Corn Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (or frozen or fresh)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocado, diced
1 bunch of cilantro
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix

Mix all ingredients together, toss with dressing mix.  If you're making this ahead, don't put the avocado in until right before serving.  The amount I brought to lunch bunch was double this recipe.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Amy Livesay

http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com/2016/04/raspberry-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large box (5.1 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup fresh raspberries, halved

With a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the pudding mix and mix until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour and baking soda and continue mixing. Stir in the chocolate chips and then very gently fold in the raspberries.
Drop cookies by rounded teaspoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet (or a high quality non-stick cookie sheet). Bake for about 10 minutes at 350. Enjoy!

Amazing and Simple Greek Feta Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 (about 1 1/2 cups) Roma tomatoes, chopped 
• 2 green onions or a bunch of chives, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 8 ounces feta cheese (see note above)
• 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning (see note above)
• White or regular balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Sliced baguette for serving

1. Drizzle the olive oil over a plate or platter. Add the tomatoes and green onions or chives and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Sprinkle on the Greek seasoning and toss lightly to combine. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if using (just a teaspoon or so to start - add more to taste). 
2. Serve the dip with soft, sliced baguettes (pita chips are delicious, too).

Source:  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/amazing-greek-feta-dip/

Simple Stuffing

From Everyday Food Magazine, Nov 2007.

(Click here for a photo.)

Ingredients

• 2 loaves Italian bread (about 10 ounces each), torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots [or 2 onions] minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine [I used chicken broth]
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• [optional add-ins: 
• 1/2 to 1 lb Italian sausage
• 2 apples [such as Granny Smith], chopped
• raisins
• dried sage
• chopped fresh mushrooms
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not browned, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. [Alternate way to make your bread stale: cube it onto a cookie sheet and leave it out overnight.]
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. [Add add-ins at this step.] Add wine [chicken broth] and cook until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. To vegetables in bowl, add bread, parsley, and eggs. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to combine. Mix in half of broth. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is moistened but not wet (there should not be any liquid in the bottom of the bowl).  [Note: For "crispier" stuffing, don't add as much broth. Spread it on a cookie sheet to bake, 20 minutes at 400, then flip it over with a spatula and put it back in for another 7-10 minutes.]
4. Just before roasting turkey, stuff it with 4 cups stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered
   8-inch square baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, and refrigerate. When turkey is removed from oven to rest, place covered baking dish in oven, and bake until warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Crock Pot Lasagna

I would have brought this recipe to September's lunch bunch - but a new baby kept me home. :) My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me.

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
1- 26-28oz. jar pasta sauce
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1- 16 oz. Alfredo sauce
3 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ C. grated Parmesan cheese
½ package no-boil lasagna noodles

Instructions:
-Brown ground beef and drain.
-Spray crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray.
-Spread ¾ C. pasta sauce in bottom.
-Stir remaining pasta sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef.
-Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce, breaking noodles as necessary.
-Top with 1/3 of Alfredo sauce, spreading evenly.
-Sprinkle 1 C. mozzarella cheese.
-Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly.
-Repeat layering twice, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer.
-Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
-Cover and cook on low for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours.

Banana Peach Smoothie with Coconut

Ingredients:

1 banana
2 peaches (peeled)
1 container of french vanilla Yopait yogurt
1 cup ice
1/2 milk
1/4 cup coconut

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients in blender. Blend for 60 seconds. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lime Slush

6 ice cubes
16 strawberries
½ C. frozen limeade
½ C. water

Blend together

Carribean Passion (Jamba Juice Copy Cat)

12 oz. passionfruit juice
2 scoops orange sherbet
2/3 C frozen strawberries
1/3 C frozen peaches
1/3 C crushed ice

*again, I never measure. It's hard to mess it up.

Orange Cream Smoothie

2 scoops orange sherbet
2 scoops vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
2/3 C orange juice
1/2 C milk
2/3 C crushed ice

*I always eyeball the measurements but the above proportions will work.

Texas Laredo Supper

Brown:   1 lb hamburger
              onion (however much you want)
Combine with:
              1 can Ranch Style Beans (or black beans)
              one can tomato sauce
              1 can cheese whiz
              chili powder (however much you want for desired spiciness)
              opt: cayenne pepper for more heat

Heat over stove, constantly stirring so you don't scorch the bottom. Serve with Doritos or tortilla chips.

Pork Burritos

2-3 pound boneless pork roast

1 jar salsa

8 oz pepper jack cheese

Cook pork roast and salsa in crock pot 7-8 hours on low. Drain juice if there is too much, then add grated cheese and stir until melted. Can be used as filling for burritos, or eaten with chips. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Truffles

1 pkg. Nutter Butter cookies

1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)

24 oz. (2 bags) MILK chocolate chips

1. Finely crush all cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency.

2. Combine with cream cheese. Use a food processor or the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on a parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet.

4. Put cookie sheet with balls into freezer for 30 min (this hardens the balls so they are easier to dip into chocolate).

5. Melt chocolate as directed on the package (recommend using a double-boiler for best results) remove balls from freezer and dip into chocolate one at a time. Tap off extra chocolate and set aside on parchment-paper-covered cookie sheet.

6. Refrigerate balls for at least one hour before eating to allow chocolate to set (since the balls are made of cream cheese, they should be kept refrigerated and not left at room temperature for an extended period of time).

Makes about 30 balls.

Sweet Saucey Meatballs

1 bag store-bought meatballs (or homemade if you want...not as easy!)
1 jar grape jelly
1 jar chili sauce

Cook meatballs on low for 2 hours or until heated through. Combine jelly and chili sauce in a sauce pot and bring to a boil (dissolve the sugar). Add to the meatballs and keep warm until serving.

