Mexican Ceasar Salad

A friend made this for us and it is so tasty! Tasha said it sounded hot, but it really isn't. It is a yummy twist on a basic salad. Do enjoy. It is great with Grilled Chicken

MEXICAN CEASAR SALAD

Romaine lettuce

shredded pepper jack cheese (a sprinkling)

roasted pumpkin seeds

croutons, pretzels, or crushed tortilla chips. (I prefer something with kick: we've used Doritos sweet and spicy or buffalos wing flavored pretzels, whatever you heat preference is.)

Mexican ceasar dressing

4 oz green chilies

a sprinkling of minced garlic or garlic salt

1 tsp. salt

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1 bunch cilantro

a few good pepper grinds

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup mayo

a dash of cayenne pepper.

Mix greens and add dressing last. Sprinkle with croutons. This is a recipe I have modified from the internet (dubstogsdill). Tried to reduce the fat. This will make enough for two or three salads. We have also used this on a steak salad and it was great as well.

Michael's Enchilada's

2-3 tortillas (per person, light eaters might just want one.)
1 chicken boiled and deboned or slow cooked roast shredded or 2 lbs ground beef cooked.
2-3 cups shredded cheese
2-4 cups shredded lettuce
1-2 cups choppped onion (depending on personal preferences)
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can ripe olives, sliced
1 cup sour cream for toppings.


Sauce recipe

2 cans tomato soup
1 can tomato sauce or paste
2 tbsp chili powder to taste
3 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder or
2 fresh cloves garlic minced.

Mix together in a sauce pan and heat until hot.

Construction of enchilada's per plate.

each gets to choose how many tortillas they think they can eat-- experience or trial and error--(3 often too much for grown hungry man), pour a half a ladle of sauce for each layer, then meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and other toppings as desired. (taco toppings of any sort), put a little extra cheese on the last layer of enchiladas, before placing in the oven long enough to melt the cheese (broiler settings work great, be sure to use oven proof plates). if the plates are hot prepare table with hot pads. Enjoy a personal serving of a tasty dish.

(This recipe is adapted from a simpler version his grandmother made using just sauce and cheese for each enchilada's.)

Tanya's Cream Cheese Enchilada's

1 whole chickens, cut up.
1 bunch green onion chopped
2 cans mushrooms
1 8oz package cream cheese
16oz of sour cream
green enchilada sauce 19 oz
enough mexican blend shredded cheese to cover enchilada's. (I used 1 1/2 packages roughly)

Pat dry chicken pieces and brown in hot frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil as needed.
Place browned chicken in dutch oven to boil. Deglaze pan to get the benefit of drippings and add to water in dutch oven.
Cook chicken for 20-40 minutes until down. Let sit 10 minutes. Then debone the chicken.
Add to deboned meat onions, drained mushrooms, and cream cheese. Add about 3/4 cups of chicken broth and mix together until chicken shreds into fine pieces and cream cheese is completely blended in. Add salt and pepper to taste

For this amount I use two oblong cake pans.
Spread a dollop of sour cream on the bottom of the pan. This helps keep them moist and makes clean up easier.
On each tortilla I spread a dollop of sour cream, and a couple of tablespoons of chicken mixture. I'm not exact with this just fill them as you would like. I can get about 10 enchilada's in a pan 8 placed side by side and 2 in the open space on the edge.
Spread more sour cream on top, add 1/2 a can of enchilada sauce spreading evenly then add cheese on top.
Repeat on the 2 tray.
I usually get 2 trays out of this and sometimes some extra chicken for left overs.
bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yummy.

Eggnog Rice Pudding.

¾ cup long grain white rice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups water
1 quart EggNog
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

• Combine the rice, salt and water in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Add the EggNog and nutmeg and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 30 minutes. The rice is done when it becomes thick.
• Do not overcook the pudding or it will be gummy.
• Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries.
• Can be served warm or cold topped with Kemps Whipping Cream.

from Kemps.com

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

This is a good and delicious way to use zucchini from your summer gardens. This recipe and the Wheatberry salad recipe was summited by Renée Robinson, Tanya's mother-in-law.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

1 egg beaten
1 ½ cups sugar
1 sq. butter or margarine—melted
1 cup nuts (optional) (pecans are really good)
2 cups flour
2/3 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. soda
4 Tbs. cocoa ( I usually only use 3)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

Mix everything but zucchini and vanilla. Then add zucchini and vanilla. Bake at 350 until tooth pick comes out clean. Big pan about 15 minutes’ 9x13 will take about 20 minutes. Don’t over bake. It is good with or without frosting. My favorite frosting recipe is below.

Frosting
¾ cube butter or margarine
6 Tbs. milk
3 Tbs. cocoa

Place in sauce pan on low heat until butter is melted and cocoa is mixed in with the milk. Add enough powdered sugar to the consistency you want. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and nuts if desired. Spread on cake or brownies right out of oven.

Wheatberry Salad

This is a salad that is very good for you as well as delicious.

