Shannon's Cookbook

This recipe came in my newsletter and I saved it right away. I love just about anything made with habaneros! This was a fantastic dish, spicy and sweet. 1 lb skinless chicken thighs juice of 1 lemon 1 t Spanish paprika 1/2 t poultry seasoning 1/2 t garlic powder 1/2 t onion powder 1/2 t ground black pepper 1/2 t seasoned salt olive oil 1 T butter 2 cups chicken broth stock 1 T ketchup 1 t brown sugar 1/2 onion, chopped 1 large plum tomato, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1" ginger, minced pinch dried thyme 1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped Place the chicken in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice and seasonings. Set aside. In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside. Add the butter to pan and melt. Add chicken broth, ketchup and brown sugar, reserved chicken, onion, tomato, green...

This was a flavorful, not to mention healthy, meal. 2 large garlic cloves, minced salt, divided 2 t Madras curry powder 1/4 cup ghee 1 medium white eggplant, diced 1 onion, very thinly sliced 2 cups cooked chickpeas 1/4 cup finely julienned fresh ginger freshly ground black pepper to taste One 6 oz bag baby spinach naan and plain yogurt Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, mash the garlic to a paste with salt. Mix the paste with the curry powder and ghee. Add the eggplant, onion, chickpeas and ginger; season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, til the eggplant and onion are tender. Stir in the spinach and roast just til wilted, another couple minutes. I served the dish with naan and yogurt.

While not authentic by any means, this recipe was a nice flavor treat, different than the norm. Matt said it reminded him of almost a barbecue type dish. This came in my Ocktoberfest Allrecipes newsletter. butter 1 lb polska kielbasa, sliced into thick pieces 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce 1 t chili powder 1 t Hungarian paprika 1 t curry powder to taste, plus extra to serve 1/2 t onion powder pinch sugar salt and black pepper to taste Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add a little butter. When butter is melted add kielbasa and brown. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Reduce heat and let simmer ti sauce is nice and thick. I served the kielbasa and sauce over buttered boiled potatoes.

You just can't go wrong with a Rachael Ray recipe! This was a wonderful dish! 1 lb ground beef 1 link fresh chorizo 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 t ancho chili powder 1 bay leaf pinch cinnamon salt and pepper 1-2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 cup or beef chicken broth hot cooked pasta grated cheddar cheese In a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat, brown beef and chorizo. Stir in onion and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Stir in spices and seasonings. Stir in broth and tomato. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or til sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf. I served the pasta topped with sauce and garnished with cheese.

I loved this! I added a scoop of habanero powder to my bowl and it warmed me right up. I posted the link to this recipe the other day, knowing full well it was going to make its way to my menu. The link can be found here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977824959 1/2 onion, chopped 1/4 cup dried pinto beans 1/4 cup dried black beans 2 cups chicken broth 4 fresh ripe tomatoes 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped your favorite chili seasonings to taste: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, etc. salt to taste 1 lb skinless chicken thighs 1 cup frozen corn shredded Mexican blend cheese Place the onion, beans, tomatoes, broth, and jalapeno in a slow cooker. Stir in seasonings. Lay chicken on top of the mixture. Cook on high heat 1 hour; reduce to low and cook for another 5-6 hours or til beans are tender. Stir in corn during last hour or so. Remove chicken carefully from soup, and remove gristle and bone; shred. Stir shredded chicken back into sou...

Finding a delicious bread recipe, and taking it to the next level! 2 1/3 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup shredded zucchini 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind 1 large egg Lemon Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 t grated lemon peel Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 4” loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, rind, and egg in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just til moistened. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 1 hour or til a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Remove to a large plate or platter and cool completely. While whisking, combine powdered sugar, juice and lemon peel; stir with a whisk. Drizzle over loaf. Le...

I had some harissa sauce left from the other night so I mixed it into some ground beef and into some mayo to come up with these awesome burgers. The recipe for the harissa can be found here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977822080 1 lb ground beef 1 T harissa 1 t ground cumin 1 t garlic powder pinch dried thyme salt and pepper Harissa Mayo 1 cup mayo 1 t harissa sauce 1 t caraway seeds garnish: red onion and tomato slices In a large bowl, mix the beef with harissa, cumin, garlic powder, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Form the meat into 3-4 patties. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Grill the burgers, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, mix the mayo, harissa and caraway. I served the burgers with the mayo, and sliced onion and tomato alongside seasoned fried potatoes. The inspiration for tonight's meal came from my Food and Wine magazine.

These turned out quite yummy! peanut oil 1 lb boneless pork loin chops 1 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 1/2 T sugar 1 clove garlic, minced 1" fresh ginger, minced 1/4 cup water 1 T cornstarch Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Cook pork chops til golden brown on both sides; remove from pan and keep warm. Add orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger. Boil for a couple minutes, scraping brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together water and cornstarch, and stir into sauce. Return pork to skillet and cook til sauce is thickened and chops are heated through. I served the chops and sauce with rice and steamed broccoli. The original recipe came in my allrecipes newsletter and can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Orange-Pork/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=23990667&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2009-09-22&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1

I used this cream cheese blend on our wrap sandwiches for lunch. It is fabulous! Add everything to your particular taste. 1 clove garlic, minced 3 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup drained roasted red peppers, chopped snipped fresh basil leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper     In blender or food processor, blend cream cheese and remaining ingredients just til combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate 1 hour (if you can wait that long).

Michigan is still clinging tightly to summer like weather, so grilling was in order for dinner. The recipe for the harissa was from my Women's Health magazine. 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast olive oil Harissa 1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained 2 T olive oil 1 T red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic 1/2 t cumin 1/2 t cayenne pepper salt and pepper Add harissa ingredients to a blender and blend til smooth. Brush a little olive oil and a little harissa over chicken and marinate a couple hours. Reserve remaining harissa. I served the chicken with harissa atop tri color rotini along with sliced tomato.

I chose to make these easy biscuits, since I didn't want to have to deal with cutting in butter. These were MUCH quicker! And I thought this would turn out a bit thicker, but it was still delicious. 1 lb skinless chicken quarters 1 cup each: chopped celery and carrot 1/2 cup chopped onion about 4 cups chicken broth ground black pepper and any seasonings you like to taste 1 small can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup Add chicken, veggies and broth to slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Remove chicken pieces and discard bones and gristle. Return to cooker and stir til chicken falls apart. During last hour or so, whisk in soup. I served the chicken and creamy sauce over the biscuits. Easy Buttermilk Biscuits 2 cups flour 2 T sugar 3 t baking powder 1 t salt 2/3 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup oil Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Set aside. Add oil to a measuring cup and add buttermilk. Do not stir. Add butte...

Add as much or as little chicken broth as you like, depending on how much gravy you want to make. 3 lb. boneless pork loin roast, trimmed mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, etc.) to taste salt and pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1-2 cups chicken broth In a small bowl, combine herbs and salt and pepper and rub over pork. Place roast in slow cooker. Add onion and garlic. Pour in broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. I made a gravy with the pan drippings and served the pork over mashed potatoes with gravy.

Thanks to Victoria who found this recipe for me! It was absolutely incredible; I wish I had doubled it. ghee 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced salt to taste 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 t ground cumin 1 t  ground turmeric pinch cayenne pepper 1 cup chicken broth 6 oz bag baby spinach 1/2 cup plain yogurt hot cooked basmati rice with a pinch of dried mint In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add ghee. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Brown chicken and remove to slow cooker. Add onions, and sauté til golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and sauté til fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in spices and saute another 30 seconds or so. Pour in broth and raise heat to high; when broth comes to a boil, add mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours. Add spinach and cook til spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, stir in yogurt. S...

I posted the link to this the other day and thought it sounded so good I added it to my menu. This is my version. I added a marinade step to the chicken, but this is optional. 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped 1 handful fresh parsley 1 handful fresh cilantro zest of 1 lemon 1/4 cup white wine vinegar sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided 1/4 cup olive oil 3 t smoked paprika 2 t garlic powder 1/2 lb fresh chorizo links 4 skinless chicken leg quarters To make the chimichurri sauce: In a blender or food processor, add the onion, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse blend ingredients; stream in oil with the machine running til a smooth paste forms. Taste and adjust as desired. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and reserve. In a small bowl, blend paprika, garlic powder and a little salt and pepper, and rub the seasoning all over the chicken pieces. Rub with half of the chimichurri sauce. Refrigerate for sever...

