Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)

A lady in our ward gave this recipe and it's ingredients to us in a gift bag when Olivia was born.  It was delicious and made a lot!  It's definitely one of my new favorites.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)

*Serves 6 - 8

6 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-oz.) can white beans, like Great Northern, rinsed and drained
2 cups mild salsa
Tortillas or tortilla chips and garnishes (such as sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.)

Place the chicken in the crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Using tongs, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces.  Mix the chicken back in with the rest of the ingredients.  The mixture will be fairly soupy - I like to drain off some of the excess liquid before serving, especially if we are eating it in tortillas, so it doesn't make everything soggy.  Serve with tortilla chips or rolled in tortillas with garnishes, like tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.

*Freezable option:  She says "I freeze the leftovers in the freezer-safe zip loc bags and either place the frozen portion in my crock pot for a few hours the day I want to serve it or thaw the night before in the refrigerator and reheat on low in a saucepan."

Pepperoni Rolls

These are like cinnamon roll shaped pizza.  They are fun and easy to eat and super fast using my whole wheat breadstick dough.  My kids loved them!  A lot like my Calzones but just rolled up differently.  These can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the pepperoni and cheese.  You can substitute Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce in place of the cream cheese.  This is just as yummy!

Pepperoni Rolls

pizza sauce
turkey pepperoni
sliced olives
sliced mushrooms
diced peppers
dices onion
cream cheese, softened
shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese, optional
whole wheat breadstick dough (see recipe below)

Make whole wheat breadstick recipe.  Roll out dough on a well-floured surface into a 12x16 inch rectangle.  Spread with thin layer of cream cheese going all the way to the ends and leaving one long edge clean.  Spread layer of pizza sauce over top of cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle with favorite toppings-olives, mushrooms, peppers, onion, etc.  Cut pepperoni into quarters and sprinkle over veggies.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.  Starting with long side that has toppings all the way to the edge, roll up carefully, like a cinnamon roll.  End with clean edge and seal.  Cut into 12 rolls and place in a greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture.  Mix until smooth and elastic.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl and let is rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry).

Black Bean Taco Salad With Lime Vinaigrette

This is really good.  I love the vinaigrette with it.  I was all ready to make this and went to get my green pepper and it had gone bad.  Bummer.  So I substituted a large zucchini and it was great!  I'm sure a green pepper in there would be great, too, but now that I've had it with zucchini I think it will always have to be in there.  I also added a small avocado to the vinaigrette which made it very creamy.  You could omit this or chop it up and mix it with the salad instead or leave it out entirely.  I served this salad in my baked taco salad bowls and dinner was a big hit!  You could also serve it in soft tortillas, as a filling for pita bread, or as a salad with crushed tortilla chips on top.

Black Bean Taco Salad With Lime Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 small avocado, optional

Salad

1 cup chopped tomato

1 large zucchini, chopped (or 1 cup chopped green pepper)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup frozen corn, partially cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

lettuce greens, torn into bite-sized pieces or shredded

crushed tortilla chips, optional

-To prepare vinaigrette: combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor, process until smooth.  Add avocado if desired.

-To prepare salad: combine all chopped veggies except lettuce.  Pour vinaigrette over top and toss well to coat.  

-Serve on a bed of lettuce greens.  Top with crushed tortilla chips if desired.  Also great in soft tortillas, taco salad bowls, or as a filling for pita bread.

Homemade Beef and Noodles

Talk about comfort food!  This is it!  We grew up in Western Kansas in a small town close to our wonderful grandparents.  This was our favorite thing to have Gran Gran make for us.  She always made Beef and Noodles but after I left home for college at BYU I often turned it into Chicken and Noodles* just because I never had left over beef.  It is good either way but my favorite is Beef and Noodles because that's how Gran Gran made it.  I've made them with whole wheat flour, too, and they work great but are a little on the "tougher" side.  These noodles are thick and chunky and so good!  One batch makes more than you think!  The secret is to roll them out thin.  If you do decide to double the batch, make each batch individually.  They are much easier to handle that way.  It's cold and rainy here today.  I might have to make up a batch!

