Pinto Beans

INGREDIENTS:

* pinto beans (dry 16oz.)
* chopped tomato
* chopped large onion
* chopped green pepper
* chopped seedless jalapenos (2-3 freshly roasted or part of a can will do)
* cilantro sprigs (as much as you like)
* 1 packet of Sazon (from Goya)
* 1 bouillon vegetable cube
* 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic
* salt
* pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Soak beans over night or for a couple hours before cooking to make the cooking time faster and to do a do cleansing of beans. Add 3-4 quarts of water to a dutch pan and add the drained beans. Add cilantro, sliced onion, sliced green peppers, sliced jalapenos, crushed garlic, sazon, bouillon cube, salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or until tender, stirring every hour or so.

For extra flavoring if you have the time. Get out your blender and take half of the tomato, onion, green pepper and garlic and puree it (pre-cooked) in the blender to make it into a paste and add that to the pan for the flavor to incorporate better.

Very tasty and great with cornbread and cabbage. A meal in itself! Check out my delicious cornbread under the Mexican label.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups chopped onion
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 1/4 pounds peeled and cubed potatoes
* 4 cups boiling water
* 4 cups of vegetable stock
* 2-3 cups fresh broccoli, cooked and drained
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large stock pot saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, water and stock. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove tough outer skin of broccoli stems and cook broccoli. Once cooked add to soup.
3. In a blender or food processor puree half of the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add cheese and heat soup through until cheese is melted. Serve warm with freshly baked bread.

French Chicken

2 cups Minute Rice (uncooked)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Chicken Broth
1 pint Sour Cream
3-4 cooked chicken breasts (seasoned and diced)
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers (crumbled)
1-1 ½ stick butter


Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread rice over bottom of pan.
Mix soups, broth and sour cream.
Pour about half into rice and mix so that all rice is wet-respread on bottom of pan.
Crumble chicken over top of rice.
Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken; spread to cover evenly.
Sprinkle Ritz Crackers over entire dish.
Drizzle melted butter over crackers.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

(You can vary the soups to get a little different flavor. I’ve used cream of broccoli or celery before, and it was good too. Don’t use no-fat sour cream because it doesn’t bake well; the lite works well.)

Vanilla/Choco Frosting

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)


DIRECTIONS
Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Add cocoa if desired and beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk.