Chile Relleno Casserole with Caldillo Sauce

8 Poblano peppers
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Caldillo sauce

4-6 Roma tomatoes
2 chile serrano
3-4 chile de arbol
1/4 white onion
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tsp tomato bouillon
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups reserved cooking water
1 tbsp avocado oil

Wash and dry the peppers.  Heat the peppers over a gas burner, turning frequently until skin is black and charred.  Alternatively, the peppers can be broiled in the oven until black and charred, turning the peppers over to char both sides. Immediately place in a plastic zipper bag or a bowl with a lid and allow to steam for 20 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, remove the stem, slice open and remove the seeds.  Lay the pepper flat and scrape the outer char/skin from the pepper.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, add the eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and seasonings and mix well. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.  Lay half of the peppers in the bottom of the dish.  Spread half of the cheeses over the peppers.  Make another layer with the peppers and remaining cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the entire casserole.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the center has puffed up, the eggs are set and the edges are golden.

Caldillo Sauce

In a medium sized pot, add 2-21/2 cups of water.  Score the tomatoes from stem to bottom four times.  This will make it easier to remove the skins once the tomatoes have boiled.  Add the tomatoes, onion, serrano chiles, and chile de arbol to the pot.  Heat until boiling and allow vegetables to boil unil tender.  

Remove the tomatoes and remove the skin.  Add the tomatoes, chiles, and onion and place in a blender with 2 cups of the cooking liquid.  Add garlic cloves, bouillon, oregano and pepper and blend until smooth.  

In a pan, heat the oil.  Add the tomato mixture and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally until it reduces and becomes glossy.

Serve the casserole with the sauce on top.  Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream, green onion and avocado.

Instant Pot Tortilla Soup

1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 jalapenos, sliced in half
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 15 oz can chili beans, undrained
1 15 oz can corn (frozen can be substituted)**
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 7 oz can diced green chiles
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 taco seasoning packet or 2 tbsp homemade taco seasoning
2-4 cups cooked rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & pepper to taste
Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and crushed pepper flakes can be added for additional flavor.

**substitute 29 oz can of hominy for corn

Turn instant pot to sauté and add oil.  Once oil is hot, add diced onion and sauté until tender.  

Once onions have softened, add the jalapenos, beans, corn (or hominy), tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, chicken broth and taco seasoning. Stir the ingredients, place the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to pressure.  Set the timer for 8 minutes.

Once the instant pot has finished, turn the valve to quick release the pressure.  Once the pressure has released, remove the lid and remove the jalapenos.  Stir in the cream soup, chicken, cilantro, lime juice and any extra seasonings. 

Top with your favorite seasonings: tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, green onions, lime wedges.

Soup freezes and reheats well.

 Roasted Corn, Potato and Poblano Chowder

• 4 ears corn, shucked
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large russet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  bunch cilantro, chopped (1/3 c for soup, rest for topping)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
•  juice of 1 lime
•  
• Toppings:  cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno pepper, shredded cheese

Roast the corn and peppers over stovetop flame  or grill until corn is charred and peppers have blackened and blistered.  Place the peppers in a bag and let them steam for about 10 minutes. Peel the outer skin of the pepper, dice and set aside.  Cut the corn from the cob and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add diced onions. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so garlic does not burn. Add the potatoes, spices and broth.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add corn to the pot and cook for additional 2 minutes. Remove 1/3-1/2 of the soup and puree in a blender. Add pureed mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Add peppers and beans and cook 2 minutes. Stir in cream, cilantro and lime juice. 

Note: if a thicker soup base is preferred, add a tablespoon of corn starch mixed with a tablespoon of water to the soup to thicken slightly. Also cheese can be added to thicken the soup. 

Serve hot with optional toppings.

Lasagna Spaghetti Squash

1 medium size spaghetti squash
1/2 onion, diced
8-16 oz mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 25 oz.  jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed chili pepper seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400*. Pierce  12-15  1/2” cuts with a sharp knife into squash. Pour 1-2 cups of water into instant pot and place squash on a cooking rack inside the pot. Place lid and seal. Select manual and set the timer for 15 minutes. Quick release when done. Remove squash and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While squash is cooking, sauté chopped onions and mushroom until no liquid remains in the pan. Add sauce, garlic powder, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Heat until hot and bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer until squash is done.

Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place on a baking pan. Shred the squash with a fork. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread half of the ricotta mixture over 1/2 of the squash. Top with generous amount of sauce mixture and top with 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly toasted.

Serve with garlic bread and salad. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup (Electric pressure cooker)

3 - 15 oz black beans, drained/rinsed (can substitute other types of beans for combination of beans)
1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can corn, drained/rinsed (the equivalent of fresh or frozen corn can be used)
4 C vegetable broth (can use chicken broth if preferred)
1 C dried red lentils (see note)
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced seeds (remove seed for less heat)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced

Spices (add after cooking)
1 tsp-1tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 C chopped cilantro

Toppings: sour cream, green onion, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro

Pour all ingredients except the spices into the pot. Lock lid to seal and set timer to cook for 7 minutes.  After the cooking process, let pot release naturally for about 5 minutes and then quick release.  Stir in the spices and cilantro and serve. 

Note: Red lentils become soft and dissolve in the pressure cooker adding a thickness to the liquid.  Lentils make the soup very creamy without having to add cream.  When cooking dried beans/peas in the electric cooker, it's best to add the salt after cooking because the salt makes the peas tough and they don't cook well.

Cinnamon Pecans

16 oz. pecans
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add the egg white to bowl and whisk until bubbly - about 15 secs. Add the vanilla, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together until blended and creamy. Add the pecans and fold over with a rubber spatula until all the pecans are coated.

Coat a 9x13" baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread the pecans into a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, turning the pecans halfway through the baking time. Spread onto foil and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

*This recipe calls for regular sugar, but I substituted and equal amount of Splenda and added vanilla for extra flavor. These are great addition as a salad topping!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (lower calorie/fat version)

2 cups crushed pretzels (whole wheat if you can fine them)
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine (I used a part canola heart healthy type)
3 tbsp Splenda
1 (8-oz) package non-fat or low-fat cream cheese
3/4 C Splenda
1 (8-oz) container whipped topping
1 (6-oz) box sugar-free strawberry or raspberry jello gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-oz) packages frozen strawberries
Whipped topping to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the crust, combine pretzels, melted butter/margarine and Splenda. Press the mixture into a 9x13 in. pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Combine cream cheese and Splenda in a bowl until creamy. Fold in whipped cream and spread evenly over the crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water. Allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until gelatin is set.

Serve with whipped topping garnish, if desired.

The original recipe called for regular butter, sugar, full fat cream cheese and regular gelatin. I substituted lower fat and sugar-free alternatives.

Chicken Carbonara

1-2 lb chicken, cooked and cubed
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into pieces
1 lb pasta (I usually use whole grain linguini, rigatoni or rotini)
1-2 jars alfredo sauce (I use the light alfredo sauce)
2-3 cups chopped broccoli
salt/pepper to taste
grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta and broccoli together in a pot. Drain and return to the pot. Add cooked chicken, cooked bacon, salt and pepper, and sauce. Stir and heat until the sauce is hot and bubbly.

I haven't found a good tasting lower calorie/fat alfredo recipe yet, so for now I use a commercial sauce. This recipe is an easy anytime recipe and it tastes even better as a leftover. Turkey could easily be substituted for the chicken.

Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp, cooked breaded (or unbreaded if you prefer)

Corn tortillas

Shredded cabbage

Sauce (recipe below)

Pico de gallo (recipe below)

Lime slices

Prepare shrimp as directed on the package. I heated mine up in the toaster oven and they came out perfect. In the middle of a corn tortilla, spread some of the sauce and add the shrimp. Top with cabbage and pico de gallo. Squeeze a lime over the taco and enjoy!! This was a very easy and tasty dinner! It would be a great summertime meal too with a fruit salad on the side. Substitute fish for a yummy fish taco!