Homemade Beef and Noodles

4 eggs
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

Beat eggs with fork until mixed.  Add flour to eggs until thick enough to roll out.  The drier the better!  You don't want sticky dough.  Do not add salt!  Roll out onto floured surface to pie crust thickness.

Roll up like a jelly roll.  Slice into strips 1/8"-1/4" thick (depending on how chunky you like your noodles.)  Unroll individually (I always leave a few rolled up for fun.  Those are the BEST!)

Drop into a very large pot of 2 quarts boiling water (or enough water to cover all noodles with an inch or two above.)  After they have cooked for 10 minutes make a broth.

Pour off extra water until you have enough to just cover the noodles by an inch.  Add 4-6 beef bouillon cubes (depending on how much water you have.)  Add 2 cans cream of mushroom soup.  Add small pieces of cooked beef or leftover roast beef.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*To make Chicken and Noodles:  substitute 4-6 chicken bouillon cubes for the beef cubes, use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom, and diced cooked chicken instead of beef.  Can add other veggies, too, if desired.

Turkey Salad

This recipe is a variation of the Chicken Salad posted HERE.  I used leftover turkey and it was great!

Turkey Salad

Leftover cooked, cubed turkey
chopped green onion
red grapes, halved
sliced almonds
Mayo
Mrs. Dash-Garlic and Herb seasoning
salt & pepper to taste


Mix together and serve on bread, croissants, or over bed of lettuce.

Chicken Taco Ring

A variation on the traditional taco.  Serve with all of the taco toppings.

Chicken Taco Ring

1 lb. chicken breasts
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Garnish:  sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, chopped onion, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced olives

Spray cookie sheet.  Cook chicken breast in skillet.  Shred or chop cooked chicken.  Mix in taco seasoning and one cup shredded cheese.  Unroll both cans of crescent roll dough and separate into 16 triangles.  Arrange triangles on cookie sheet with short sides of triangles toward center and points facing out.  Overlap into wreath shape and leave about 5-inch round opening in center.  Lightly press short, overlapping ends of dough to flatten slightly.  Spoon chicken filling onto widest part of dough.  Pull end points back over filling and tuck under dough to form ring.  Filling will be visible.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with garnishes.

Shrimp Fried Rice

This is great as a side dish, under stir-fry, or as a main dish.

Shrimp Fried Rice

2 cups cooked rice or Minute Rice
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup fresh salad shrimp
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup water

In large skillet, melt butter.  Add onion and saute until tender.  Add rice and saute.  Cook until mixture is slightly browned.  Stir in slightly beaten eggs.  Cook on low until eggs are done.  Stir frequently.  Add shrimp.  Mix water and soy sauce and stir into rice mixture.  Serve immediately.

Salmon Gravy Over Puffed Pastry

This is a recipe from my Grandma.  It was passed down for many generations  It was originally made by my Great-Great-Grandmother.  It is a pioneer recipe.  While it calls for smoked or kippered salmon, I often just use the canned variety.  I use one large can for this recipe.  Grandma always served it over English Muffins but it can also be served over toast or in this case, puffed pastry.  It is actually a breakfast recipe but can be served for any meal.  

Salmon Gravy

3 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 can evaporated milk + 1 can water
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 tsp. dill weed
1 cup or more crumbled, smoked or kippered salmon (or canned salmon-remove all bones)

Melt butter in saucepan.  Whisk in flour.  Cook for one minute.  Add milk and water.  Whisk until smooth and bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Add dill weed, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in salmon.  Serve over toasted English Muffins or toast.  Or cut sheets of puffed pastry into squares and bake as directed.  Serve Salmon Gravy over hot puffed pastry.

Pineapple Chicken

This is a recipe I got from Tory's mom.  It was one of his favorites growing up.  It's easy, tastes great, and feeds a lot of people.  Serve over brown rice.

