Sweet Pork Burritos

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. pork or 4-5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 small cans green enchilada sauce, or 1 large can
garlic salt
1 can black beans
cilantro
flour tortillas
cheddar cheese

Put in crockpot all day on low:
1 1/2 lb. pork (or use 4-5 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 small can green enchilada sauce
little water
garlic salt

Procedure:
1. When the meat is done, put in a bowl and shred. Add a can of black beans and some cilantro, mix.
2. Roll above mixture into flour tortillas (like burritos) and place in a 13 X 9 pan.
3. When all burritos are in the pan, top with a small can of green enchilada sauce and cheese.
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Chowder

(It's the season for the great orange squash)
1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 c chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp flour
15 oz can pumpkin
2 large potatoes, peeled, diced
4 c chicken stock
1 c half & half (or canned evap milk)
kosher salt & ground pepper to taste
garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds / chopped green onion

Fry bacon in a large soup pot over low heat and cook gently until it releases its fat, about 5 minutes. add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 min. Add flour & curry once softened. Add pumpkin, potatoes & stock and heat toe med-low until the potatoes are tender.
(I wash the pumpkin seeds and roast them 45 min - 1 hour @ 300 with sprayed cooking oil and salt)

Pesto

Pesto
makes about 4 cups

1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbs diced garlic
5 cups fresh basil, packed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 cup good olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts and garlic in your food processor and process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt & pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto in finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for one minute more. Serve, or store (in refrigerator or freezer) in an air tight container with a thin film of olive oil on top. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans corn/or use frozen

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans chicken breast

1 taco seasoning packet/or 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. dried onions

1/2 cup squash puree-4 cubes (optional)

salt and pepper

Toppings:

sour cream

tortilla chips

cheddar cheese

fresh cilantro, chopped

avocados, diced

limes, cut in wedges

Directions:

Drain all three cans of beans and rinse. Dump all ingredients into a pot and add 2 cans of water. Bring to a simmer over medium high. To serve, put in bowls and add the toppings of your choice.

Pizza in a Pot

1 lb sausage
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
16 oz rigatoni cooked
small can mushr**ms drained
3 oz pepperoni chopped
1-2 jars spaghetti sauce (or pizza if you prefer)
16 oz grated mozzarella cheese
16 oz grated cheddar cheese

Brown sausage with onion, garlic salt and oregano. In a crock pot layer ingredients (use 1/2) - sausage mixture, green peppers, rigatoni, mushr**ms, pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, cheese. Repeat layers. Cook on low 3-4 hours.

We had this at the ward "Break the Fast" potluck and fell in love with it. It's EASY and who doesn't love walking in the house to the aromas of italian food!

Coconut Lime Curry

I got this recipe (and photo) from Cookie magazine. I went to an Asian market in Salt Lake and they had everything I needed. Snow peas and red bell pepper make tasty additions. Even the kids gobbled this up!

1 small yellow onion 2 lemongrass stalks 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 heaping tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar 1 14.5-ounce can coconut milk 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 Kaffir lime leaves (optional) 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms 2 tablespoons lime juice

Peel and thinly slice the onion. Trim the lemongrass to the white bulb only, then cut each bulb in half lengthwise and crush the pieces with the side of your knife. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, and sauté until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cumin and brown sugar (and, if you want spicy curry, add chiles to taste), and let everything cook until the sugar bubbles, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and lime leaves (if using), and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the chicken, basil, mushrooms, and lime juice, and let everything simmer until the chicken is opaque, about 10 minutes longer. Remove and discard the lemongrass stalks and lime leaves. Serve right away.

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz. bag baby spinach, chopped

4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 10oz can Mild Rotel tomatoes

2 cans cream of chicken

1 cup green enchilada sauce

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup pureed yellow squash-4 cubes (optional)

2 dozen corn tortillas

2-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

PROCEDURE:

1. Place oil in a large skillet over medium high. Saute onion, about 5 minutes, then add garlic, about 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted down. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin, and Rotel tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

2. In a bowl, mix soup, enchilada sauce, sour cream, squash, and milk.

3. Warm tortillas on a flat pan for easy rolling.

4. Ladle a small amount of soup into the bottom of a 13 X 9 pan (you will need two of these pans, or you can stack them all in one pan). Place a spoonful of chicken mixture into tortilla and a little cheese, roll and place seam side down in pan. Fill all tortillas until you use up all the chicken. Top evenly with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Juanita's chicken soup via Shauna

The first time I had this was at book club. My friend Shauna made it and I loved it. Tonight I made this for dinner and the kids inhaled it!

