CORN SALSA

Ingredients

16 ounces white sweet corn, frozen and defrosted

1 small red onion diced really small

1 TB Giardiniera PEPPERS 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 C  of lime juice and a splash of lemon juice

large pinch  salt

Instructions

1. prepare the salsa by finely chopping the red onion, the  peppers , and fresh cilantro. Place into a large bowl and set aside.
2.  and place it in the bowl with the corn.
3. Pour the citrus juices into the bowl along with a large pinch of salt and stir until well combined. Taste test and add more salt if needed.
4. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up 4 days.

BLACK BEAN BURRITO

ITEMS NEEDED

2 cups cooked brown instant rice
3 cups baby spinach chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
14 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 tbsp. fajita seasoning mix
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1/4 cup diced fresh green onion for topping
19 ounce can of red enchilada sauce
6 to 8 flour tortillas

1 tablespoon of powdered chicken broth

Directions

In a large  pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion from three to four minutes. Add the spinach  and stir until it starts to wilt. Add in the cooked rice, black beans and fajita seasoning and broth , then stir until evenly mixed. Once combined, add the one cup of shredded cheddar. Mix until creamy and melted.

Lay out a flour tortilla on a flat surface. Spread with about 2/3 cup of the bean mixture and roll up. Repeat for all the tortillas.

Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13” x 9” baking dish (just enough to coat the dish). Place filled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350° F degrees for 20  minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onion before serving. top with sour cream- optional

I also make a salsa and have chips while they wait to eat

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

• Olive oil, for baking sheets
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 large eggplants (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 6 cups (48 ounces) store-bought chunky tomato sauce or homemade Chunky Tomato Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
• Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
• Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BEEF AND BROCCOLI STIR FRY

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb flank steak, trimmed of fat and sliced thin against the grain
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste
• ½ cup beef broth 
• 1 box of pasta noodles- I used spaghetti
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

instructions

cook pasta according to instructions on box

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, sherry,sugar, ginger, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, Sriracha sauce and beef broth. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the steak until it starts to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add sauce and stir in with the steak, it should start to thicken immediately. Add broccoli and cook for an additional 2 minutes until broccoli is tender and sauce is thickened.then add pasta.
3. Serve over rice or noodles.

TUNA II

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 (5 ounce) cans tuna packed in water, drained
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 rib)
• 2 T. minced red onion (about 2 small slices)
• 2 T. sweet pickle relish
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 rolls, split

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, relish, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir until uniformly combined.
2. Stir in ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, or season to taste. Serve immediately on rolls or refrigerate until chilled.

TUNA SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 can drained Tuna
1 1/2 tsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Sweet Relish
3/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Honey Wheat Bread
Sliced Red Onions
Sliced Tomatoes
1/2 ts of salt
1/2 ts of black pepper
1/2 ts of garlic powder
2 boiled eggs

Mix tuna,  eggs ,mayonnaise, relish and mustard in a bowl. Add spices a little at a time- until your liking
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Serve on honey wheat bread with leaf lettuce, slice red onion and sliced tomato.

CHICKEN SALAD

2 cups leftover cooked white meat chicken, chopped

* if you have to cook it season both sides with salt , black pepper and garlic powder

cook for 4 minutes on each side so it doesn't dry out.

If you have a really thick breast slice it into thin pieces before you cook it

•  

⅓ cup celery, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
¾ cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
8 slices whole wheat bread
loose leaf lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together the chicken, celery, egg, mayonnaise, relish, salt and pepper.
2. Toast bread and top half with lettuce.
3. Spread ¼ of the copycat chicken salad over each, and top with remaining toast slices.

NOTES

*if you really like  eggs, use two
*some like to add a little sugar (1/2 ts)