This is one of my all time favorite desserts- to this day I still can't make this as good as Mom does! Recipe is from Mom's recipe box. Easy! 2 c. flour 1 1/2 c. sugar 2 t. baking soda dash salt 2 eggs, beaten 1 medium can fruit cocktail Preheat oven to 350°. Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs and fruit cocktail.  Blend well and pour into 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 40 minutes. Topping: 1 stick butter 3/4 c. sugar 3/4 c. Pet milk 1/2 c. nuts (I prefer walnuts) 1/2 c. coconut 1 t. vanilla Mix first three and boil 10 minutes. Add nuts and coconut. Mix and remove from heat. Stir once more. While still hot pour over cake.

I have taken my mom's recipe and adapted it to fit the items I had in the pantry. The original calls for a can of refried beans, which I didn't have; I used pinto beans instead. It also calls for a jar of picante sauce to be mixed with water and poured over the top. I rarely have jarred salsa on hand, so I made my own enchilada sauce from scratch. Yummay! 1 pound lean ground beef 1 can pinto beans, drained and lightly mashed 2 1/2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 package manicotti shells 1 recipe for your favorite enchilada sauce 2 cups sour cream (optional) 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican style cheese 1/4 cup diced onions (optional) sliced ripe olives (optional) In a bowl combine beef, beans, chili powder and oregano. Spoon beef mixture into uncooked manicotti shells, arrange in a 13X9" baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.   Pour enchilada sauce over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.   Remove f...

This is mom's famous pumpkin roll. It makes an appearance every Thanksgiving. 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional) 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)   Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a kitchen towel with powdered sugar.   Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl til thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.   Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or til top of cake springs back when touched. ...

As requested, this is my mom's EASY recipe for our Thanksgiving Day cheesecake. Crust 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs, plus extra for sprinkling 5 T unsalted butter, melted 1 T sugar 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans Cheesecake 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup canned pure pumpkin 3 eggs 1 1/2 t vanilla extract 1/2 t ground cinnamon 1/8 t each: ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice pecan halves Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of 9" springform pan with foil. Set aside. Crust: Mix crumbs, butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix in pecans. Press mixture onto the bottom and up 2" on the sides of the pan. Bake crust til slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Filling: With an electric mixer on medium, blend cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl til smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and spices. Mix til smooth, scraping down sides of bowl frequently with a rubber spatula. Pour filling onto crust. Bake cheesecake t...

This is another simple cookie recipe that always finds its way in to Mom's Christmas selection. 3/4 cup butter or shortening 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional) 48 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped Preheat oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and extracts and beat well. Add flour, baking powder, salt, nuts and mix well. Form into 1 inch balls. Press each ball around a kiss so kiss is completely covered (like a chocolate covered cherry). Bake 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack.

Of all Mom's cookie recipes, this is probably one of my favorites. 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs 1/2 c flour 2 t baking powder 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 c butter -- softened 1 1/3 c coconut 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips 1 c walnuts Preheat oven to 375 ° . Mix graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In large mixing bowl beat sweatened condensed milk and butter till smooth. Add dry mixture. Mix well. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Mom's always popular sausage stuffing. I eat more of this than anything else at turkey time. 1 box stuffing 1 small onion, chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 1/2 lb. bulk sausage 1 T. butter 1 chicken bouillon cube (dissolved in 1 c. hot water) Saute onion, celery and sausage in butter til sausage is cooked. Add stuffing and bouillon mixture, and extra water just to moisten, if needed. Scoop in to a buttered baking dish and bake uncovered til heated through (30-45 minutes at 350°). You can add sage or other seasonings if desired. Mom never does.

