Spanish Corned Beef

This is one of my kids all-time favorites. Everyone in the house likes it and is excited when I say I'm making it for dinner. Best of all, it's so easy and fast to make!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

1 can corned beef

1/4 cup sofrito

15 Spanish olives, with juice

1 pkg. Sazon Goya(R) con achiote

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup water, or more depending on how liquidy you want it

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, add remaining ingredients to a medium saucepot and simmer until potatoes are soft. Serve over hot rice.

Substitutions:
Add 1 cup extra water and 1/2 cup dried diced potatoes
Use 1 can drained garbanzo beans instead of potatoes
Replace corned beef and potatoes with 1-2 cans of corned beef hash

Italian Chili

Prep Time: 4 to 8 hours

Makes: About 6 servings

I made this for our ward Halloween party and won 2nd place. I was pretty pleased about it, since I haven't won any places for several years. The last time I won, I was one of five people that brought chili and everyone won a category... I just wanted to do something a little different than the regular chili and so tried this. I think of it as a spicy version of Pasta e Fagioli.

1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed*

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced**

1 medium onion, chopped**

1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped

2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, crushed between palms

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

Brown sausage in water over medium heat until no pink remains, stirring to break up sausage. Drain and add sausage to a large pot or crock pot. Add olive oil to saucepan used to cook sausage and saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper until tender-crisp; add to pot with sausage. Add remaining ingredients. Using kitchen shears, cut stewed tomatoes in can and add to pot. Cook on low on stove 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Cook in crock pot on high 2 to 4 hours or on low 6 to 8 hours.

Serving options:

Serve over cooked pasta

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese

Top with grated Parmesan cheese

*The chili isn't very spicy at first, but it strengthens as it cooks. It ends up being somewhat spicy and to make it more mild, use half hot and half sweet Italian sausage or just sweet Italian sausage.

**I used 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. dried onion and added 1/4 cup extra water.

Post Edit (3/12/2010): I tripled this recipe (only doubled the meat) and it comes to the very top of my 6-quart Nesco roaster. I also used only sweet Italian sausage that I had precooked and sliced, then froze. I used only 2 pounds of meat, 1 cup dried onions, and 1 cup freeze-dried green peppers.

German Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time: 35 to 45 minutes

Makes: 1 - 13"x9" pan

Brownie mix (for 13"x9" pan)

Ingredients to make brownies

1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

Make brownies according to package directions. Spread brownies in lightly greased 13"x9" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and coconut on brownie batter. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake as per brownie mix instructions until edges and some of the top is golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

This started as an experiment. I wanted to make the bar cookies that are sometimes called "Seven Layer Bars" or "Magic Cookie Bars" or "Easiest Cookies in the World". One time I made them with chocolate graham crackers instead of honey grahams and really liked them. So I decided to try using a brownie crust with the "seven-layer" part on top. I made a homemade brownie mix and altered the recipe a bit, but I won't post it since it's in a copyrighted book. I'm sure any brownie mix will work.

I served this at my parents' house and my dad named it. He had two big pieces in about 10 minutes...

Cookies 'n Brownies

My mother-in-law recently gave me a great idea. Make a batch of brownies and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Pour the brownie batter in the pan and drop cookie dough on top. Bake as directed for the brownies.

Try it with a scoop of ice cream on top. Yum!

If you have refrigerated or frozen cookie dough, it makes it go a lot faster. See my tips for freezing cookie dough in Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. Just put frozen cookie dough balls on top without defrosting.

I did this for FHE last night and it was a hit. I just wish I'd put more scoops of cookie dough on it! (I'll post a picture when I make it again, since I didn't take a picture of it.)

Spanish Chicken Stew

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken breast, cut in 2" pieces

1 tsp adobo

1 cup sofrito

6 to 8 cups water or chicken stock

3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes*

4 medium potatoes, washed and cut in 2" pieces

2 cups bite-size carrot pieces

1/2 cup Spanish green olives

1 pkg Sazón Goya(R)

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

Season chicken breast with adobo and sauté over medium heat until no pink remains. Add remaining ingredients, except rice. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are soft.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. Serve stew over rice.

