Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

2 cans black beans (15 oz), rinsed

2 cups fresh roasted corn (4 ears)

2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes

3/4 cup sliced scallions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

To roast corn:

Place corn on cookie sheet. Rub each ear thoroughly with olive oil. Rub with salt and pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for about 5-7 mins then turn and bake other sides for 5-7 mins each. (corn will brown a little) Bake no more than 20 mins. total.

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil (regular, not extra virgin)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (may add more to taste)

2 tsp. salt – may be too much, start with 1 tsp, especially if using kosher salt

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stir and add to salad. Stir well. If the salad sits for awhile before serving, make sure to stir thoroughly as the dressing will settle on the bottom.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Chocolate Berry Freeze

2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped
2 TBSP strawberry ice cream topping
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 TBSP chocolate syrup

Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3" loaf pan with foil. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press half of the mixture into prepared pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Pour half of the milk into a small bowl; stir in strawberries and strawberry topping. Fold in half of the whipped cream. Spread over crust. Sprinkled with remaining crumb mixutre. Freeze for 45-60 minutes or until firm.

In a small bowl, combine the almonds, chocolate syrup and remaining milk. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Spread over crumb layer (pan will be full). Cover and freeze for several hours or overnight. May be frozen for up to 2 months.

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Using the foil, lift dessert out of pan. Invert onto serving platter. Cut into slices. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

This is a virtually no-fail cheesecake, but also a real crowd pleaser.

CRUST: 1/3 C. melted margarine
3 T. sugar
1 1/4 C. crushed graham cracker crumbs

Mix together and pat evenly into a 9 x 13 pan

CHEESE CAKE: 3 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened (I use the reduced fat)
1 C. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Beat until smooth and creamy. Spread on crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool completely.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: 2 envelopes (one box) of Dream Whip
1 C. + 1 3/4 C. milk
1 t. vanilla
2 small boxes of chocolate instant pudding

Whip the Dream Whip, vanilla, and 1 C. milk for 6 minutes with an electric mixer. Then, add 1 3/4 C. milk and puddings. Continue to eat until blended and thick (about 2 more minutes). Spread over cooled cake.

Top with Cool Whip and grated chocolate.

Apricot Chicken

This isn't technically a 30-minute meal, but it only takes about 5-10 minutes to put together, just an hour or so to cook, so it averages out....

1 cup Catalina dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 packet onion soup mix
dash of soy sauce
cut up, uncooked chicken

Put uncooked chicken (maybe 4-6 chicken breasts?) in a 9x13 pan. Mix other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook uncovered at 350 for about an hour and 10 minutes. Great over rice! Even the kids like it...

(I often do half a recipe in an 8x8 pan)

Recipe Swap Tonight!

Just a reminder - the Recipe Swap is tonight at Mendy's at 7pm and the theme is "30 minute meals".

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
1 ½ Tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 can coconut milk
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lime zest. Set aside in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend.Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and chicken stock. Season with cumin, chili flakes and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. If using a counter top blender, puree in small batches, filling the blender just a bit past half way to avoid spillage. Whisk peanut butter into the soup, and heat through. Stir in lime juice, and salt.Ladle into warm bowls, and top with a dollop of the reserved sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. If you have it, adding diced avocado is also wonderful. Enjoy!

Potato Cheese Soup

6 Large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Onion, chopped
1 Chicken bouillon
1 T. salt
1/2 C. Butter
9 T. Flour
6 C. Milk
2 C. Shredded cheddar

Place potatoes and onion in a large soup pot. Add water to cover potatoes plus one inch. Bring to a boil. Add salt and bouillon. In a separate pot, melt butter on medium heat. Let butter bubble, then add flour, stirring constantly. Let bubble again. Slowly add milk and cheese, continuing to stir constantly. Keep cooking on medium heat until thick and bubbly. Once thick and melted, pour into the potatoes, onion and water. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar, bacon crumbles, chopped green onion, or anything else that sounds good to you!

Taco Soup

Also known in my house as Welfare Soup...  (because everything in it is pretty inexpensive and is generally on hand).

1 lb Hamburger

1 onion

1 can stewed Tomatoes

1 can Kidney Beans

1 can corn

1 can tomato sauce 

1 pkg taco seasoning

serve over the spiciest Doritos you can find, with Sour Cream and Cheese on top.