I am posting mom's original recipe, however, I did make some modifications to make this a more healthful cookie. I used reduced fat butter, reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup, used skim milk, and used all natural peanut butter. These cookies are almost guilt free! 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 3 T cocoa powder 1 t vanilla 1/2 cup peanut butter 3 cups quick cook oats In a large saucepan, add butter and begin to melt. Stir in next three ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for one minute. Remove from heat; add vanilla and peanut butter and stir. Stir in oatmeal til mixed well. Drop onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or foil. Refrigerate til chilled (if you can wait that long). Enjoy!

I made a large batch of chicken stock the other day, and what better to make than chicken soup? I called mom to find out how she made her famous egg noodles back in the day. Noodles don't get much simpler than this. This amount makes a small batch of noodles. 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 t salt 1 cup flour plus extra for kneading, rolling In a small bowl, beat eggs with salt. Add flour to a large bowl and make a well. Pour in egg mixture all at once. With a wooden spoon, stir til dough ball forms. Drop dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead til smooth. With a rolling pin, roll dough out til almost paper thin. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into noodles, as small or as large as you like. Let noodles dry several hours. Drop into boiling soup, broth or stock. Simmer til noodles are cooked through; mine took about 15 minutes. And this was supposed to be "soup" but my stomach was acting up. I ended up just using plain stock. Boring, ...

The sugar and butter on the bottom bakes to a wonderfully caramelized topping when this dessert is inverted in the final step. Robin's normally picky stepson liked this so much he ate several pieces of it. I know it was certainly some of the best bread pudding I've ever eaten. 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 t cinnamon 1 can apple pie filling 1 loaf French bread, cubed 6 eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 t vanilla 1/2 cup maple syrup Spray a 9x13" inch baking pan and sheet of foil (long enough to cover pan) liberally with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, butter and cinnamon til smooth. Spread in prepared pan. Dollop apple pie filling evenly over the top. Layer bread evenly over the top. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and vanilla. Slowly pour mixture over the top of the bread, ensuring bread is covered. Cover pan tightly with prepared foil and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350° an...

Mom used to thicken her chop suey very lightly with a cornstarch slurry. And no chop suey is complete without chow mein rice noodles. vegetable oil 1 1/2 lbs meaty pork steaks, trimmed 1 large can chop suey veggies 1 small can bean sprouts, drained 1 small can water chestnuts, drained soy sauce to taste about 4 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth 1/4 cup cold water 1 T cornstarch Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add pork and cook til nice and browned. Add veggies and soy sauce and stir. Add mixture to slow cooker. Pour broth over the top; cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. With about 1 hour to go in cooking time, whisk together water and corn starch in a small bowl. Stir into cooker and re-cover; cooking til thickened as you desire.

As I have never been very fond of pie crust, this is the pie recipe my mom would always use when she made me apple pie. Delicious! 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup flour 2 t cinnamon. divided 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup white sugar Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in flour and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in walnuts. Set aside. Place apples in a 9” pie plate. Mix remaining cinnamon with white sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over apples. Spoon nut mixture over apples. Place pie on cookie sheet then bake 45-50 minutes or til apples are tender. Serve warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Mom brought all the goodies for this one, saying she had a craving for it. The love of food runs deeply. Add as much or as little broth as you like. 4 T (1/2 stick) butter 1 cup chopped celery 6 cups chicken broth, divided 2 small cans cream of celery soup salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream 4 oz (1 cup) shredded American cheese In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and cook til softened, about 10 minutes.  Increase heat to high and add broth. Bring to a boil;reduce heat to medium and cook til celery is just tender, another few minutes. Whisk in soup til smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook about 20 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cream and cook another 5 minutes, or til soup thickens. Remove from heat and slowly stir in cheese. We served the soup with homemade wheat croutons. Variations: Add cream of chicken soup. Use your favorite cheese.