Sauce

4 tbsp mayo ( I used canola mayo)

3-4 tbsp sour cream

juice of 1/2 lime

Pico de Gallo

4 tomatoes

1 jalepeno

1/4 onion

cilantro (we like cilantro so I use a lot - about 1 cup)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

juice of 1/2 lime

garlic clove or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Pulse the ingredients together in a food processor or chop by hand if you like chunkier pico.

Melissa's Monkey Bread

20-24 frozen white dinner rolls
Cinnamon/sugar mix
Chopped pecans (optional)
2 TB butter or margarine
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 TB water
1 t. vanilla
1 box cook & serve butterscotch pudding

Grease bundt or one-piece angel food pan (don't use separated kind). Place frozen rolls in pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and nuts (if desired). Melt butter; add brown sugar, water, vanilla and pudding. Stir until mixed well. Pour over rolls and cover (I use a tea towel) Let rise overnight. Bake for 25-30 minutes (until browned) at 325. Let cool in pan for 8-10 minutes and then turn onto plate and enjoy!! Keeps well ( I put in cake keeper) and warms well in microwave. :)

Thanks Melissa for sharing the recipe!!

Company Potatoes

2lbs frozen hash browns (homestyle/cubes)

2 cups sour cream

1/2 cups chopped onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

2 cups crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup melted butter (optional)

Thaw potatoes and combine with sour cream, butter, onion, cream of chicken soup, cheese and seasonings. Put in flat glass 9x12-inch baking dish

. Top with cornflake mixture and drizzle butter over the cornflakes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

These taste very similar to potatoes au gratin or cheesy scalloped potatoes.

Mom's Breakfast Casserole

6-8 slices of bread cut into cubes
2 lbs seasoned sausage, browned
1 dozen eggs, beaten
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray if desired.

Layer the ingredients in the following order:
1st layer - 6 or 8 slices of bread cut in cubes
2nd layer - 2 lbs of browned seasoned sausage spread over the bread
3rd layer - mix eggs, cream of chicken soup and milk and pour over the meat layer
4th layer - top with 1 bag of shredded cheese

Cover and refrigerator over night so the bread can absorb the liquids. Bake at 350 degrees 1 -1/2 hour.
Serves 8-10- people

**My brother, Allen, made this for our family and substituted hash browns for the bread and added bacon...was very tasty!

Lasagna Roll Ups

This is a very versatile recipe - any favorite veggies can be added/substituted. I added Italian sausage to the dish, but it can be made without meat as well. I didn't have time to make my own sauce when I made this the first time, so I used Ragu sauce (with a 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained, mixed in) and it worked perfectly! If you are into freezer cooking, this recipe could easily be doubled so you can bake one and freeze the other for a meal later in the month.

Ingredients:

10-12 lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat noodles for more nutrition)

2 tsp canola oil or olive oil

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced

1/2 lb Italian sausage, cooked

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups marinara sauce - recipe below (or store bought marinara/spaghetti sauce can be used)

1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2/3 - 1 cup of park-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles al dente according to the package directions. Drain them and spread on foil or waxed paper to prevent sticking. (I lightly sprayed foil with cooking spray to make sure they didn't stick.)

Heat oil in a large saute pan; add chopped veggies and cook until tender (about 5 minutes). In a separate pan, cook the italian sausage and drain excess grease.

**If you like chunky veggies and meat in your lasagna, then this next step is not necessary, but I have some of my family members don't like chunks of meat/veggies so I mince them. It also works well to "hide" the veggies if you're trying to sneak in the vitamins. :) I added the drained meat and veggies to the food processor and pulsed to finely chop the ingredients. Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the mixture to smooth it out. If you like larger pieces of meat and vegetables, then simply stir together the veggies, meat and 1 cup of sauce.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.