Pineapple Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts, or you can use chicken tenders or a whole chicken cut up
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits with juice
1 package of onion soup mix

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Brown chicken in pan with olive oil.  Dice or shred and return to pan.  Pour onion soup mix over chicken.  Pour pineapple with juice over chicken.  Simmer till done.  Make gravy using juice/drippings.  Add 2 Tbsp. flour.  Whisk together over med. heat.  Add a cup of water.  Whisk until smooth.  Bring to boil and stir into pineapple mixture.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Serve over brown rice.

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

With the use of Old Bay Seasoning, a classic herb mixture most often used for crab cakes, these little patties can justifiably be called Vegan Crab Cakes.  From the book The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Love that book!

Zucchini Cakes

2 ½ cups peeled and grated zucchini (about 5 small)

2 Tbsp. nondairy, nonhydrogenated butter (such as Earth Balance), melted

1 cup bread or cracker crumbs, seasoned or plain (crushed Saltines work great)

¼ cup minced yellow or red onion

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

 ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Canola oil, for frying

Spread grated zucchini on a kitchen towel, and roll up jelly-roll style.  Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.  (You may even need to do this twice with two different towels.)  If you fail to do this, your zucchini cakes will be too wet.

In a large bowl, combine zucchini and nondairy butter.  Stir in bread crumbs, minced onion, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly to combine.

Coat your hands in oil, and shape mixture into patties.  Coat each patty in flour.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Fry patties until golden brown on both sides.  (Reheat in toaster oven or skillet.)

Yield:  8 servings

Lentil Lasagna

Don't let the name scare you off.  This is one delicious lasagna.  That being said, don't go into this recipe thinking it will be exactly like your traditional lasagna.  You have to think of it as its own thing.  And it's a good thing.  I was feeling like lasagna but didn't want all of the cheese and dairy that go with it.  I've had some great vegetarian lasagnas that use tofu in the cheese sauce or TVP as the meat but I didn't want to use any soy this time either.  I have substituted lentils for "meat" so many times and in so many other recipes.  I can't believe this is the first time I thought to use it in lasagna.  It was great!  I made THIS cheese sauce to layer with the sauce mixture.  I think next time I will one-and-a-half the recipe or double it.  Just needed a bit more.  It was stretched pretty thin.  For the zucchini layer I used a vegetable peeler to get the slices very thin and long.  I just peeled the zucchini and then used the peeler to slice all around until I got to the inside seed part.  I put a generous layer of zucchini over the first two noodle layers and they blended right in to the noodle layer.  Great way to get more veggies in.  This recipe does take a few pots and pans to make but if you know you're going to make it you can cook the lentils and the cheese sauce in advance and cut down on the time.


*This can also be made in a crock pot.  Layer as directed in recipe.  Do not cook noodles ahead of time.  Layer dry noodles.  You will have to break them up to cover your crock pot-especially if it's round like mine! Add 1 Tbsp. of water to each corner after assembling the lasagna to help the noodles cook.  Cook in crock pot on High for 3 hours.  Note that not all crock pots are the same-adjust time and temperature according to your crock pot.

Lentil Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cook as directed
1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
1-2 bottles of your favorite pasta sauce, reserve 1 cup for top
1/2 bag spinach, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c. chopped mushrooms
2 zucchini-thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler
chopped olives, if desired
Mozzarella "cheese" sauce

Boil noodles in a large pot and cook as directed.

Sort and rinse lentils, being sure to remove any stones.  In a separate pot, bring lentils and 2 cups of water to boil.  Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer for 20 min. or until tender.  Drain off any remaining liquid.  Set aside.

While noodles and lentils are cooking make cheese sauce. (See recipe below.)  When finished, set aside.

In a large skillet heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté garlic and onion.  Add mushrooms.  Add chopped spinach until wilted.  Stir in sauce and cooked lentils.