*Only use bouillon if you are using water for the stew

Serve with any of these:

Slices of avocado that have been seasoned with salt and pepper

Tossed salad

Mango

Tostones

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 8 to 13 minutes per sheet

1 recipe makes: 3 dozen 3-inch cookies

My mom got a Butter Flavor Crisco(R) Cookie Recipe Book when I was a young teenager and I tried the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and loved it. I have been making them often ever since...

Original recipe:

3/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups if nuts are omitted)

1 cup large pecan pieces, optional

Doubled:

1 1/2 cups Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (3 cups if nuts are omitted)

2 cups large pecan pieces, optional

Tripled:

2 1/4 cups Butter Flavor Crisco (regular is fine, too)

3 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp milk

3 Tbsp vanilla

3 eggs

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp salt

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (4 1/2 cups if nuts are omitted)

3 cups large pecan pieces, optional

1. Heat oven to 375F.

2. Cream shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg.

3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3-inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist - DO NOT OVERBAKE), 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes (they will continue to bake during cooling). Remove to cooling rack.

My hints:

Using cookie scoops makes it go much faster and I end up with even, round cookies.

I like to bake cookies on stone. The cookies turn out more moist and cook more evenly. Occasionally, I forget that I'm baking cookies and remember about 20 minutes later when they start to smell overcooked, but they still aren't burned! When baking on stone, for moist cookies, the first batch takes about 12 minutes, but once the stones are a little warmed, it only takes about 10 minutes. They are ready when they are slightly golden and no longer shiny.

I usually triple the recipe and bake a couple of sheets of cookies, then scoop the rest of the dough onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper and freeze until hard. Then I put the frozen cookie dough balls into freezer bags, remove the air, label them, and put them in the freezer. Then when I want fresh cookies, I put the frozen cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and bake until slightly golden. I usually just use my toaster oven with my toaster oven-size stone pan!

Crisco's Variations:

1. Drizzle

Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white melting chocolate with 1 tsp Butter Flavor Crisco over VERY low heat or 50% power in microwave. Stir well. If too thick to drizzle, add a little more Butter Flavor Crisco to thin. Drizzle from end of spoon back and forth over cookie. Sprinkle with nuts before chocolate hardens, if desired.

To harden chocolate quickly, place cookies in refrigerator for a few minutes.

2. Chocolate Dipped

Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white melting chocolate with 1 tsp Butter Flavor Crisco over VERY low heat or 50% power in microwave. Stir well. Spoon into a cup. Dip one end of cooled cookie halfway up in chocolate. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts before chocolate hardens. Place on wax paper.

To harden chocolate quickly, place cookies in refrigerator for a few minutes.

3. Holiday Dress-Ups

Frost cookies with Creamy Vanilla Frosting. Decorate with red and green candy coated pieces.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Combine 1/2 cup Butter Flavor Crisco, 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners sugar, 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla in medium bowl at low speed of electric mixer until well blended. Scrape bowl. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cookies.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

6 to 8 whole frozen strawberries

1 fresh or frozen banana

Put ingredients in blender. Puree until smooth.

You can use any kind of frozen fruit. I also like 6 to 8 strawberries with 1/2 cup berry blend (blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries). All measurements are approximate.

When Michael makes this, he omits the sugar and vanilla and uses 2 packets of Splenda and 2 scoops of vanilla-flavored protein powder.

Tip: I like to use mostly frozen fruit and cut back on the ice. It makes for a richer, fruitier smoothie. When bananas are getting the brown speckles, I peel them, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them, removing as much air as possible. Then they are ready to be used in smoothies or banana bread. Use in 3 months or less.

Striped Pudding Parfaits

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

This is a recipe from The Pampered Chef (R) "Kids in the Kitchen" recipe book (no longer in print). This is almost word for word from the book:

2 cups cold milk

1 pkg (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping

1 pint strawberries

2 medium bananas

1/2 cup Honey Granola Crunch

1. Pour milk into Classic Batter Bowl. Add pudding mix and beat with Stainless Steel Whisk for 2 minutes until pudding begins to thicken. Refrigerate 5 minutes.

2. Attach Open Star Tip to Easy Accent(R) Decorator. Using Medium Scoop, fill tube with whipped topping.

3. Remove stems from strawberries. Peel bananas. On Cutting Board, cut bananas into 2-inch pieces using My Safe CutterTM. Slice strawberries and bananas using Egg Slicer Plus(R).

4. In 6 (6-8 oz) parfait or clear plastic drinking glasses, layer pudding, whipped topping, strawberries, bananas, and granola any way you like. Top with a strawberry fan or extra banana slices, if desired.

Cook's Tip:

By using other flavors of pudding and different fruits, you can create an almost endless number of flavor combinations. Just let your imagination run wild!

Tool Tip:

The Medium Scoop is the perfect tool for scooping pudding into the parfait glasses.

Honey Granola Crunch

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 6 cups or 12 servings

This is a recipe from The Pampered Chef (R) "Kids in the Kitchen" recipe book (no longer in print). This is almost word for word from the book:

1 cup nuts

4 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup stick butter or margarine

1/4 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. On Cutting Board, coarsely chop nuts, about 1/4 cup at a time, using Food Chopper.

2. In Rectangular Baker, mix nuts, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt using Mix 'N Scraper(R).

3. Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker(R). Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until melted. Stir in honey.

4. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir with scraper until oat mixture is evenly coated.

5. Adult help: Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes so mixture browns evenly. Using Oven Mitts, remove Baker to Nonstick Cooling Rack. Stir.

6. Cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Cook's Tips:

If you like, add 1 cup of your favorite dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries, coconut or chopped dates to the oat mixture after removing from the oven

For a speedy snack, sprinkle Honey Granola Crunch over yogurt or cut-up fresh fruits or just enjoy a handful!

Crunched for time but hungry for dessert? Sprinkle Honey Granola Crunch over your favorite warmed fruit pie filling and top with whipped topping or ice cream.

For an extra special dessert, use Honey Granola Crunch in our Striped Pudding Parfaits.

Homemade Adobo

Prep time: 5 minutes

Makes: About 2 cups

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup garlic powder or granulated garlic

1/2 cup onion powder

1 Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed between hands

1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. paprika, optional

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Use in place of adobo or as an all-purpose seasoning. Use to season meats or roasted potatoes.

Paprika Potatoes

Prep Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 6

6 large potatoes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash potatoes well and cut into bite-size pieces. Add to a 13"x9" pan and drizzle olive oil over the top; toss lightly. Mix seasonings in a small bowl and sprinkle over potatoes. Mix well.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, turning every 20 minutes. Remove from oven when potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Pasta e Fagioli

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube (use beef bouillon if using ground beef)
1 lb. cooked ground beef, optional
2 cans (20 oz each) cannellini beans, drained
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
Parmesan cheese

Sauté onion over medium-high heat, until tender-crisp. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil over high heat. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) and simmer until pasta is cooked. Add more water, if necessary. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Variations:

Substitute 1 pound Italian sausage for the ground beef. Remove casing from sausage and brown over medium-high heat: remove from pan. Follow instructions and omit bouillon.

No-Need-to-Knead Pizza

Prep Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Serves: 2 to 4

My sister got this recipe from her cooking class in high school and shared it with me. The ingredients are the same, but I changed the directions.

1 1/3 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Put all ingredients in a large food processor (mine is 11-cup capacity) fitted with metal blade. Turn on and mix; when dough forms a "ball", continue to mix for 1 minute. Turn out of bowl onto floured surface, (be careful of the blade!) and form into a ball. Finish preparing using one of the options below.

OR

Put all ingredients in your bread machine and turn on dough cycle. When it finishes mixing (it doesn't need to rise), turn off bread machine, turn out dough on floured surface, and form into a ball. Finish preparing using one of the options below.

To freeze uncooked dough
Flour dough generously and put in resealable freezer bag. Label with date and contents and freeze immediately.

To freeze partially-cooked dough
Flatten dough out and continue to pat or roll out into a circle until the dough is the size and thickness you want. Place on a round pizza pan (I prefer stone) and poke holes in dough. Bake at 425F for 10 to 15 minutes or until no longer doughy. Remove from oven; cool. Either freeze as just a crust or put pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings, then flash freeze. Wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Label as above.

To use immediately
Flatten dough out and continue to pat or roll out into a circle until the dough is the size and thickness you want. Place on a round pizza pan (stone is best) and top with pizza sauce, cheese, and other desired toppings. Bake in preheated 425F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

12 to 16 asparagus spears
1 lb. bacon

Rinse asparagus and trim bottom 1/3 of spears. One easy way to do this is to hold the top and bottom of the spear and bend it until it breaks. It will break at the top of the woody part of the asparagus.

Wrap each spear in bacon and broil or grill until bacon is crisp and asparagus is tender, turning once.

Substitute: Deli ham for the bacon

Garlicky Brussels Sprouts

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4

I normally don't buy brussels sprouts, but Jonathon kept asking for them. So I bought them and this is how I made them. After tasting them, I think I'm going to buy them more often!

1 box fresh or 10-oz. box frozen brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. cooked and crumbled bacon, optional

Steam or microwave brussels sprouts until tender-crisp. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium frying pan over low heat; add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add drained brussels sprouts and remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and toss lightly. Serve immediately.

Substitutions: Use broccoli, spinach, zucchini, green beans, peas, or any kind of vegetable (or combination) that strikes your fancy!

Berries and Cream Flag

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4


This is something I did with the Activity Day girls in celebration of Independence Day. It was really easy and they did almost the whole thing!

1 qt. fresh strawberries
1/2 pt. fresh blueberries
1 can whipped cream

Wash and hull strawberries and place top-side down in rows in a small rectangle pan (like one used for a toaster oven), leaving a rectangle of empty space where the stars would go on an American flag. Wash blueberries and place in empty space. Using whipped cream, make stripes in between rows of strawberries and make a few "stars" in the blue section.

Mango Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

1 fresh, ripe mango
1 cup milk
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp sugar (if using plain yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla (if using plain yogurt)
1 cup crushed ice

Slice down along the mango seed and cut diagonal slices through the flesh, but not the peel (it should look like diamond-shaped cuts). Scoop out mango flesh and add with remaining ingredients to a blender jar. Puree on high until smooth and serve immediately.

Tropical Variation: Add 1 banana and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple

Tip: I like to use mostly frozen fruit and cut back on the ice. It makes for a richer, fruitier smoothie. When bananas are getting the brown speckles, I peel them, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them, removing as much air as possible. Then they are ready to be used in smoothies or banana bread. Use in 3 months or less.

Cantaloupe Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

1/2 fresh, ripe cantaloupe
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice

Scoop seeds out of cantaloupe and discard. Then scoop out cantaloupe flesh and add with other ingredients to blender jar. Puree on high until smooth. Serve immediately in a soup bowl with a small dollop of yogurt in the middle or drink it from a cup.

Smoothie variation: Add 1 cup milk and 1 cup crushed ice. You can also substitute 2 cups peaches for the cantaloupe.

Chocolate, Banana, and PB Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

2 cups milk
2 envelopes chocolate Carnation® Breakfast Essentials
1 banana, quartered
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed or cubed ice

Put all ingredients in a blender in order listed. Puree until smooth.

Variations: Add only two of the chocolate, banana, or peanut butter ingredients.

Substitute 2 packages of hot chocolate mix or 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate syrup or Nestle® Quik for the Carnation® Breakfast Essentials.

Tip: I like to use mostly frozen fruit and cut back on the ice. It makes for a richer, fruitier smoothie. When bananas are getting the brown speckles, I peel them, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them, removing as much air as possible. Then they are ready to be used in smoothies or banana bread. Use in 3 months or less.

Louise's Practical Sofrito

Prep Time: A few hours
Makes: About 10 quarts

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. It is so much tastier than the sofrito sold in stores.

