dollar Dinners
Photo: Flickr

Baked French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping

This is another recipe served at MOPS. It's delicious!! You can also add fruit. Blueberries and sliced strawberries are my favorite. This is made the night before and soaks overnight.
1 loaf French Bread (13-16 oz)
8 large Eggs
2 cups Half and Half
1 cup Milk
2 tbs. Granulated Sugar
1 ts. Vanilla Extract
1/2 ts. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 ts. Ground Nutmeg
Dash Salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple Syrup, Optional

Slice french bread into 20 slices, 1 inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 inch baking dish, in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat or wisk until blended. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly.  Spoon some of the mixture between slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, Preheat oven to 350. Spread praline topping (and/or fruit) evenly over the bread. Bake 40 minutes until puffed up and golden. Serve with Maple syrup.
Praline Topping-
2 Sticks Butter
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 cup Chopped Pecans
2 tbs. Light Corn Syrup
1/2 ts. Cinnamon
1/2 ts. Nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.
Recipe, Paula Deen

Black Bean Soup with Crab & Kielbasa Sausage

I love to make this soup - it's the only soup my husband will eat!

Last year, when Hurricane Ike visited us, we had this great idea (haha!) to weather it out, stay home and just see what happens. Well, it was ok - the kids slept a bit, i slept nothing, and my husband was asleep on the couch 3 hours before it even approached our West Houston home. I bought a few things to have on hand. You know, water, diet coke, chips, just the essentials. I did, however have the where-with-all to make this soup a few days before. I bought double ingredients, to perhaps share with others. I made the rice, too, and we stored it in the fridge, thinking we could heat it up in those days following the hurricane.
Let me tell you, this soup was the best part of the whole ordeal! In the middle of electricity-free, candle-lit, air conditioning-free, and humidity-laden air, our family was able to heat this soup up on the stove (we had gas still and just struck a match to light it!) and had some resemblance of a 'normal' day!
I had this vision of us serving the meal to all of our neighbors and them being so grateful! Well, we did share it, to A neighbor, and THE neighbor was grateful, we just had a lot left over and without refrigeration - the soup went bad soon after. It's the thought, right??

ANND - it's a slow-cooker recipe, what else could be better?

The Ingredients:
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
3 cups chicken stock
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 lb kielbasa sausage, cut in half length-wise, then sliced in 1/2 in thickness
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 T ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper

The Garnishments:
2 cups lump crabmeat, picked for shells and cartilage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

The Side/Serve-Along-With:
Brown Rice (Make sure you factor in the 45 min it takes to cook the brown rice!)

The Method:
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients from black beans through S & P -- Mix well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Spoon brown rice into a bowl, then ladle soup over rice and garnish with crab and cilantro.

adapted from a Robin Miller recipe

Diane's Corn Salad

This is soooooooooo good. It required 2 posts on one day. Can you tell what I have been doing this weekend? oink oink
I got this from Pioneer Woman's new cooking community, Tasty Kitchen. My new favorite recipe website. I found this recipe here. I adapted this recipe a bit, specifically- I cut it in half since there is just 3 of us. I used about a ts of sugar instead of a tbs. And the best thing I did was took 2 fresh ears of corn and grilled them drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. It gave the corn a delicious smokey flavor, which I would definitely suggest you do if you can. I also used about 15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters that I got at the farmers market. I added avocado to my husbands (because he is allergic to onions) and kept the avocado out of mine, onions in (because I'm allergic to avocado). Overall, it was fantastic. I served it with grilled Rib eye and garlic bread.

4 cups Fresh Cooked Corn, Cooked Frozen, Or Canned Corn
2 cups Ripe Tomato, Seeded And Chopped
½ cups Minced Onion, Any Variety, Including Green Onion
½ cups Minced Green Bell Pepper, Or Any Color
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
Dash Of Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a tight fitting lid. Mix well, cover and chill until time to serve. Keeps up to a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

Bruscetta Pasta Salad

I was craving Bruscetta today.. and since I am trying to get bikini fabulous, I didn't want to eat the bread. So I ate pasta instead. I don't really know how to justify the pasta being better than the bread.. but in my pea brain, it was. is. isn't, but whatever...

2 cups uncooked pasta

2 small(er) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 medium basil leaves, chopped

1 small can marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

2 tbs finely chopped onion

4 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs (ish) red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, about a hand full.