A conversation: "Ma, guess what I'm making?" "Something spicy?" "Surprisingly no. But I did make Cuban style chicken soup that had a zip to it, but it wasn't spicy, per se. I made chocolate cream roll! " ...Waiting for the same level of excitement to be shown back for my utmost in accomplishments. Pause. "How did it turn out?" Well... Contrary to what certain people think, I have never presented myself as any kind of culinary expert. I know my way around a kitchen, but would never pretend to be a chef. I like to cook foods that the everyday person can do, mostly using items they can get at a local grocer or ethnic market. I think this is one of the explanations for Rachael Ray's popularity. She is no food snob and never went to "chef's school". She is just a great cook. Case in point: while mixing up this cake batter, I did not read the recipe carefully before starting and added 3/4 cup of cocoa powder ...

The sugar and cinnamon topping bakes to a wonderfully sweet golden "crisp" which offsets the tart of the rhubarb. 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 t vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1/4 t salt 1 t baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional) 1/2 cup sugar 1 t cinnamon Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a large mixing bowl with a hand held mixer, cream the butter til light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar slowly, continuing to beat, til the mixture is well blended and fluffy. Beat the egg and vanilla into the creamed mixture til well-blended. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add buttermilk alternately with the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat after each addition, just enough to blend. Gently fold the chopped rhubarb into the batt...

Mom’s classic rhubarb pie. We always serve this with vanilla ice cream, dad just won’t eat pie unless accompanied by some ice cream. Whipped cream or topping is also great, balancing out the tartness of the rhubarb. 2 9” pie crusts 4 cups rhubarb, sliced 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour Preheat oven to 425°F. Pour rhubarb into a large bowl. Mix sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add sugar and flour mixture to rhubarb and stir to mix. Let the fruit mixture sit for about 10 minutes. Press first crust into a pie plate or tin. Pour the filling evenly into the crust. Roll the remaining pie crust on top of fruit. Use your fingers to seal top crust to the edge of the bottom crust. Poke a few holes in the top crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then lower heat to 325 and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. Note: To protect the oven, place a baking sheet or some aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven. Awesome! Variations: Add a couple cups of sliced strawberries. Add a sprinkl...

The beans were simply simmered for about two hours with homemade Adobo seasoning and a crumbled Guajillo chile. about 2 cups refried beans 1 1/2-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 1 onion, minced Creamy Red Sauce 2 T vegetable oil 1 onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T chili powder 1/2 t cumin 1 cup vegetable broth 1 small (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, pureed 1 cup canned jalapeno cheese dip Enchiladas about 2 cups refried beans 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided 1 onion, minced 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas In a large frying pan over medium heat, add oil. Saute onion til soft, about 10 minutes, being careful not to brown. Stir in garlic and saute another minute or so. Stir in spices. Increase heat to high and add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes or til thickened, stirring often. Whisk in cheese dip and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Pour about 1 cup in bottom of a 13x9" pan...

This was breakfast yesterday. I had potatoes left from dinner the night before and I diced them and fried them with some additional steak seasoning. The eggs were simply scrambled and some pepper jack cheese was stirred in. I served this simple and delicious breakfast with toasted wheat and spreadable fruit.

Fresh collard greens were $1.49 a bunch and are always enough for several meals! Talk about frugal! After making these, I will probably never buy canned greens again. The recipe for my soul seasoning can be found here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?memberId=65560&articleId=281474977612991&nav=MyGather . 1/2 cup dried white beans water to cover 1 meaty ham bone 1 large bunch collard greens, rinsed and chopped 1/4 cup cider vinegar, or to taste 2 T Soul Seasoning (I used homemade), or to taste Add beans and ham bone to slow cooker. Cover with water. Stir in greens and seasoning to taste. Cook on high 1-2 hours; reduce heat to low and cook 6-8 more hours. Remove ham bone and discard. Serve drained beans and greens with plenty of apple cider vinegar or hot sauce.

The next time I make this, I think I would do the sauce alfredo style rather than tossing it together in the pot. I find that cheese melts more smoothly this way. This recipe is adapted from my Bon Appetit cookbook. 1/2 lb spaghetti 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened freshly ground black pepper Cook spaghetti in a large pot til just al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return spaghetti to pot. Stir in 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, cheese and butter. Toss mixture over medium heat til cheese melts and sauce coats pasta, adding more reserved cooking liquid if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper. I served this Parmesan and a slice of toasted rustic wheat bread.