In a large pot over medium heat, saute:
1/2 lb. fatback, washed and diced*
1/2 lb. lean cured ham, washed and diced

In the meantime, finely chop in a food processor or blender:
2 lbs. onions
2 lbs. long green peppers (also called Italian frying peppers)
1/2 lb. sweet chili peppers (ajias)**
1/2 lb. garlic
30 leaves fresh recao (if unavailable, use cilantro)**
1 jar (11.5 oz) pimientos (roasted red peppers) with juice
1 jar (10 oz) stuffed green olives with juice
1/2 jar (2 1/4 oz) small capers

Pour into sauteed ham mixture.

Add:
3 cans (8 ozs each) tomato sauce (use Goya® Spanish-style, if available)
3 envelopes Sazón Goya® con Culantro y Achiote
3 cubitos de jamón (ham bouillon)
3 cubitos de culantro (cilantro bouillon)

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool thoroughly. Measure into 1/2 cup amounts and freeze for later use.

*Fatback is usually found near the bacon in the supermarket. You can substitute salt pork if you can't find fatback.

**We found the recao and ajias in a large farmer's market last summer. We found everything else in the supermarket. I don't think we used the cubitos de culantro, though.

Fruity Pancake Topping

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: About 2 cups (enough for 8 pancakes)

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 to 4 Tbsp sugar (to taste)

1 to 2 Tbsp cornstarch, optional
Whipped cream

Put blueberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a microwave-safe bowl; mix well. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbling; stirring after each minute. Serve hot over warm pancakes or waffles. Top with whipped cream.

Variation: Substitute strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or mixed berries for the blueberries.

My sister made something like this when Christian was at her house and now he requests it every time I make pancakes. I've tried to take a picture, but by the time I remember, it's almost all gone!

Ultimate Balsamic Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8


Warning: This salad is highly addictive!

1 lb box rotelle or rotini pasta, uncooked
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced (stack leaves, roll up, and slice diagonally)

Add at least 5 of these:
1 can olives, drained
1 pkg grape tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, cut in 1" pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 jar marinated sliced mushrooms, drained
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
8 oz. mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup real bacon bits or cooked, crumbled bacon
2 to 3 green onions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in colander until cold. Drain well.

Meanwhile, prepare all other ingredients and add to a large bowl. Add drained pasta and gently toss.

Variation: Substitute leaf lettuce for the pasta to make a delicious tossed salad.

I used all of the ingredients, except the green onions, and it was delicious. The cranberries add a nice texture and flavor, so don't be tempted to leave them out if you have them. When I make this again, I will use either the beans or the chicken (most likely the beans because they look nicer and taste great in here!)

Easy Shredded Beef

Prep Time for Meat: 4 to 8 hours
Prep Time for Meals: 20 to 30 minutes
Serves: About 4 per pound of meat

Put London Broil (the amount is up to you) into a crock pot on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. When it pulls apart easily with a fork, shred it with two forks, removing any fat.

Now make a recipe using shredded beef or freeze it in two- or four-cup portions in quart-size freezer bags. Flatten the meat out and remove as much air as possible. Label and freeze up to six months.


Tacos or Tostadas
Put 2 cups shredded beef in a skillet and add taco seasoning and water (according to package directions) to make 1-pound of taco meat.
Meanwhile, fry corn tortillas in a little oil for a couple of minutes on each side over medium-high heat. For tostadas, fry until tortilla is crisp. Top with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, sour cream, and salsa.

Burritos or Chimichangas
Thaw beef if frozen and add salt and pepper to taste to 2 cups shredded beef. Heat over medium until warm. Optional: add a can of green chilies, 1 to 2 cups cooked rice, a can of pinto beans and/or refried beans. Put 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef in the middle of a burrito-size flour tortilla. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Fold up bottom, then both sides, and roll over (To make rolling tortillas easier, warm slightly in microwave).
For burritos, make all the burritos and put in a baking dish. Top with more cheddar cheese and salsa and cook at 375 degrees until cheese is melted.
For chimichangas, heat about an inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry on both sides until golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Beef Flautas
Thaw 2 cups of beef and make as for tacos. Mix in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional). Spread 2 tablespoons meat mixture in a line across corn tortillas and roll up (if needed, dip tortillas in warm oil to make rolling easier). Fry in 1/2 inch hot oil (over medium-high heat) until light golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Serve hot with salsa and sour cream.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Add 1/2 to 1 cup barbecue sauce to 2 cups shredded beef and heat in microwave or on the stove. Serve on kaiser rolls or hamburger buns when heated through.