To assemble lasagna:  Cover bottom of 9x13 baking dish with about 1 cup lentil/sauce mixture.  Top with 3 cooked lasagna noodles.  Layer with half of zucchini slices.  Place zucchini in the same direction as noodles.  Top the zucchini with half of remaining lentil/sauce mixture.  Next, spread half of the cheese sauce over the lentil/sauce layer.  Sprinkle with sliced olives if desired.  Repeat with layer of noodles, remaining zucchini, remaining lentil/sauce mixture, cheese sauce, and olives.  Place last 3 noodles and cover with reserved 1 cup of plain sauce.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce
1 cup water
2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Teriyaki K-Bobs

This is a great marinade for grilling.  Good on beef or chicken but I prefer with beef.  Great flavor but plan ahead.  It needs at least 6 hours of marinating and overnight is even better!  You must use fresh pineapple!  So good all grilled up.  Mmmm...

Teriyaki K-Bobs

1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 lbs. steak or chicken, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetables-zucchini, mushrooms, green peppers, onions-cut into 1-inch cubes

Mix ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic powder.  Place meat in a shallow dish and pour sauce over top.  Mix to coat each piece.  Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in fridge for 6 hours or overnight.  To assemble k-bobs:  Thread meat, pineapple, and vegetable chunks.  Grill for about 15-20 minutes or until meat is done and vegetables are tender.

Sloppy Josés

These sandwiches are a twist off the traditional Sloppy Joe.  The addition of chile peppers, salsa, and beans gives them a kick and I "twisted" them even further and made them with lentils instead of beef.  (If you want to use beef instead of lentils just use 12 oz. lean ground beef.)  Super!  Austin originally found the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book we checked out from the library.  I loved the way they turned out after the changes we made.  Definitely a keeper!

Sloppy Josés

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and sorted
4 cups water
1/2-1 can refried beans, fat free (use more or less depending on how thick you want your filling)
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can diced green chile peppers
1/2 cup salsa
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
6 hamburger buns
Toppings:  lettuce, sliced olives, pickles, guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream if desired

Rinse and sort dry lentils, removing any stones.  Place in a saucepan with 4 cups water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to med-low and place lid slightly ajar over pan.  Simmer for 20 min. or until soft.  Drain off any remaining liquid when done.  Set aside (or go on to the next step while the lentils are cooking.)

In a large skillet, saute diced onion.  Add 1/2 can (about 3/4 cup) refried beans, green chilies, salsa, water, and minced garlic to the skillet.  Stir in cooked lentils.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.  Add more refried beans if desired.  Turn burner to low heat.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture is thick and most of the liquid is gone.

Spoon mixture onto buns.  Top with desired toppings.  Serve.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

This recipe uses a different variation of "cheese" made from cashews.  It is so delicious and really fills you up!  Once again my kids were loving the "cheese" and eating it by the spoonfuls.  The only thing I did differently was that I left out the miso paste because I didn't have any.  I baked mine in the oven with bread crumbs on top (see note at bottom of recipe) which was delicious.  I found this recipe in The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Great cookbook and absolutely delicious recipe.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

1 ¼ cups raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp. onion powder

1-2 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 ½ cups nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)

3 Tbsp. thickener such as cornstarch or kudzu root

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup light (yellow or white) miso paste

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

12-16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles, cooked

Place cashews in large bowl of the food processor and finely grind. Don’t, however, allow cashews to turn to paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, thickener, and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1- minutes, or until thickener dissolves.

With food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Next, blend in miso and lemon juice.

Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You also may bake it (see below). If you have extra cheese, make more noodles, pour over broccoli, or serve as fondue dip. Cashew cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refrigerated.

Yield: 8 servings

*The cashew cheese for this recipe will be creamy, perfect for macaroni and cheese or as a sauce for vegetables. To make a hard block of cheese, substitute thickener for 1 cup (about 2 oz) afar flakes. Transfer creamy mixture to container you want to use for a mold (rectangular, square, round). Once it sets (after a few hours in the refrigerator), unmold, and slice or grate. Serve on crackers.

*To make the baked version: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer macaroni mixture to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover dish, and sprinkle ½ cup herbed bread crumbs on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

Calzones

These are super filling and vegetarian.  Of course you could always add regular cheese and any of your favorite meat toppings as well but we like to keep them vegetarian.  I like to lightly saute my veggies before adding them.  You can use your favorite pizza crust recipe for the dough.  I usually just use a quick whole wheat breadstick recipe (see below).  Don't skimp on the sauce and the cheese sauce or the calzone could end up a little dry.  The Mozzerella "Cheese" Sauce just makes them!  This is a favorite dinner for our family and one I feel good serving.  Load up the veggies and you have a great healthy and homemade dinner!  I usually serve this with a salad.