Brown hamburger with chopped onion.  Add all the other ingredients and 3-5 cans of water.  You don't drain anything,  the only thing that I like to do is chop up the stewed tomatoes, because they are too big straight out of the can for my taste.

Simmer together for as long as you want.  Longer the better, you can even leave it all day in the crock.  

Crunch up the spicy chips (my kids don't like spicy so they crunch up tostitos)  Top with Sour Cream and Cheese.  So yummy, and good for everyone.  Also good for hubby lunches, just pack cheese and chips in zip locks.   ENJOY!

Cheeseburger Chowder

So sorry I couldn't make it tonight (Adrian had class), but this is what I would have brought if I could have. Oh, and even though this might sound wacky or gross it's actually quite a yummy soup.:)

Cheeseburger Chowder

1/2 pound ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

4 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced carrots

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/4 cup flour

1, 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

2 cups cubed Velveeta

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

½ cup chopped pickles (for topping)

½ cup chopped tomatoes (for topping)

In a pot brown the ground beef. Drain and set aside. In same pot saute onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add garlic, carrots, basil and parsley. Saute about 3 minutes. Add broth, browned beef and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile melt remaining butter in a small skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add evaporated milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes.

Gradually stir the cream sauce into the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add Velveeta, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Garnish each serving with chopped fresh tomatoes and pickles, this sounds weird but its actually really good. For fun you can serve with toasted hamburger bun halves.

Cinnamon Rolls

Reminiscent of a favorite stop at the mall...

Sweet Rolls
3 ½ -4 cups Flour
1 package active dry Yeast
1 cup Milk
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Margarine
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs

In large mixer bowl combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast. In saucepan heat the milk, sugar, margarine, and salt just till the mixture is warm (115˚ to 120˚) and margarine is almost melted, stirring constantly. [If too hot cool down] Add to flour mixture in mixer bowl; add eggs.

Beat at low speed of electric mixer for ½ minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Continue to knead and add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that feels smooth and elastic. (8 to 10 minutes). Knead dough on hook for an additional 10 minutes. Shape into ball. Cover; set raise in a warm place till double (20-25 minutes).


Cinnamon Filling

1 cup Light Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Cinnamon

½ cup Margarine, melted

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll part of the Dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Brush dough with the melted margarine; sprinkle sugar mixture on margarine. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from long side; seal seam. Slice into rolls. (I find it easier to use Dental Floss, but I don't really have a great knife.) Place rolls, cut side down, on greased baking pan or cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled, about 35 minutes.

Bake 350˚ for 15 to 18 minutes. Top with Frosting when cooled.

1x makes 12 BIG rolls (that's what I like), or 18-24 smaller rolls (if you're lucky).

****Whipped CREAM CHEESE FROSTING****

The crowning glory that truly sets this recipe apart from all others. (Sorry to take so long for you Christie, the wait is over. :) )

4 oz. Cream Cheese
½ cup Margarine
1 ¾ cups Powder Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Place cream cheese and margarine in a mixing bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes, (so they are not too cold). Mix for 6 minutes at low speed. [If you have a KitchenAid mixer use paddle beater and mix on #2 setting.]

Switch to the Whip beaters and whip the Cream Cheese mixture for another 10 minutes at medium speed [or #6 on the KitchenAid].

Add 1 cup of the powder sugar and whip for 1 minute. Then add the remaining ¾ cup of powder sugar and whip for another minute.

Add the Vanilla and whip for 1 more minute.

Once the Cinnamon Rolls have cooled...Top with Frosting. YUM!!!

Won Tons

WARNING:  THIS RECIPE TAKES APROX. 2 HOURS OF ACTIVE PREPARATION.

1 lb Ground Pork

1 head of Cabbage Chopped

1 can sliced water chestnuts chopped

1 egg 3 TBS soya sauce 

2 pkgs Wonton Wraps (little squares found usually in the produce fridges)

Brown pork in wok (large fry pan will do, really you just need the size of the pan more then the heating style of a wok).  Add 3/4 of the chopped cabbage and cook until soft.  Then add egg, water chestnuts and soya sauce with the rest of the cabbage and put into wraps.  

