Don

Ron

Tuna Pasta Salad
from Stephanie
Ingredients:
Tuna
Fat-free mayo
Dill pickles
Colby-Jack cheese
Artichoke hearts
Onion
Eggs, hard boiled

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill.
This recipe is great for those who are serious about great taste and healthy eating!

Fruit Whip
from Mary Lee
Ingredients:
Frozen red raspberries, with seeds
Crushed pineapple, in own juice
Raspberry gelatin
Orange gelatin
Pineapple gelatin
Vanilla pudding
Tapioca pudding
Whipped topping

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill.
This is an extremely sweet yet light dessert salad.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce: (serves 4 to 6)

Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl:
2 cups cooked chicken, cut or shred into pieces
1 pound grated Monteray Jack cheese
1 medium onion, chopped

Place mixture in center of each tortilla and fold over one side and then roll up. You want only one “end” to be open. Place enchiladas tightly together in baking dish.

12 tortillas (may use corn or flour – I buy Mission brand flour tortillas, the large size and then I cut the enchiladas in half after I place them in the baking dish and before I pour the sauce over).If I have more enchiladas than I need, I wrap them in saran wrap and put in freezer bag to use another time.

            If the tortillas are very cold or very stiff you will need to soften them before filling and rolling. Do this by dipping each tortilla into a skillet with hot oil. Drain well on paper towels.

            I use glass baking dishes – you can use as many as you need but remember to distribute the sauce evenly. Spray the pan lightly with Pam first.

The enchiladas can be made ahead and refrigerated. Lay them out about an hour before you are going to add sauce and bake. Let them come to room temperature first.

Sour Cream Sauce (I always end up doubling this recipe – I just like them very moist; you can also use any of the pre-made enchilada sauces available in cans in the Mexican food section of grocery stores.)

Ό cup butter                                                     
2 chopped jalapenos OR you can use the already diced jalapenos sold in a can – I use about 1 ½ tablespoons from the can – use more or less to your own taste)
2 tablespoons flour                                            
1 can (10 ½ oz size) chicken broth         
1 cup sour cream                                              

Melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the flour. Return to heat and slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add sour cream and cook until heated through but not boiling. Add peppers.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and bake in 350 oven for 20 – 30 minutes to heat through.

Guacamole
2 medium, ripe avocados                    1 teaspoon lime juice
1 small tomato, chopped                     ½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons minced onion                ½ teaspoon salt

(to ripen avocados – place in a paper bag and put in dark place)

Peel avocados. Mash with a fork in a medium bowl. Stir in rest of ingredients. Serve as soon as possible. Makes 6 servings

Tostadas
1 and ½ pounds ground beef              1 teaspoon of each of the following:
1, 8 oz. can tomato sauce                  Accent
1, 6 oz. can tomato paste                   Chili powder
1 medium onion, chopped well             Salt
3 cans (6 oz.) water                            Oregano
2 tablespoons sugar                            Cumin seed (or about Ό teaspoon
2 cloves garlic, mashed                        of ground cumin)
1 cup cooked rice
Fritos – the large scoop type if available – the fritos are the “bed” of the tostada

Toppings: place each in a bowl; let people add what they wish to their tostada
Grated cheese (I buy the already shredded Mexican cheese in dairy section)
Olives (I buy the already diced olives)
Tomato, chopped
Avocado, chopped (unless you have guacamole)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Shredded lettuce (optional)

Brown beef and onion, drain fat and add all the ingredients (except toppings of course!). Cook to blend the flavors. Simmer to thicken. May be refrigerated and reheated. (or frozen – thaw in refrigerator for a day and then reheat).

Mousee de Kahlua:   Serves 4 – 6

1 cup whipping cream                                   1 egg white
½ teaspoon instant coffee powder                  2 teaspoons sugar
Ό cup Kahlua                                              RediWhip or Cool Whip
2 tablespoons sugar                                     Chocolate sprinkles

Chill bowl and beater before beating cream.

Combine cream and coffee powder in a medium bowl. Beat until stiff (you will be beating this mixture more so don’t go overboard!).

Add Kahlua and 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat until very stiff.

In a small bowl, with clean beater, beat egg white to soft peaks. Add 2 teaspoons sugar. Beat until stiff.

Fold the egg white mixture into the whipped cream mixture. I use a spatula and then gently stir them together.

Cover and chill. To serve, mound in dessert glasses and top with a bit of RediWhip or cool whip. Then decorate with chocolate sprinkles.

Chicken Marbella
(from the Silver Palate Cookbook)
**Requires overnight marination!
16 pieces; 10 or more portions

4 chickens (2 and 1/2 pounds each), quartered (or any variation of this - adjusting the cooking time if boneless pieces are used)

========================================
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed (or you can buy crushed garlic in the jar and use about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves

==============================
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine

==============================
1/4 cup Italian parsely or fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

1. In a large bowl combine chicken, garlic, oregano, pepper and salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350

3. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking dishes,
spoon marinade over it evenly, including the prunes, olives, capers - etc.

4. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour the white wine around the pieces

5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. (less time if using boneless pieces). Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork a their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

6. If serving buffet style - put pans directly on buffet line with slotted spoon If serving sit down - With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

Chicken Marbella is wonderful cold, or at room temperature - makes great picnic food. It even improves over several days of refrigeration. If it has been cooked and then refrigerated, you can simply allow it to return to room temperature and place chicken, etc. on serving platter - spoon some juice over the chicken and serve.

Taco Salad – serves 6 to 8
from Rachel M

Mix the following three ingredients together, cover tightly and refrigerate. (overnight if possible)
          1 pound hamburger, browned, crumbled, drained
          1 large onion, chopped
          1 can kidney beans, drained

Before serving, add the following ingredients
          1 bottle Catalina dressing
          2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
          1 head lettuce, torn up
          4 tomatoes, chopped
          1 or 2 avocados, chopped (optional)
          1 bag Doritos (not the huge size), crushed

Add the Doritos right before serving so they don’t get too mushy.