Calzones

Pizza dough recipe (see below)
Pizza sauce, your favorite homemade or jarred sauce
Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce recipe

Toppings:  onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Make pizza dough.  While it is rising prepare the filling.  For the filling saute the veggies for a couple minutes.  Make sure they're still tender-crisp.  You definitely don't want soggy veggies!  After the dough has risen, roll it out onto an oiled cookie sheet.  Spread your sauce legthwise on half of the dough.  Layer with veggies.  Top with Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce.  Flip over the empty half of the crust and press down around the edges to seal in filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Slice and serve!

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture.  Mix until smooth and elastic.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl and let is rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry). 

Empanadas- Rissoles à la viande

Here is a recipe that I do since I'm a teen (from Unicep recipe book), and I do like it a lot... My husband and kids too. It's a little rich so you can do a salad with it... Perfect for a dinner...It's from Chili. Hope my english is ok to be understood!!....

Empanadas – Rissoles à la viande

Temps de repos : 2h

Ingrédients (pour 6 personnes)
Pour la pâte :
500 g de farine
½ c.c de levure
1 c.s lait tiède
Une pincée de sel
200 g de beurre mou en morceaux

Pour la farce :
250 g de viande hachée
2 oignons hachés
1 gousse d’ail hachée
1 piment sec émietté
2 œufs durs hachés
8 olives vertes dénoyautées
50 g de raisins secs
Paprika, marjolaine

Mélangez la farine et la levure dans un bol et creuser un puits.
Versez-y le lait, les œufs et le sel. Mélangez bien.
Ajoutez le beurre ramolli. Travaillez le tout jusqu’à l’obtention d’une pâte bien lisse.
Laissez reposer pendant 2 heures.

Pour la farce, mélangez viande, oignons, ail et piment.
Faites chauffer de l’huile de friture dans une poêle et mettez-y la farce à cuire.
Laissez refroidir et ajoutez le mélange œufs hachés, olives, raisins secs, paprika et marjolaine.

Etalez la pâte au rouleau comme pour une tarte.
Posez un bol (10 cm de diamètre) et découpez des ronds serrés les uns contre les autres.
Couvrez la moitié des ronds avec la farce. Badigeonnez les bords d’un peu d’eau.
Pliez chaque rond en deux en appuyant sur les bords, pour fermer.
Faites dorer les rissoles des 2 côtés dans l’huile et servez-les immédiatement.

****************************************************************************

Rest time : 2 hours

Ingredients (6 persons)
For the pastry :
3 cups of flour
½ tsp of yeast
1 tbsp of lukewarm milk
A pinch of salt
¾ cup of soft butter

For the stuffing:
9 ounces of minced meat
2 minces onions
1 garlic clove
1 minced dry pimento
2 minced hard boiled eggs
8 pited green olives
2 ounces of raisins
Paprika, marjoram.

Mix the flour and the yeast in a bowl, and hollow a hole. Pour out the milk, the eggs and the salt. Mix well.
Add the soft butter. Mix everything until you have a smooth pastry.
Let rest for 2 hours.

For the stuffing, mix the meat, onions, garlic and pimento.
Warm up a frying pan and put it in the stuffing for cooking.
Let it cool and add the mixing minced eggs, olives, raisins, paprika and marjoram.

Spread the pastry like a pie.
Put a bowl (4 inches diam.) and cut rounds.
Cover the half of the rounds with the stuffing. Distemper the borders with a little bit of water.
Fold up each round in two pressing the sides to close.
Glaze the rissoles each sides in oil, and serve immediately.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette and Grilled Fish Tacos

I have never eaten Fish Tacos.  I know.  Crazy!  I love fish and I love tacos and I see this combo all the time but it never really sounded very good to me.  But I saw this recipe on Our Best Bites and for some reason it sounded really good so I decided to go for it.  The fish is marinated in a Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette before grilling.  (Not to be confused with the Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing.)  I served them with delicious Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing on top (also from Our Best Bites) and my Homemade Salsa.  They were so good!  Every one of my kids loved them, too.  The cabbage slaw was a great addition to them!  This vinaigrette has great flavor and can also be served on a salad, not just as a marinade.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade.