Yummy, Healthy Waffles

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 12, 4-inch waffles


1 1/2 cups Krusteaz Pancake and Waffle Mix
1/2 cup soft white whole wheat flour*
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 Tbsp oil

Blend ingredients together; batter will be slightly lumpy (do not overmix). Cook waffles according to waffle iron instructions. Serve immediately.

Topping Ideas:
Sliced bananas and nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts - roasted or not, chopped or whole)
Sliced strawberries and whipped cream
Whole raspberries or blackberries
Cinnamon applesauce
Apple butter
Ice cream
Berry Compote
Jam or preserves
Fresh peaches

Peanut butter and honey

The possibilities are endless!

*Regular whole wheat flour is fine, too, but the soft white isn't as "crunchy". If you don't have whole wheat flour, just use more pancake mix. The wheat flour is just to make it healthier.

German Pancakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

We've been making this in my family since I was young. I have seen a few different versions, but this is how I make it:

1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour*
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F. Put butter in 13x9 pan and put in oven. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients in a blender. When butter is melted, add batter to pan and immediately return to oven. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, until edges are puffy and golden. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Serve topped with:
Pancake syrup
Powdered sugar
Fresh berries

*I like to use 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup soft white whole wheat flour to make it a bit more "healthy".


The way we used to make it is:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 eggs

Follow the above instructions.

Go ahead and experiment!

Confetti Bella Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add the chicken and saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through; remove from pan. Add peppers, onion, and garlic to pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the peppers are tender, mixing well. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until mushrooms and chicken are heated through and tender.

Serve on a roll for a really yummy sandwich or with buttered pasta and a tossed salad

I got this recipe from "Mr. Food's Italian Kitchen" by Art Ginsburg (Confetti Portobello Mushrooms, 28) and adapted it.

Spanish Chicken with Yellow Rice

Arroz Amarillo con Pollo

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

This is another recipe that my mother-in-law gave to me and it is one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes.

1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
2 cups uncooked rice
1 envelope Sazon Goya con Azafran
1 Knorr Chicken-flavor bouillon cube
1 tsp dry parsley
Pepper, to taste
4 cups water, divided
1 can (15.25 oz) whole-kernel corn, drained (optional)

Sprinkle the chicken with Adobo. In a 3-quart chicken fryer or saucepan, saute chicken in oil over medium heat until light brown; remove chicken from pan. Add butter and onion to pan and saute until soft, stirring often. Meanwhile, dissolve bouillon in one cup water in microwave. Add rice to onion and stir to coat with oil. Add Sazon Goya, dissoved bouillon cube, parsley, pepper, remaining 3 cups of water, and corn; bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until all liquid is gone. Add chicken and gently toss with rice; cover and reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender about 15 to 20 minutes, turning rice once halfway through cooking. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Substitutions:

• 4 cups chicken stock for bouillon and water
• 4 chicken breast halves (not cubed, with or without bones, but skinless)
  
• 4 center-cut pork chops
  

Serve with a tossed salad, sliced avocado, mango, and/or tostones.

Blueberry Crumb Pie

Prep Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 8

This is Michael's favorite pie, so I have taken some pains to get it just right. I'll probably change it again, but here it is so far:

Filling:
3 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen*
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix berries, sugar, and flour and put in an unbaked pie shell.

*If using frozen blueberries, increase flour to 3 to 4 Tablespoons.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut in quarters
3/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it forms lumps and butter is mixed in.

Top pie with crumbs, cover crust with strips of foil, and bake for about 1 hour.