*If I would have had goat cheese on hand, I would have crumbed some up and added to the salad as well. Just a thought.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just under al dente.. the pasta will continue to cook as well as plump up with the dressing. In a medium-large bowl mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and dump the warm pasta into your bowl and dressing. Coat pasta. Add remaining ingredients and chill. Or eat it right there. Whatever makes you happy.

chicken salad

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

2 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1 tbs. whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup small-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds

*and a note: If my husband wasn't allergic to onions, I would have thrown in a green onion or two..

It is so easy to make this salad using either regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or canned chicken. I'll tell ya though.. the roasted chicken adds a whole world of flavor.. you will never get that from canned or boneless/skinless chicken. It's well worth it, I promise.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.
When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, Dijon, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, almonds, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.

adapted recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Food Network

warm dijon potato salad with green beans

I regret that I don't have a picture of this really, really great potato salad. We made it for Memorial Day weekend to go with ribs. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough... but try it, its delicious.. and its great cold too. Thanks again and again and again Aubrey.. I wonder why I gain weight when I visit you...

3 pounds Yukon or baby white potatoes
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 shallot minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
30 grinds black pepper
1/3 cup packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least a couple inches. Salt the water generously, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and throw the beans in just for a minute or two until they turn bright green. Strain them and run them under cold water to stop the beans from cooking.
In a mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then into roughly 1 inch chunks. Cut beans in half. Toss the potato chunks in the dressing and then toss in the green beans and the parsley.
recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman, Food Network

chick pea dip

I spent Memorial Day weekend in San Diego with one of my favorite people, Aubrey. We love to cook, share recipes.. and go to the beach. We did plenty of both. This is a bikini friendly version of hummus, without the Tahini. As much as I love Tahini.. did you know it has, like 200 calories per tablespoon? Considering I can eat hummus with a spoon.. this is bad for the thighs. This recipe is just plain delicious... Thanks Aubrey!

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
5-7 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
course salt and freshly ground pepper
a few drops hot sauce, to taste (I use Frank's Red Hot)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
dipper ideas: pretzels, gourmet chips, red bell pepper, cucumber,
celery, any veggie you like

Combine the chick peas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt and pepper and hot sauce in food processor. Turn processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the dip t0 a dish and surround with veggies and chips.
this recipe was adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.

pasta salad

yesterday i was inspired by the brown butter ravioli dinner that nancy posted. i love browned butter - i think it's the salt lover in me! - and even love it cold. so as nancy and i were instant messaging about how much we love brown butter, this pasta salad recipe started forming in my head! i know, right?
(i should tell you that all of these ingredients i had on hand. next time, i would probably choose a different pasta, just for the fun of it! i used whatever half full/empty box i had. also, if you have it, try some bell pepper - or goat cheese - or fresh mozzarella - or left over chicken! use up the stuff you have in your fridge or pantry - save some money!)
this recipe made 2 servings (or 1 big eater!) - i made it pretty much for myself today and tomorrow. so double it if your making it for more than yourself + a friend or spouse.
try it hot, too.
let me know how you like it!

here's the rough ingredients:
butter! (i used 3 T, +1 T for the onions and garlic)
1 large or 2 small cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped red onion

a couple of handfuls of pasta - i used fettuccine noodles that i broke into bite size pieces

half a large tomato, chopped
half a jar of drained atrichoke hearts, chopped
8-10 kalamata olives, chopped
a few slices of pepperoni, chopped

1 T balsamic vinegar
s & p to taste
top with parmesan cheese

first, get your water boiling and start cooking that pasta!

then, i started out by sauteing the 1 T butter, garlic and red onion on low heat, stirring occasionally. while that was cooking, i chopped my vegetables, then started the brown butter process. i warmed the pan on medium heat, then added the butter. let it foam and recede - about 3-4 minutes. once the butter starts turning brown, add the garlic and onion mixture. add the balsamic vinegar. set aside to cool.
drain your pasta.
combine the brown butter mixture and pasta.
let it cool for a few minutes. then add the vegetables and pepperoni.

refrigerate for at least an hour - longer if you have it!

top with parmesan cheese before serving.

i was saving this much for lunch the next day. but my youngest found it and ate it all!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta (i used skim and it turned out great)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (i used fresh spinach, sauteed and squeezed dry)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Lasagna Rolls

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday Italian

Shredded pork taco's (in the crockpot) with southwestern slaw

I'm going to write the recipe as I have it, and put in (what I actually did).. because I tweaked it a bit, and thought it was delicious... only cuz I was too lazy to make a grocery run.