Grilled Fish Tacos

Mild white meat fish-cod, talapia, red snapper, mahimahi, etc.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Corn tortillas

Shredded cabbage (or cole slaw mix)

Pico de Gallo or Homemade Salsa

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Use a mild white meat fish like cod, tilapia, red snapper, mahimahi, etc.  Marinate in Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette for about 20 minutes (reserve some marinade to add to cooked fish later).  Lightly brush the grill with oil and cook fish for about 8-12 minutes over medium heat (depending on the thickness of the fish) or until very flaky.  (I just used my electric counter-top grill.)  Flake cooked fish and season with leftover marinade if desired (make sure you use the reserved marinade and not the marinade that the raw fish was in!)   Serve the flaked fish in corn tortillas. You'll need to slightly cook the corn tortillas so they don't overwhelm the flavor of the fish; you can brush them with olive oil and bake them in an oven set to 425 for about 5-10 minutes or cook them in a skillet with some olive oil until they start to brown but are still flexible.  Serve with cabbage (cole slaw mix), Pico de Gallo or homemade salsa, the amazing Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing and/or guacamole.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are soooo delicious!  They have the best flavor.  Leave nothing out!  You won't be disappointed.  I have substituted a green bell pepper for the red but that's it.  The kidney beans give them a nice red color and the vegetables are simply delicious together.  I usually double the recipe so I can have leftovers.  Leftovers are great reheated.  I love to crumble them over a salad for another meal option.  A single recipe makes about 4 burgers.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small carrot, shredded
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cooked brown rice

In a food processor* bowl with metal blade, combine first 9 ingredients; process with on/off pulses until coarsly chopped. Do NOT puree or they won't hold their buger shape.  Shape mixture into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick.  Cook in a skillet lightly greased with olive oil on medium high for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until nicely browned and warmed through.  Do not flip burgers more than once or they could lose their shape.  If they do, just pat them back together.  Place burgers on whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion or any other hamburger fixin's you like.

*This can also be done by blending kidney beans in blender on low then putting mashed beans into bowl and adding finely chopped veggies, ketchup and salt. Stir in cooked brown rice.

Mexican Ravioli

This is another quick meal that's easy to put together and pretty tasty...and sometimes that's a really good combination.  It's also a nice change from the usual spaghetti sauce on ravioli.  I always use cheese ravioli because I really don't care for the beef flavored ravioli but use whatever you like best.

Mexican Ravioli
1 bag frozen ravioli
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese, optional
Toppings such as:  green onions, sour cream, sliced olives, shredded cheese, etc.

Cook frozen ravioli as directed on package.  In a large skillet combine enchilada sauce and salsa and heat through.  Drain cooked ravioli and add to sauce mixture, stirring gently to avoid breaking open the ravioli.  Stir in cheese if desired.  Top individual servings with your choice of toppings.

Creamed Potatoes and Peas

This dish is great as a main dish or as a side.  The peas and potatoes with the creamy sauce make it very hearty.  Quick to put together and easy to make vegetarian.  I make my white sauce with almond milk.  You can also use regular milk, canned milk, soy milk, or even...cream!  Whatever makes you happy.  The last time I made it I threw in some bacon bits.  Enjoy!

Creamed Potatoes and Peas
10-12 small red skinned potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp. diced onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or you can use butter)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Wash potatoes.  Skins can be left on.  Cut larger potatoes in half.  Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add frozen peas and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (Or cook peas separately if you don't have enough room in your pot.)

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Saute onion until tender; add flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk using a whisk to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add thyme and dill; cook until thickened and bubbly. Drain potatoes and peas; place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over and stir to coat. Serve immediately.