To assemble the rolls, spread about 2 tbsp of the ricotta cheese and spinach mixture onto a lasagna noodle. Top with about 2-3 tbsp of the meat/veggie mixture. Roll the noodle and place in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the roll ups. Sprinkle the shredded cheeses over the top.

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Variations: Spinach and mushroom rollups, Eggplant and zucchini roll ups

Marinara Sauce

1 tbsp canola oil or olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

Salt/pepper to taste

In a pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Oatmeal Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins
• 
  

  Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Roasted Grape Tomato Panini

*This recipe was on the Rachel Ray show this week. It looked so tasty that we just had to try it.

Grape tomatoes, Roasted and crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Fresh basil leaves
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni slices
Bread slices (I made this with bread from my bread maker...yumm!)

To roast the grape tomatoes in the oven: Set oven to 400 degrees; sprinkle a little olive oil or canola oil over the tomatoes and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tomato skins split open. Remove from pan and crush the tomatoes - I used a potato masher, but you could pulse it in a food processor. After the tomatoes are crushed, add 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to the tomatoes and mix well.


Heat panini maker. Spread some of the tomato mixture on 2 slices of bread; tear 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves into pieces and place over the tomato mix; sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over one of the slices; top with pepperonis and a little more cheese. Cover with the second slice of bread. Place in panini maker and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Alternatives: replace pepperoni with mini meatballs for a meatball sandwich taste.

Chris's Yummy Paninis

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but it is my son, Chris's.

Cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped bell pepper
Mozzarella cheese, shredded (any flavor will do if you prefer another)
Sour dough bread (I like to use the bakery style from the grocery store)
Pesto dressing

Pesto dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use canola mayo)
2 Tbs prepared Pesto (ironically the kind I buy is called Chris's!!)

Heat panini maker. Spread a thin coat of the pesto dressing on two slices of bread. On the first slice; add shredded mozzarella cheese (small handful); then sprinkle onions and bell pepper over the cheese; top with diced chicken and a little more mozzarella cheese. Cover with the remaining slice. Grill until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Alternatives:

Ham and cheese - add spicy brown mustard to the pesto sauce
Veggie - mushrooms, onions, peppers
Pizza - add pizza sauce and cooked mini meatballs instead of the pesto and chicken

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla.

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Slowly add to the butter mixture and mix until blended well. Add chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls of dough on to greased pan. Bake 10-13 minutes or until light brown. Remove cookies from the pan and cool on a rack.

Flour Tortillas

4 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
1/3 cup shortening or lard
1 to 1 1/4 cups water
waxed paper

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder (makes lighter tortilla). Cut in the shortening or lard with a fork. When the flour is crumbly, add the water. Stir the dough until it makes a ball of dough. Add an extra spoonful of water if the dough is too dry.

When the dough forms a ball, knead it about 20 times. (This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer that has a kneading hook.) Let it rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. After it has rested, form the dough into 10-12 balls equal in size. Roll each dough ball in flour to coat the outside of it evenly. Place the ball on a sheet of waxed paper or a clean, well-floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 6-7" circle, rolling as thin as possible. Placed the tortilla in a hot dry skillet. Cook for 30 seconds until the bottom side is dry with some light brown spots. Flip and cook until the other side is the same.

Note: I have tortilla press that makes quick work of flattening the tortillas and I cook them on my electric griddle.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Pie
1 refrigerated or frozen pie pastry
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp flour

Crumb topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/4" pieces

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust and flute the edges. (A frozen pre-made/in the pan crust works well too. Defrost before using.)

Thinly slice the apples and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.

While the pie is baking, in a large bowl mix the topping ingredients together. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges.

Allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.

Pizza Sauce

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce or puree
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Combine all the ingredients. Makes about 3 cups, enough for 4 pizzas.

Note: This make a good dipping sauce for pizza crust or bread sticks too.