WHEATBERRY SALAD

1 ½ cups cooked, rinsed, cooled whole wheat kernels
1- 6 serving vanilla instant pudding (dry) pkg.
3 Tbls. Lemon juice
12 oz. whipped topping or Cool Whip
8 oz. cream cheese
1 30oz. can fruit cocktail or 24 oz. can crushed pineapple

Once the wheat is cooled, whip the cream cheese and lemon jice. Beat the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy. Mix in the remaining ingredients. The pudding will firm up the mixture so you can enjoy this immediately but it’s better if it’s chilled.

Coconut Soup

Michael and I spent our 21st anniversary in Logan. We had dinner at the Cafe Sabor, I didn't care much for my food, but what was so excellent was the coconut soup! I loved it so much that I asked for the recipe. This is what was sent to me. I know it is different because the soup had mushrooms in it and I could have sworn I tasted a bit of curry or cumin in it, not much but a hint of it.

This seems to be a good low carb recipe too so enjoy.

Cafe Sabor Coconut Soup
4 cups chicken stock
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled, but chopped
10 green onions, finely chopped
6 small red chilies, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes (juice)
2 can (28 oz) coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
Chicken Breast

1. Heat stock, ginger, onions, chilies, garlic. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add lime juice, and coconut milk. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
2. Sautee cubed chicken breast in seperate sauce pan.
3. Strain and return to the pan. Add chicken. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and add them to the soup with the cream. Warm through and serve

Amish Friendship Bread

I was given a batch of start and the recipe for this yummy bread! It is intended to create the start and share the bread and start with others the day you bake the bread. This is a very easy recipe, and so yummy. Enjoy and share with friends and neighbors.

Do not refrigerate at any time!!!!!!!!!

Day 1: Let the bread start rest. (1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar and place in a gallon bag and mush. I would imagine if you are creating this from scratch you may need to let your start rest for more than 5 days before you continue on, smell the start for the yeasty sourdough smell. Also if you have sour milk it might help the fermentation process a bit quicker)

Day 2-5 Mush the bag each day and let out any excess air.

Day 6 Add the following to the start and mush

1 Cup flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Milk

Day 7-9 Mush the bag and let out air as needed. It's normal for the mix to rise, bubble and ferment.

Day 10 Mixing Day

Combine in a large Non-metal mixing bowl:

Contents of the bag
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Stir with a non metal spoon

Place 1 cup of this mix into four, one-gallon zip lock bags. Keep one start for yourself and give the other three away with a copy of this recipe. Make sure to date the bags.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To the remaining batter in the bowl, add the following and mix well.

3/4 cup vegetable Oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 sugar
2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 large box instant vanilla pudding (5 oz size)

Grease two large loaf pans or one Bundt pan. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Coat the inside of greased pans with sugar mixture and pour into the pans. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar mix on top of the batter. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack.

Eat and Enjoy. (I would cut a few pieces and share with those I give the start too. That way they can taste how yummy the bread is. It reminds me of a good zucchini bread.

French dip Sandwiches

This is probably one of the easiest meals I ever make!

Thinly slice one onion and place in the bottom of crockpot.

Brown one roast in a cast iron or some other pan that is NOT Teflon coated. You need a good sear on the roast and non stick pans will not give you that sear. When the roast is good a brown on all sides place roast in crockpot on top of onions.

Deglaze the pan you browned the roast in with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, use only what is needed to get any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. This makes a great juice and pour it on top of the roast.

Finely chop or use garlic press and crush fresh garlic to taste. I like lots of garlic so I will use 3-4 cloves depending on their size. Place on top of roast.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add about 1 1/2 tsp of better than bullion beef.

Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours, can cook on high if you need to for 4 hours but the roast may not come out falling apart tender.

When the roast is done, the inside of the crockpot should have a very thin layer of meat brownings. Using very hot water, and wire whisk, you can pour the hot water over this and scape it down into the juices in the bottom of the pan. Generally, when I make this I end up with about 2 cups of homemade Aujus, that tastes better than a package from the store.

Serve with bread or rolls.
Place small bowls at the each plate to pour the juice into for dipping the sandwiches.

Note, this is one of my favorite low carb recipes, while my family enjoys the bread, I eat the roast with what ever vegetables I fix.

Yummy.

Lemon Drop Jelly

My mother gave me this recipe ages ago, like years ago. (I can't believe I said the word "like" in that sentence.) I have always wanted to try it and today I made it. So far it seems good, I only need to see if it will set up.

Lemon Drop Jelly

12 large lemons, I used about 14 or 15

1 box powdered Pectin, I used MPC

5 cups sugar

cut the lemons in half, juice and seed them. You want 5 cups of juice

Mix the juice and pectin in a large pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring to dissovle. Return to a rolling boil and boil hard for one minute stirring. Add 1-2 tsp of butter to reduce foaming. Ladle the jelly into, hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the jar rim clean. Place the lid on the jar with the sealing compound next to the glass. Screw the band down evenly and firmly, until fingertip tight. Process for five minutes in a boiling water canner.

I am bad about the processing time. I just flip the jars over for 10 minutes and then turn over. I have never had problems with my jams going bad because of the sugar and acid content. We eat it fast enough as it is. :)