Summer California Salad

Ingredients
1 Container (8 oz) nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons Chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon Honey
1 Small head iceburg lettuce cut into 8 wedges
8 Fresh apricots, halved and pits removed
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 Cantaloupe, seeded, sliced and rind removed
1/4 cup Shelled and chopped natural pistachios

Preparation
To make dressing, in a bowl whisk yogurt, orange juice concentrate, basil and honey. To assemble salad, on individual serving plates arrange remaining ingredients, dividing equally. Serve dressing on the side.

Billy Bob's Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:
8 large cabbage leaves
1 can tomato soup
1 pound ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Method:

Cook cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften. Drain. Mix 2 tablespoons of the soup and rest of ingredients. Divide the mixture among cabbage leaves. Fold the sides in, roll up, and secure with toothpicks.

In large skillet, place rolls, seam side down. Add rest of soup to pan, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking. Spoon soup over cabbage rolls often while stirring.

Chicken Tikka Masala

An Indian Dish sure to perk your taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
salt to taste
boneless skinless chicken breasts: cut into bite-size pieces
skewers for the chicken
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper: finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream

Method:

In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne,black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt.

Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Prepare Barbeque grill for a hot fire.

Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 60 seconds. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, salt to taste.

Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.

The Grand Salsa Experiment: Black Bean Variety

Ingredients:

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (11 ounce) can of white shoe peg corn, drained
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, partially drained
2 tomatoes, diced
2 bunches green onions, chopped
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method:

Just mix it up in a bowl and stick in the fridge. Sometimes I add some balsamic vinegar, or sometimes chile powder, I like those small cans of green chile too, and in some stores you might find a bottle of cactus sliced which is also good to add.

Salsa can be a grand experiment just start adding things. Basil is good, garlic powder, a dash of olive oil, and I might just try throwing in some chopped mint leaves sometime. If you try the mint leaves let me know, you might just save me from a bad experiment.

Jeff's Southwest Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz package of mild sausage (I like the kind with sage in it, but that is optional)
1 package of Philly cream cheese (you can use the Neufchatel fat free kind)
1 can of RoTel Original chilies (Use the hotter varities if you are into pain)

Method:

Brown & drain sausage

Melt cream cheese into sausage

Stir in the chilies.

Put in a bowl

Dip with Tostitos chips.

Get fat :)


For bigger parties, or for those wishing to get really fat, just double or triple all ingredients.

Chicken Caserole

Chicken Caserole

Ingredients:
4 to 6 pieces of chicken
1 can of chicken cream soup
1/2 can of water
1 package of frozen vegetable
1 to 2 cups of cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cut up your chikcen
2. Pour the soup over it
3. Add the veggies
4. Pour the cheese over it.
5. Cook at 350 for an hour
5. Serve with noodles, rice, or stuffing.

Southwest Chicken CrockPot

This is from memory!
Easy & Yummy

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of salsa
1 can of black beans (drained & rinse)
1 can of corn
2 big pieces of split chicken breast
or 4 to 6 pieces of chicken


Directions:
1. Dump everything in the crock pot, set the temp to Medium.
2. Let it cook 4 to 5 hours.
3. Chicken will fall right off the bone
4. Serve with burrito shells or chips. Get out toppings like cheese. Dinner is ready!

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin spice bread - (otherwise known as thrasher bread LOL)

Ingredients:
3 c. sugar (crazy I know but what d'ya do)
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (16 oz.) solid pack pumpkin (and make sure you don't slice your fingers open on the lid )
3-1/2 c. flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 c water


Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs. add pumpkin and mix well (I just hand mix this whole recipe and wisk if I get lumps).
2. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. pour into 2 greased 9x5x3 loaf pans.
3. Bake at 350 for 50-70 min (just keep an eye on it) or until bread tests done. cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. ** I prefer to use mini loaf pans because when I use the reg. sized ones, the edges get done long before the "guts". with the mini loafs, I can give some away and they just turn out much nicer. 2 mini loaf pans should do it. I have one and use it twice. I cook it at the same heat for about 20 min or so.


Healthier Twist
I have played around with this recipe a lot & it still test great! But for a healthier way add 1 cup of applesaouce & cut the oil & the sugar in half. And I usually add choc.chips on it, but that probably doesn't help if you are trying to cut out the sugar.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
A tasty sour cream coffee cake with a streak of chocolate chips in the middle.
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add the flour mixture and combine. Batter will be thick.
5. In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
6. Spread half of the cake batter in prepared 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chip mixture over the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter, and then the remaining chocolate chip mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Tequila Marinade For Steaks and Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tequila or more hehehe
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Method:

Mix all ingredients. Pierce steak or chicken and let soak in a sealed plastic bag for at least one hour.