Taco Soup

Serves 6

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 small onion, chopped and cooked with hamburger
2 cans corn (with liquid)
3 cans beans (with liquid) choose your favorite three
2 cans petite cut tomatoes (with liquid)
1 pkg taco seasoning

Mix and heat through. Add water if more liquid is desired. Serve over tortilla chips and garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Courtesy of Joy Henshaw.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins

(makes 12, but I double it)

Dry mix:
2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

Wet mix:
1 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 C sweetened dried cranberries (although I used frozen ones and they come out moist and a little more tart)
1/2 C chopped pecans (if desired)

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. In large bowl, mix the dry mix. Stir in wet mix just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar over batter on each cup. (I didn't have coarse sugar; regular sugar did fine and made a nice crusty glaze).
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins and cool on rack. Serve warm.

Lentil Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stocks of celery, sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounces light sausage, cut into slices
• 1 bag (16-ounce) dried lentils (presoaked as instructed on bag), rinsed
• 7 cups (approximately) chicken broth

1. In a large saucepan, sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until onions are tender.

2. Transfer everything to a large pot. Add the sausage and lentils and cover with chicken broth (about 7 cups).

3. Simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Sautéed Chicken Breast

6-8 servings

Chicken breasts
Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
1 Egg
4 c Bread crumbs
1/4 Margarine
1/4 c veg oil
Sour cream

1. Cut chicken into two pieces and flatten between two sheets of wax paper or plastic.
2. Sprinkle each half with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
3. Dip lightly into flour and shake off excess. Dip into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs.
4. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until needed.
5. To cook, melt some margarine in pan together with oil. Sauté chicken on both sides over hot heat until golden (about 15 minutes).
6. To create sauce, add sour cream to drippings and heat until warm. Don’t boil.

Vegetable Marinates

Carrot marinate
2/3 c veg oil
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1/4 c sugar

1. Peel carrots and cut diagonally into chunks.
2. Steam or cook in small amount of water until tender but crisp.
3. Drain and put into container with marinade and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Turn container occasionally to keep carrots coated.

Green Vegetables
1 tbls Dijon mustard
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1-2 minced garlic
½ c cider vinegar
2/3 c veg Oil
few crushed tarragon leaves

1. Steam or cook in small amount of water until tender but crisp.
2. Drain and put into container with marinade and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Turn container occasionally to keep carrots coated.

Meat Marinates

Fajita marinade
2 tsp Lime juice
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp minced garlic

Lemon soy marinade
3 tbls soy sauce
1/4 lemon juice
2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
1/4 ground ginger

Marinating steps:
1. Cut meat into cubes or steaks.
2. Add meat to marinate, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate stirring occasionally for at least one hour or until next day.
3. Lift out meat and drain. Thread cubes on skewers for shish kabobs.
To BBQ:
4. Place meat on a lightly greased gill about 6 inches above heat until done to your liking.
To broil:
4. Coat a broiler pan rack with cooking spray.
5. Place meat on rack and broil 3-4 inches below heat until done to your liking.

Easy Pasta

6 servings

6 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (or Tabasco sauce)
1 tsp dry basil
3/4 tsp salt
1 15 oz can Italian tomatoes, diced
8 oz fettuccine
1/2 lb fresh shrimp (optional)
1. Cook pasta.
2. Simmer crushed garlic in oil over low heat until golden brown.
3. Add other sauce ingredients and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes Add shrimp and simmer until pink.
4. Combine with cooked pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce

6-8 servings

Taco Ingredients
1 lb Mahi-Mahi
1 pkg small flour tortillas
1 lemon
2 tbls butter
Lime Sauce
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
2 tbls lime sauce
1-2 tbls garlic powder
2/3 c sour cream
1/2 tsp Salt
1 bag angel hair sliced cabbage

1. Grill fish in butter with a few squeezes of lemon.
2. Mix all lime sauce ingredients in separate bowl.
3. Place fish and lime sauce in flour tortillas and garnish with cabbage.

Potatoes “like that”

Potatoes (one per person)
1/4 c butter
Seasonings

1. Melt about 1/4 c butter on a foil lined cookie sheet in oven while the oven is warming to 425.
2. Slice the potatoes and when butter is melted, place the slices on the cookie sheet. Turn slices over to cover both sides.
3. Salt (and sprinkle with paprika if you want). Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes. Test to see if they are cooked through.

Easy Cheddar Broccoli Soup

6 servings

1/4 tbls chopped onions
1 tbls butter or margarine
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 lb (12 oz) velvetta cheese
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli thawed and drained
Pepper

1. Cook and stir onion in butter on medium high heat until onion is tender. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until velvetta is melted and soup is thoroughly heated.
3. Garnish each serving with toasted slivered almonds if desired.

