Stew

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean beef, cut 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, cut diagonal slices
4 carrots, cut in halves lengthwise & crosswise
2 medium onions, cut in 1/2″ slices
1 10 1/2 ounce can condensed tomato soup
1/2 soup can water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

DIRECTIONS

Place beef in 3 qt casserole. Sprinkle with salt,basil, and pepper. Top with celery, carrots, and onions. Combine soup, and water. Pour over meat and vegetables, coating all pieces. Cover tightly and bake in slow oven (300 degrees F.) for 3 hours. Add potatoes and bake an additional 45 minutes.

Serves 4.

Source: RECIPE DU JOUR

CHICKEN CREOLE

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon canola oil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut in strips
1 14 oz. can tomatoes, undrained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
14 teaspoons red pepper
2 2/3 cups cooked rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the chicken about 5 minutes
on each side.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Serve over 1/3 cup rice.

8 Servings

Crockpot Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
2 onions chopped
1 lb. carrots chopped
2 stock cubes
1 tsp salt
2 green or red peppers chopped
2 tsp. dried basil
chopped cilantro to taste
9 cups water

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a Crockpot and cook for 7-8 hours.

Vegetable Salsa Soup

INGREDIENTS

6 cans chicken broth (14 1/2 oz)
1 jar medium salsa (16 oz)
2 cups chopped carrot
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cups frozen mixed vegetables

DIRECTIONS

In a pot over medium high heat, combine the broth, salsa, carrots, celery and mixed vegetables. Simmer together for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Makes 12 servings

Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 large red bell pepper
1 large onion
5 to 7 medium tomatoes
5 medium cloves garlic, skins on
2 Chipotle chiles (canned or otherwise)
3 pounds chicken meat, cut into bite-sized strips
4 cans chicken broth
8 Cups water
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 pounds Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
Salt, to taste
fresh cilantro, washed and chopped (for garnish)
several serrano chiles, sliced (for garnish)
several fresh limes, halved or cut into wedges (for garnish)
crispy tortilla strips or chips (for garnish)
optional garnish: fresh chopped avocado
optional garnish: dairy cream of your choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly oil the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole dish. Place the whole bell peppers, Roma tomatoes,and garlic cloves in the dish. Halve the onions, removing the skin,and place them in the dish. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, or until the bell peppers are lightly browned. Increase temperature to400 degrees, and roast for about 15 more minutes. Turn the oven off, remove the dish and allow the vegetables to cool enough to handle, about 15 or 20 minutes. Using a paring knife, remove the stems and seeds from the bell pepper. Remove the stems from the tomatoes, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins, and place all of the roasted vegetables into a blender, with some of the chicken broth. Put the Chipotle chiles in the blender, too. Use some chicken broth to deglaze the roasting dish (let it soak for a few minutes and get the caramelized juices off of the bottom,) then pour that into the blender. Add more chicken broth,
if necessary, to help everything blend. Blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture into a pot. Add the water, any remaining chicken broth, the chicken meat, oregano, black pepper, and cumin. Stir. Cover and place on Medium heat until it starts boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste. Serve hot in large soup bowls. Garnish
with cilantro, sliced serrano chile, lime juice, shredded cheese, and crispy tortilla strips (or chips,) as desired. Any or all of the garnishes may be omitted.

Mexican Bow Ties

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces Bow Ties, uncooked
8 ounces ground beef
1 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 8-ounce cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup medium salsa
1/2 cup broken tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.
In a medium skillet, brown ground beef and drain. Add beans, cumin and
chili powder; heat through. In large bowl, combine pasta, meat mixture,
tomatoes, corn, green pepper, cheese and onions. In small bowl, combine
yogurt and salsa. Add to salad mixture and toss well. Serve warm or
cold. Garnish with tortilla chips and serve with additional salsa.

Serves 6

Campfire Burgers

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
6 oz canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (8 oz can)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Chili Seasoning
6 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet brown meat and onion. Add salsa, kidney beans, ketchup and chili seasoning. Stir well to combine. Lower heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture between each bun.

Serves 6.

Tangy Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup salsa, divided
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tbsp. finely chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Combine beef, 1/4 cup salsa, breadcrumbs and next 3 ingredients in large bowl; stir well. Shape beef mixture into 48 (3/4″) balls. Place meatballs on rack of broiler pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20-25minutes or until done. Drain on paper towels.Combine sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup salsa, stirring well. Serve warm meatballs with sour cream sauce mixture.

Makes 16 Meatballs

Shrimp and Chiles over Linguine

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Linguine
24 Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp. Olive oil, divided
6 Large cloves garlic, minced
4 Dried guajillo chiles, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, seeded and
chopped
2 Ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Black olives, chopped
1/4 cup Capers
3 T Minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente. Drain
and cool under cold running water, and toss
with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside. Bring a fresh pot of salted
water to a boil.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium
heat. Add the shrimp and garlic; sauté for 1 minute.
Add the peppers, tomato, olives and capers, and continue cooking until
the shrimp lose their translucence and start to firm.
Sprinkle in the cilantro, and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
Place the cooked pasta in the fresh boiling water long enough to reheat
it, about 1 minute. Drain, and divide among 4 plates.
Top with the shrimp.

Makes 4 servings

Chocolate Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together 3 times and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and
milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into cake, it should come out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.