1 lb. of chicken breast or thighs (cut into 1" pieces)
2 large white onions (finely chopped)
4 (or more) garlic cloves (minced)
2 T. butter
1 T. Cinnamon
1/2 Cayenne pepper or to taste (if you aren't a super spicy person I would be careful with this ingredient, I uded 1 tsp of chili powder which is milder)
2 t. Cumin

Saute all of the above until onions are translucent (add garlic at the end) then add the following to the pan

4 C. chicken broth (you may need more)
juice from half a lime
1 t. salt or to taste (check chicken broth for sodium content)
1/2 t. black pepper
2 cans of garbonzo beans drained

I like to garnish it with different things such as ripe avacados, extra wedges of lime, chopped cilantro, julienne some radishes and/or carrots, finely chopped red onions, scallions, tortilla chips and maybe some queso fresca.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

A co-worker of Cords told him about this recipe. Which I thought was pretty funny. Men talking food/dinner at work? So I found the recipe and he was right -- it was really good! The recipe came from here a great food blog.

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
• 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
• 1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.
Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Chicken Cajun Pasta

This is one of my favorite pastas, it has great flavor!

INGREDIENTS
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced yellow squash
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (12 oz) can evaporated skim milk
15 fresh basil leaves, finely minced
8 ounces penne or bow tie pasta, cooked, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

PROCEDURE
1. Toss chicken in 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until nearly done, about 5 minutes. Add pepper, mushroom, onion and squash; cover and cook 5 minutes more.
2. In a bowl, whisk flour with remaining 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning, garlic, pepper and milk. Add flour mixture to chicken. Add basil. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, and cook 4 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. (If sauce is too thick, thin with hot water.)
3. Toss pasta and cheese with sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6.

Edamame with Pork and Tomatoes

Matt got this recipe from the "Dining In" section of the New York Times. It's so simple, but really good. We get the frozen edamame at Costco. I've seen it at Wal-Mart too.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion or 3 scallions, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, oregano or marjoram or 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (canned are fine, drained or not)

2 cups edamame, fresh or frozen and thawed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Put oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add pork chunks. Cook, stirring, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Halfway through, add herb and continue to cook.

2. Add tomato and cook at a gentle bubble until tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 minutes. Stir in edamame and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until edamame are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, stir in parsley, and serve.

Martha's Mac & Cheese

I love this recipe for mac & cheese, I got it out of Martha Stewart Living many years ago. The nutmeg gives it such a great flavor but I usually leave out the cayenne pepper because my kids don't like it. I also use what cheese I have on hand most times. One thing I never leave out is the breadcrumbs -- sooooo good!

Serves 12 (can be cut in half easily)

INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Quick Chicken & Dumpling Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 celery ribs, sliced thin
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
8 cups chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
2 1/4 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

PREPARATION
1. Melt butter in pot over medium-high. Cook onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, chicken, salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer.

2. Mix Bisquick with milk and drop by teaspoon into pot. Simmer for 10 minutes, then put lid on and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 packages ramen noodles, broken into large pieces, seasoning packets discarded
1 16-oz. bag coleslaw mix
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil

*I used a mixture of regular soy sauce & the very thick sweet soy sauce you can get at Asian supermarkets

PREPARATION
Simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch in large saucepan over medium high heat, whisking often, until thick, 2-3 minutes. Take out half the soy sauce mixture & put in a bowl. Add water to saucepan with remaining soy sauce mixture and return to a bowl. Add ramen and cook about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in coleslaw mix, cover and keep warm. Then heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken, then add soy sauce mixture from bowl. Transfer noodles to platter and top with chicken. Serve!

Our Version of a Stuffed Quesadilla

I made these last night and they disappeared in a flash. Everyone loved them. The ingredients can all be varied to your liking or what is in your pantry. This made enough to feed my family of 7 so feel free to change the quantities for your family.

INGREDIENTS
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa (or more if desired)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans
1/2 of a red pepper chopped
10 flour tortillas
2 cups grated cheese
salt & pepper to taste
avocado & sour cream (if your kids will eat it)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a sauté pan brown the chicken breasts in the salsa. Sprinkle the cumin and garlic powder on top of the chicken while cooking. Cook the chicken completely then remove from pan.

2. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Return the chicken to the pan and add the corn, beans and red pepper. Cook until the corn and beans are warmed through.

3. Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture.

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken mixture and place them on a cookie sheet.

5. Bake the "quesadillas" in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until crisp.

6. Just look at the yummy goodness. Now just top them with avocado, sour cream, green onions or whatever your heart desires.