The recipe starts with:


Dee's Roasted Pork for Taco's- dont know who Dee is, but it sure is a fine recipe, thanks Dee.

4 pounds pork shoulder roast (I used a pork tenderloin, o.. about a foot long or so..)
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies, drained
1/4 cup chili powder (omit- didnt have)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (omit- didnt have)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning (used a whole envelope, Old El Paso dry taco seasoning)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste (omit, due to the taco seasoning)
* I was cooking this in a crock pot, so I added 1 can of chicken stock, to keep it moist*
Get out yur crock pot. Plug it in. Put the roast in the crock pot. Dump in all other ingredients. Cook on low (I even turned mine from low to warm, cuz mine cooks really hot!).. Cook for as long as you want to... but at least 6 hours. I cooked mine overnight and it literally fell apart when I stuck a fork in to make sure she was done. Delicious!



Now make some slaw.. I made mine the same night I put the roast on to sit over night and it was so good.

3 cups shredded cabbage - or just get the bag, like I did
1 carrot, shredded (omit if the bag has it in it)
1 onion, diced (I used 1/2, mine was the size of a basketball)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I used about 8 slices of pickled jalapeno from the jar)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted in hopes my daughter might actually eat it)
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, onions and peppers and mix it up. Put in the fridge for at least an hour if you have it, if not... its still good.
Warm up some flour tortilla's using either a dry skillet, or you can put right over the flame if you have gas and are feeling frisky. Create the taco using the meat, and slaw, add pico if ya want to and maybe some sour cream if you dare. enjoy!
adapted from recipe's I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/

Poppyseed Chicken

My family has been sick with some kind of virus for the past 2 weeks, over and over and over again. It has left me searching for some serious comfort food. This is one of my favorite comfort foods and although it has sour cream, seems to have soothed some aching tummy's.

2 cups sour cream (16 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 ts. poppy seeds
2½ cups cubed cooked chicken
1¾ c. butter flavored cracker crumbs
½ c. melted butter
In bowl, combine sour cream, soup and seeds. Stir in chicken and pour into a greased baking dish. Combine cracker crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
I serve mine with steamed or roasted asparagus and a salad.

Recipe from Milcy Paris

5 layer bars

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ingredients of mix over crumb mixture. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the layers. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Food Network- Paula Deen

HOLIDAY POTATO CASSEROLE

There must be 100's of versions of this casserole, but its always a favorite. Here is mine.

1 package frozen hash browns (you can also use Potatoes O'Brien)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup onions (omit of using Potatoes O'Brien)
1 stick butter (melt and save 1/4 for top)
1-2 cups cornflake crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Place potatoes in 9x13 greased pan. In a separate bowl, mix together: cheese, soup, water, sour cream, onions and butter. Pour over potatoes. Cover with layer of cornflake crumbs. Pour remaining butter over the top and bake 350 for 1 hour.

ITALIAN CHICKEN SALAD IN LETTUCE CUPS

10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (from about 3 purchased roasted whole chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups paper-thin slices red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup drained capers
1 1/2 cups (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads)
1 (4-ounce) piece Parmesan, shaved with vegetable peeler
Directions
Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.
Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.
Do-Ahead Tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.
Yield: 1 3/4 cups
SERVES 12
Giada DeLaurentis, the Food Network

JALAPENO CHICKEN DIP

I had this dip at a party last night and it was so good. Not at all healthy, but a good party dip.

1 (10 oz) can chunk white chicken in water ***
1 clove garlic, minced
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
3 tbs chopped jalapeno
1 small can chopped green chili's

*** Canned chicken kinda scares me, so I would use 2 decent sized chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped.

Directions:
Preheat oven 350. In a bowl combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly. Pour into your casserole dish and bake for 30-45 minutes until warm and bubbly.
Serve with Tortilla chips, Frito's, Crackers, Veggies.
You can also put this in a crock pot!