Deep fry (you don't have to have a deep frier either, I do it in a small fry pan in fill it up real full, keep your stove top on or below 5.) and serve with Sweet and Sour sauce and rice.  (We pick up S&S from the Hunan Manor for dirt cheap.)

Chicken and Vegetable Boil-Spanish Style (Cocido) - Scarlett

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked rice (to be eaten with soup after soup is cooked)
6-8 pieces of chicken with bone (Thighs, legs, if using wings you can use more)
3 potatoes cut in 1/4's
1 cassava or yucca root peeled and cut in smaller pieces (optional but can add incredible flavor and thickness to soup)
1 large tomato cut in fourths
2 carrots cut to preferred size
1/2 head of cabbage cut in 1/2 (optional)
6-8 small ears of corn
1 medium size onion cut in 1/2
1 bunch of cilantro
2 garlic cloves peeled
3 envelopes of Chicken Bullion Goya (yellow envelopes)
salt to taste and a little pepper

A few drops hot sauce (to be added before eating-totally optional but it makes it taste so good!)
1 lime cut in fourths or more (to be added to soup before eating, this is a must to add a little kick, but it's totally optional too!)


Let's get cooking!:

Fill large stock pot with water leaving 1/4 of the pot empty. Add chicken pieces, union, garlic, Sazon Goya (chicken bullion) and tomato. Cook at medium heat for 40 minutes or until it comes to a slow boil. Add potatoes, carrots, cassava, corn and cabbage. Cover and cook for 40 minutes keeping an eye on the soup to not boil over, if it's too high bring down the heat. Then add salt and a little pepper to taste. Add the bunch of washed cilantro, whole is preferable. Cover and cook for 30-40 more minutes.

If soup is cooked at slow heat it'll taste better. Allow at least 2 hours for this soup to cook in low to medium heat. This is best because the flavors really mell together if you do. Pointer: Don't cook everything together from the beginning because every vegetable cooks different, some need more time in the pot, others need less time like the cilantro. If you add your cilantro too early it'll bitter up your soup. It's best when added the last 15-20 because it tastes fresh.

Serving the soup:
Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of rice in deep bowl, pour soup over top of rice. Squeeze lime and hot sauce to taste. Start with a few drops of hot sauce depending on how much you can tolerate. Then add desired veggies to your bowl or you can put the vegetables on a separate place and add them slowly to your bowl as you eat.

~~~~~~

My grandma made this soup for us on rainy days, or cold days or when it was really hot outside! Really, in Latin countries you pretty much eat soup everyday as a first course followed by a meat course. My family loves to eat this on cold days and Matt loves it with lots of lime and hot sauce. You'll discover what works best for you!

ENJOY!

Chicken Noodle Soup - Jenni

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced (I always try to include the leaves from the heart of the celery for more flavor)
kosher salt
2, 48 oz cans chicken broth
2 cups frozen veggie mixture (I always use the one w/ peas, carrots, green beans and corn)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco or the grocery store for this)
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
2 cups dry noodles (I use home-style egg noodles, but rotini pasta works too)
2 1/2 tablespoons Ultra Gel (this is a sauce thickener, but if you can't find it a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water works too)

Melt the butter in a pot. Saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter and sprinkle with kosher salt to season them. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Pour in the broth. Add frozen veggies, chicken, onion salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and crushed chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Cook at medium temp for about 10 minutes and check broth to see if it is seasoned to your taste - adding more salt or pepper as needed. Whisk in the Ultra Gel or cornstarch mixture and let simmer for at least 10 more minutes.

Crock Pot Stew

Sorry I couldn't make it tonight. Greg had a meeting and I was too lazy to find a babysitter, but here's the recipe I was going to make (from my sister-in-law, Yumiko Luke):

1 can tomato soup
2 cans water
2-3 cubes beef base
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper

cubed beef
carrots
onion
potatoes
green peas
(in your preferred proportions)

Put beef in middle of crock pot and vegetables around edges and on top. Add other ingredients. Cook 8 hours on low.

January Recipe Swap Tomorrow

It's time for recipe swap again, tomorrow at Scarlett's house at 7:00pm. The theme is "Winter Comforts". Hope to see everyone there tomorrow night!