Easy peasey lemon squeezey.

Poutine

I couldn't find a "real" recipe -- you can only buy the real gravy in Canada, but here is a cheap substitute!

Fry some home style cut french fries (or buy them from Five Guys....).  Put lots of cheddar cheese on top (the real recipe calls for "squeaky" cheese = cheese curds made fresh that day).  Make some brown gravy according to instructions (make it a tad more watery).  Pour some gravy on top then add more cheese. Let it sit for a few minutes to melt and work itself into each other.  Eat and enjoy!

(Disclaimer = it won't be as good as getting it in Canada.... you can try doing a gravy from scratch and reducing it by half....might be a little tastier than McCormick's).

125 - Year - Old Pie Crust

2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
Cut until crumbly, then add:
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp vinegar
¼ cup water

Stir until just mixed. Makes 3 one-layer pie crusts. Freezes well.

Perfect Peach Cobbler

1 can (29 oz) peach slices, with juice
1 can (21 oz) peach pie filling (apple pie filling can be substituted)
1 white or yellow cake mix
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 C. butter, thinly sliced

Instructions:
-Pour juice from peaches into a separate bowl.
-Spread pie filling and peaches on bottom of greased 4 ½ - 6 quart slow cooker.
-Sprinkle cake mix and cinnamon on top.
-Pour peach juice over dry ingredients.
-Place butter slices over the dry areas.
-Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or on high heat for 2 hours.
-Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Delicious Creme Anglaise - Gluten, Casein Free

I'm so not a food blogger and I don't really aspire to be either. There are too many other people who do that, and do it well. So I don't have lovely pictures to show for this recipe. But it turned out so yummy I thought I'd post it anyway.
I've been wanting to make a nice vanilla cream (or Creme Anglaise) that I could use in my Gluten Free Triffle, and today I found it. (I'll post the trifle recipe later). I just want to be able to celebrate holidays eating the deserts I love, without having to tell my kids: um, sorry, you can't eat this, or the alternative which is making two of every kind. I like food to be delicious, even if it doesn't contain Gluten or Casein. I can't stand recipes that claim they taste just like the "real thing" and then instead of having a yummy, gooey cookie melt on your tongue, you bite into a gluten free, chocolate free/carob substituted wannabe cookie that leaves your mouth feeling like you were just caught in a moldy sandstorm.

This recipe works (although admittedly I use approximates with the sugar, starch, and vanilla). It's delicious. I like having custard with fruit, because fruit is easy, available, quickly cooked, and makes a yummy dessert.

Here it is:


2 cups almond milk (I have tried it with coconut milk, but the coconut flavor was too strong for my taste)
4 egg yolks
2 tsps vanilla essence
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 corn starch

1. Warm the almond milk to hot, but not boiling.
2. In  a separate bowl beat the eggs with the sugar. Either warm the metal bowl on a stove (being careful to make it warm to the touch, not burning hot) or for even better results put the bowl in hot water and mix it up with a hand mixer until the  sugar dissolves and the eggs are frothy, thick and pale yellow.
3. Pour the hot milk into the eggs while continuing to use the hand mixer, and then pour the eggs into the pot. Don't try to do it in reverse (i.e. pour eggs into the milk). 
4. Continuously stir on the stove. You have to stir. 
5. Dissolve cornstarch in a bit of water or almond milk, and add to the mixture. 
6. Key is to keep stirring, keeping it at a low temperature so it goes to almost boiling, but doesn't. 

That makes for a creamy sauce that isn't too thick. Enjoy with some steamed fruit or over some crumble.

Woops, somehow I posted this on the Clear Creek Ward recipes. Oh well. Hi everyone in Clear Creek. I'll go ahead and repost this on my blog too, which is www.vanessahoussian.blogspot.com
By the way, miss you all lots.

Waffle Turtle Cookies

from my cousin Meredith Fillmore McKinnon

Could be chocolate- or orange-flavored (or add another flavoring of your choice)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 Cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa OR grated rind from 1 orange (or other flavoring)

Glaze:

1 1/2 cup sugar

juice from 1 orange OR cocoa and water

Preheat and spray waffle iron.

Cream sugar & butter. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, cocoa (or orange rind), and salt.

Drop batter onto heated waffle iron, close the cover, and bake until light brown (about 2 min on medium-high heat). Mix glaze to a very thin consistency. Dip cookies in glaze and let drip onto cooling rack.

Moroccan Lentils

Moroccan Lentils (adapted from a recipe here)

2 cups lentils

1 can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

2 1/2 tsp cumin

2 1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil

(1 lb chopped ham, optional)

Mix all ingredients in a pot, pressure cooker, or slow cooker. Add 2 liters of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 30-40 minutes , if cooking on the stove. If using a pressure cooker, cook with pressure for 5 to 10 minutes and allow pressure to drop of its own accord. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for, um, a while until lentils are tender. If sauce is too watery, cook uncovered to reduce.

I use my pressure cooker.

Good served with sour cream and/or grated cheese.

Black Bean Taco Salad w/ Lime Vinaigrette

This recipes is from my sister Katie. She says, "This salad is crazy good but time consuming to make the dressing. You can double the recipe and then freeze it in 1 cup portions for later."

Black Bean Taco Salad: Chop as much of these things as you like then toss with the dressing.

Head Romaine lettuce

Chopped cooked chicken

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Chopped red onion

Frozen white corn, thawed

Can black beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded cheese

Avocado, chopped

Tortilla chips

Lime Vinaigrette: Combine these ingredients and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.

1⁄2 cup seeded tomato (I usually use 1 can diced tomatoes with its juice)

1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro

1⁄4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1/2 large lime)

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder

1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled or minced