Mexican  Cornbread

 

1 1/2

cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

3/4

cup buttermilk

1/3

cup butter

2

eggs, slightly beaten

1

can (8.5 oz) cream-style corn

1

can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles

1

cup cornmeal

1

cup all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

Tweeks: Add chopped onion or chopped green onion to green chiles for sautéing. Fresh ground cornmeal is divine. Have used mild cheddar cheese instead of sharp.

Saute onion and green chili in 1/3 C. of butter. Set aside. In medium sized bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk eggs into buttermilk and add cream-style corn.  Add wet mixture to dry mixture and just stir just until dry mixture is wet.  Fold in sauteed onion and green chiles (including butter) and cheese.

Pour into lightly greased 9X13" baking dish. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hr. until golden brown and inserted toothpick (in middle of dish) comes out clean.

Andrea's Chili Beans

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 3 cups black beans
• 2 (14-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• Kosher salt
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated Cheddar, for garnish
• Chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Raise the heat to medium-high, deglaze with the beer, and allow to bubble and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cocoa, and salt. Stir to combine well. Simmer for 30 minutes, or more, and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped scallion, if desired.

TWEEKS: Use Beef or Vegetable Broth instead of beer.  Use sautéed chopped cremini mushrooms instead of ground beef. Use canned Pinto beans with Black beans.

Granny's Beans

Ingredients

Dry Pinto Beans
Dried Onion
Dried Garlic (or fresh minced)
Ham Hock

Sort through beans looking for rocks and unsightly irregular beans; rinse.  Add water to generously cover the beans( approx. 2" above beans; does not need to be exact)  Add dried onions and garlic.  Let sit overnight to soften dry beans.  Next day, drain beans and rinse under cold water.  Place in pot and add ham hock.  Add water to beans to 1"-2" above beans.  Bring water to boil and then lower heat to low and cook 6-8 hours until beans are soft and liquid is slightly thickened.  Add additional water to beans during cooking process to keep from drying out; always keeping beans covered with water.  After cooked add salt to taste and preferably let sit for 1 hour, covered, before serving.  They can be served as soon as they are done as well. May remove ham hock or strip it of it's meat and add to beans.

Quick Soaking Method:
After sorting and rinsing beans, add onions and garlic.  Cover generously with water and bring to boil.
Turn off heat and cover.  Let beans sit for 1 hour covered.  After sitting for the hour, drain and rinse;  Then follow recipe above (at point of "Place beans in pot").

Deviled Eggs

Hard Boiled Eggs (10)
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Garlic Pepper (to taste)
Onion Powder (to taste)
Vinegar (to smell)
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Tweets: Parmesan Cheese and Chopped Green Onion

Cut eggs into halves.  Place yolks in a bowl and mash with pastry
 cutter or folk.  Add garlic salt, garlic pepper and onion powder. Mix together.  Add vinegar to smell and mix (mixture should be fluffy not runny).  Add mustard and mayonnaise a little at a time until it's to the consistency you prefer.  Be careful not to add to much that the mixture becomes runny.  Add parmesan cheese and green onions to taste (if preferred).  Stuff egg white halves.  Top with paprika. Chill and serve.

Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients and Instructions

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

Tweeks:Used mozzarella cheese instead of chedder cheese.

To cook quinoa for the above recipe:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.

.

In a large bowl combine the 2 rounded cups of cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

(To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip, too.)  Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.   Makes approx. 10 burgers. Top with Tzatziki Sauce.  Can be placed between the thin hamburger buns with sauce as a dressing and add sliced tomato, lettuce and avocado.

Tzatziki:

3/4 cup thick plain Greek-style yogurt such as Fage’ (or drain plain, regular yogurt very well)

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated – squeezed of excess water

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar

1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoon fresh dill weed

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Tweek: Add 2 cloves minced garlic instead of garlic powder.  Have used garlic powder and is also good, but fresh is best.

.

In a small mixing bowl blend together the yogurt, sour cream, grated cucumber, garlic powder, Splenda/sugar, dill weed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill. This is best if made a couple hours in advance.

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
• 1 package (about 12-14 Oz. Size) Firm Tofu
• 2 ears Corn (or 1 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn Kernels)
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• Romaine Lettuce Hearts
• 2 whole Avocados, Sliced
• 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the tofu, then break it up into very small pieces. Cook tofu for several minutes, until much of the liquid cooks off and tofu starts to turn golden.

Cut kernels off the cobs of corn and throw it in with the tofu. Cook for a few minutes (corn can remain crunchy.)

Add chili powder and soy sauce, then cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off heat and stir in balsamic if using.

Pile mixture into romaine hearts, then add sliced of avocado. Fold up and chow down!

Tweeks: added chopped peanuts to top of mixture before placing avocado on top of each lettuce wrap.  Also added chopped green onion to mixture when adding corn. 

Salty Coleslaw

Ingredients:

Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Chopped Green Onions
Garlic Salt (prefer Lawry's)
Garlic Pepper (prefer Lawry's)
Mayonnaise (prefer Best Foods)

Mix together, but add mayonnaise just before serving as it will get soggy if left to sit around with mayo on it.