Avocado Chicken Salad

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 avocado
1/4 chopped onion
 juice of 1/2 a lime
 2 Tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper to taste.

Cook chicken breast until done, let cool, and then shred. Mix with all other

Pub Style Chili

1/3 cup olive oil                                                                     

                        

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

                        

1 cup finely chopped onion

                        

1 cup chopped carrot

                        

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

                        

1/4 cup chopped celery

                        

1 tablespoon minced garlic

                        

1 tablespoon chili powder, or more to taste

                        

1 tablespoon ground cumin

                        

1 1/8 teaspoons salt

                       

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper                                                   

                        

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

                        

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

                        

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice

                        

3 cups black beans, undrained

                        

1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

                        

1/4 cup red wine

                        

3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)

                        

2 cups water

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, onion, carrot, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

 

2. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, black beans and their liquid, tomato paste, red wine, hot pepper sauce, and water.

 

3. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Farmers Market Quesadillas

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper                                                    

                 

1/2 cup chopped zucchini                                                    

                        

1/2 cup chopped yellow squash                                                    

                        

1/2 cup chopped red onion                                                    

                        

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms                                                    

                        

1 tablespoon olive oil                                                    

                        

cooking spray                                                    

                       

6 (9 inch) whole wheat tortillas                                                    

                        

1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
2. Coat the same pan with cooking spray, and place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tortilla, and layer 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle another 1/8 cup of cheese on the vegetables, and top with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on both sides, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove quesadilla from pan, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve hot.

 

Tex Mex Burgers

Chipotle Ketchup:

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo paste, pureed

2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Burgers:

12 slices bacon, 4 slices fine chop

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 small onion, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1/2 tablespoon cumin, half a scant palmful

½ tablespoon ground coriander, half a palmful

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika, a scant palmful

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

4 slices smoked cheddar or sharp cheddar

4 slices Pepper Jack cheese

4 crusty burger rolls, split and toasted

Lettuce and red onions

Directions:

Place ketchup ingredients in small pot and simmer 20 minutes over low heat to thicken. Bake 8 slices of bacon on slotted pan to crisp in hot oven at 375.

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in skillet, add bacon and crisp then remove to paper towel lined plate to drain, leave 2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Cook onions, jalapenos and garlic in pan and cook to soften 7-8 minutes, cool. Place meat in bowl, add bacon, cooled onions and jalapenos, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Form 4 patties and cook in skillet over medium high heat 8-12 minutes turning once for medium to well done. Melt cheeses over top last minute or 2 – 1 slice of each.

Place burgers on buns, top with bacon, lettuce, onions, chipotle ketchup.

Garlic Pork Roast

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 

1 (2 pound) boneless pork roast 

                                                   

salt and pepper to taste     

                                                                

4 sweet potatoes, quartered

 

1 onion, quartered

 

6 cloves garlic

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Season meat with salt and pepper, and brown in oil.
2. In a slow cooker, layer sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. Place browned roast on top of vegetables, and pour in chicken broth.
3. Cover, and cook on low setting for 6 hours.

Roasted Whole Chicken

1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes

                       

1 large onion, thinly sliced

 

1/3 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce

                    

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 

2 cloves garlic cloves pressed

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled    

 

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed  

 

3/4 teaspoon pepper                                                    

 

Directions:

 

1. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; cut each piece crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place with onion in large, shallow foil-lined baking pan. Combine next 7 ingredients; drizzle 1 Tbsp. mixture over potato mixture and toss until evenly coated.

1. Discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold running water; drain and pat dry. Place chicken, breast side up, in center of pan, moving potatoes aside. Brush chicken, including cavity, thoroughly with soy sauce mixture.

1. Roast in 375 degrees F oven about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part not touching bone registers 180 degrees F, brushing chicken with soy sauce mixture every 30 minutes and stirring vegetables. Remove from oven; let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with potatoes.

Sausage Pinwheels

                        

1 pound ground pork sausage

 

1 onion, finely chopped                                                    

                    

2 stalks celery, finely chopped      

              

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley     

 

Black Pepper to taste

 

1/2 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

 

Directions:

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together ground pork sausage, onion, celery, parsley and pepper.
3. Roll one pastry sheet into an 8x12 inch rectangle. Spread with 1/2 the sausage mixture. Beginning with one of the shorter sides, roll pastry. Moisten with water. Seal the edges with a moist fork. Slice the roll into approximately 1 inch pieces. Repeat with second pastry sheet and remaining sausage mixture.
4. Flatten the roll pieces onto a large baking sheet. Bake approximately 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes, until sausage is evenly browned and pastry is golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. 

Dill Zucchini Relish

This actually calls for cucumbers but I substitute zucchini.

6  cups cucumbers, chopped  
2  cups red bell peppers, chopped  
2  cups onions, chopped  
1  cup celery, chopped  
2/3 cup salt  
6  cups water  
4  cups cider vinegar  
1  cup sugar (optional)  
2  tablespoons mustard seeds  
1  teaspoon celery seed  
3   garlic cloves, minced  
2   chili peppers, minced  
1/2 cup dill weed, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine cucumber, peppers, onion and celery with salt and water. Let sit 3 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain well again.

2. Bring vinegar, sugar, and remaining ingredients to a boil in a large pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add drained, chopped vegetables, and return to boil. Reduce to simmer and continue until relish reaches desired consistency - about 15 minutes.

3. Ladle into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Close with hot 2-piece caps, and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

4. Store in cool dry place.

Creamed Corn

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels,
thawed 1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter.

Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture.

Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through.

Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.