Italian Sausage Pasta

6-8 servings

1 lb Penne rigata or rotini pasta
1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
1 lb Mozzarella cheese
20 oz pasta sauce (mushroom and roasted garlic recommended)

1. Crumble sausage and brown. Grate cheese.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
3. In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients in 9x13 baking dish
4. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover loosely with foil for first 20 minutes
**This makes a generous amount, so you may want to half the recipe. Goes well with tossed salad and garlic bread.**

Cold Tuna Macaroni Salad

4-6 servings

3 c uncooked Macaroni
16 oz can of Tuna
1/4 c mayo
1/3 c frozen peas
Salt & pepper

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
2. Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour.
3. Before serving, add tuna, mayo and peas. Mix gently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

9 servings

4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C frozen cranberries, thawed
1/2 C plus 2 Tbls brown sugar, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 C flour
3 Tbls cold butter
1 C Post Selects Great Grains Raisins, Dates, Pecans Whole Grain Cereal
1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Toss apples with cranberries, 2 Tbls of the brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon in 8-inch square baking dish.
2. MIX remaining 1/2 C brown sugar, flour and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cereal. Sprinkle over apple mixture.
3. BAKE 30 minutes or until apples are tender and mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve warm.
**Great Substitute: Prepare as directed, substituting pears for the apples**

Fruit Pizza

Sugar Cookie Crust
3 oz Margarine
2 ½ oz Shortening
6 oz Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
7 oz Flour
¾ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt

Filling
6 oz Cream Cheese
6 oz Whipped Topping
12 oz Sugar
1 ½ oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
Fruit slices

Glaze
¼ C peach preserves mixed with 1 T. water

1. Measure out dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together margarine, shortening & sugar til combined well, mix in eggs & vanilla, add dry ingredients & mix well. Spread dough evenly onto greased sheet pan, bake at 350*F for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Cream together cream cheese & sugar, fold in whipped cream and beat mixture until it resembles thin frosting, scrape sides of bowl, add pudding powder & mix thoroughly. Spread evenly onto cooled crust (about ¼ inch thick). Cut BEFORE PUTTING FRUIT ON TOP.
3. Put your favorite fruit on top decorating each piece individually. Glaze top to maintain freshness if longer holding time is desired.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Crust
2 ¼ C Coarsely Crushed pretzels
¼ C Sugar
¾ C Melted Margarine

Cream Cheese Layer
2 C Riches Whip (whipped)
8 oz Cream Cheese
¼ C Sugar

Jello Layer
6 oz Strawberry Jell-O
2 C Boiling Water
20 oz Frozen Strawberries (partially thawed)

1. For crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix pretzels, sugar, and melted margarine. Press into pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool, set aside.
2. For Cream Cheese layer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. In a separate bowl whip the Riches Whip, and then fold the two together. Spread over pretzel crust. Cool until firm in refrigerator.
3. For Jello layer, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add partially frozen strawberries with juice. Pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Crust tastes like nuts.
To make a low sugar version eliminate sugar in pretzel crust, use frozen strawberries without sugar in the juice and sugar free gelatin. Other fruits and flavors may be used, if desired.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 C chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 C low-sodium chicken broth*
1 butternut squash (1 1/2 lb),
2 tbls finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Take squash and peel, unseed and chop into 1-inch cubes**
2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until nearly translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Add seasonings, broth, and squash and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender.
4. Puree half the soup in a blender; return to pot.*** Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.
This is great with hunks of French bread and a tossed green salad. If you want to be a bit wicked, try swirling in some half and half or even whipping cream. It's extra creamy.
You could substitute acorn squash for the butternut
*Sometimes I use more because the amount of squash I have is more than 1 1/2 pounds. I usually want the broth to just cover the squash. If you add even more, it just makes for a thinner soup. You can compensate by adding a bit more seasoning so it doesn't become bland as well as thin.
** Hack off the very top part with the stem first. Peel it with a regular old vegetable peeler, like peeling a carrot. Scoop out the seeds using an ice cream scoop or a melon baller.
***My family actually prefers the entire soup being pureed. The texture is super smooth

Strawberry Freeze

16 servings Takes several hours

12 cookies
1 pkg Cream Cheese
1/2 c sugar
1 can frozen juice concentrate
1 c crushed strawberries
1 c strawberries halved (opt)
1 16 oz tub Cool Whip

1. Place cookies on bottom of 9 in spring form pan. Soften cream cheese and thaw frozen juice.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium until well blended. Gradually add juice, beating well after each addition. Stir in strawberries. Add cool whip with wire whisk until well blended.
3. Pour over cookies in pan. Freeze for several hours (6) or until firm. Remove from freezer and let stand in fridge for 15 minutes
4. Serve with halved strawberries if desired.
***Variations include using your favorite frozen juice mix.***

Potato Salad

4-6 servings

1lb new potatoes
1/4 c mayo
2 tsp dried basil leaves
2 eggs
1 carrot
1 green pepper

1. Cut potatoes into cubes and cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Cool completely.
2. Hard boil the eggs while chopping pepper and shredding carrot.
3. Mix mayo and basil in large bowl until well blended.
4. Add potatoes, eggs, carrot and pepper. Mix lightly. Cover.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

Funeral Potatoes

1 1lb bag of frozen hash browns
1 8 oz Sour cream
1 can cream of chicken
4 green onions
2-3 c of grated cheese
Corn flakes or chow mien noodles

1. Mix all together; top with flakes or chow mien noodles.
2. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

Grilled Salmon

Fresh Salmon (buy it the day of)
Lemon Pepper
Pam cooking spray

1. Take two sheets of foil and spray with Pam. Place the salmon on one sheet and liberally sprinkle the salmon with Lemon Pepper seasoning (almost cover it).
2. Place the other sheet of foil on top (making sure the Pam side is on the inside!) and roll down all the sides to create a seal. Cook on the grill at medium to low - (depends on your grill) for 20 minutes, or until it's not translucent in the middle. If you don't have a grill you can cook it in your broiler for 20 minutes also.
3. Serve with lemon slices and other goodies like ice cream, cake, candy, etc.
***You may need to experiment with the cooking times and heat settings because each grill or broiler is different, but don't let that stop you! Enjoy the disasters and try again.***

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