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fajita mix
• 3 chicken breast boneless and skinless
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 onions
• 1 cup Tex Mex cheese
• salsa
• sour cream
• 8 tortillas
• 2 tbsp butter

instructions

1. Clean and dice up the onion . Slice the peppers into small pieces. Clean and slice the CHICKEN breasts into long strips and place in a bowl.
2. Add a tbsp of the fajita mix to the chicken breast and mix well.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil and add the chicken to it. Cook the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes until it's fully cooked and no longer pink, and it's slightly charred, but not burned.
4. Remove chicken from skillet, and wipe the skillet clean.
5. Add another tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and heat it up. Add the onion and cook for a couple minutes until it's slightly translucent. Add the peppers and the fajita mix and mix well. Cook for a couple more minutes so the peppers cook slightly. Add the chicken to the skillet, mix with peppers and onions and cook for a minute.
6. In a clean skillet, add a bit of the butter and melt. Add a tortilla and move it around until it's buttery. Add a little bit of the chicken and onion mixture on top of the tortilla, and about ¼ cup of cheese, depending on how you like it. Add another tortilla on top and pat it down.
7. Now flip it over and cook on the other side until the other side is nice and golden. Remove from skillet and cut into quarters. Repeat these steps with the remaining tortillas. Serve this with  sour cream and salsa.

EASY ITALIAN CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts -OR-thighs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix brown sugar and salad dressing mix in a small bowl.
3. Dredge chicken in the sugar mixture well.
4. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
5. Sprinkle any leftover sugar mixture over chicken.
    Coupons
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes; baste occasionally with the juice that forms in the pan.

Brown Rice with Black Beans

 about 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 tsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2¼ cups water
1½ cups long-grain brown rice
1 tsp. salt
1-2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup corn kernels (fresh from cob, or frozen and thawed)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and tender, about 12-14 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken broth and water to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the rice and salt, and cover.  Bake until the rice is tender, 65-70 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven and uncover.  Fluff the rice with a fork, stir in the beans and corn, and replace the lid.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Mix in the cilantro and black pepper.  and you are ready to have dinner with your family !

OVEN ROASTED POTATOES

Ingredients

• 8-10 small red potatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 CUP OF PARMESAN CHEESE
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss potatoes with oil, salt  garlic powder , onion powder and pepper. Arrange, cut side down, on a large cookie sheet .
2. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes (flip after15 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish.
3. sprinkle with parmesan cheese

OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS

1 bunch Asparagus
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1TS Salt To Taste

 Black Pepper, To Taste
1TS Garlic powder
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 wash the asparagus thoroughly, stack a bunch together and cut off the thick bottom about  inch or so.

Spread out the asparagus out in a  baking sheet. 

 generously drizzle olive oil all over the asparagus and then sprinkle the asparagus generously with salt , garlic powder and black pepper.

Roast the asparagus for about ten minutes. The secret  is for the oven to be very hot so the asparagus can begin to brown on the outside without overcooking and getting too soft. 
once removed from oven sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and serve.

BAKED PARMESAN PORK CHOPS

boneless pork chops,  thin cut.  I used 8

1/4 cup olive oil

 1 cup parmesan cheese

 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

 1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1

in a bowl combine the last 6 ingredients. Rub the pork chops with olive oil and then dip (coat) each one in the cheese mixture. Press the mixture over the pork chops to make sure they are well covered in it. Line a pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the pork chops on the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 15 minutes per side.

CORNBREAD SQUARES

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

BLACK EYE PEAS W/ SMOKED TURKEY

Ingredients

• 1 smoked turkey wing
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 ts garlic powder
• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through
• 2 quarts of room temperature water, mixed with 1 tb of powdered chicken broth
• 1/2 ts cayenns pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons  salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 

Instructions

In a tall pot add water and broth and  cook the turkey leg until done about 45 minutes; then add the onion, , celery and peas  and the other seasonings above and cook just until tender. about
 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until peas are tender and creamy. stir occasionally
serve with cornbread.

DINNER ROLLS

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk 
• 1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the board
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted plus 1/4 cup butter, melted (optional) (unsalted is best, salted butter is fine to use)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Honey Cinnamon Butter
• 1/2 cup softened butter (salted butter)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

In a cup or small bowl, stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast to proof and begin to activate while you prepare the other ingredients. (This is not necessary, but I prefer this to using milk cold out of the refrigerator). Using a stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, egg, 1/3 cup melted butter, and salt. Add the milk mixture and process until you have a smooth dough; it will be stickier and wetter than regular bread dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough to grease all sides, and cover with a towel. Let rise until it has doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn it out on a floured board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough into a large, flat rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 16 portions with a sharp knife and place on a greased baking sheet and let rise again, until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes on the greased baking sheet. They will be light brown when removed from the oven. If desired you can brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter before serving .

Prepare honey cinnamon butter by combining butter, cinnamon, honey, and powdered sugar until well blended.