Pico de Gallo

This is a perfect side for chips, on tacos and other Mexican food, meats, etc. It's a nice cool dish for a summer's day, and easy to make, even if you don't have a garden. Just go to the produce aisle.
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4-5 Roma Tomatoes
1 small jalapeño pepper
1/2 small red onion
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste
garlic or garlic powder to taste
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1. Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane to remove the seeds and "mushy" part.

2. Cut into small chunks.

3. Place in a small serving or mixing bowl.

4. Finely dice the onion. Add to tomato mixture.

5. Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired (the seeds contain the majority of the heat, so be careful). Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

6. Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. But if you like the lime flavor, add the full amount.

7. Add your giant pinch of cilantro, less or more according to taste.

8. Combine well.

9. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and a bit of garlic powder, taste, and add more if desired.

10. Let stand in fridge awhile before serving.

You can also add fresh corn, black beans, etc to make it a bit more of a main course.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe combines two of my favorite things: Chocolate and Peanut Butter. It's a cake mix recipe, so it's very easy and fast. They're also very moist and tasty. They were very popular, I must say. Good thing too, or I might have had to eat them all.
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1 chocolate cake mix (with pudding in the mix)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky, low fat or regular)
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix all the ingredients together

3. Use your hands to roll the dough into 1" balls to put on the cookie sheet.

4. Use a fork dipped in sugar to smoosh the dough slightly and give it the traditional crosshatch pattern.

5. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Don't overdo it; you want them moist.

6. Let cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then transfer them over to a cooling rack.

Recipe makes 30-45 cookies

1 cookie = 3 WW Pts

Herbed Chicken

Recipes don't get much easier than this! This slow cooker recipe goes great with rice or mashed potatoes, as you end up with gravy as well as the chicken. We really liked this one. I also like how a good slow cooker recipe makes your house smell divine all day long. YUM!
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4 bone-in chicken breast halves
10-3/4 oz. can of cream of chicken soup
3/4 c. water (you can decrease this if you want thicker gravy)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. minced garlic or garlic powder
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1. Place chicken in slow cooker
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 3 hours.
4. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

This was a very tasty one. Fast too. Just make sure you pick up some breaded chicken patties beforehand.
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8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 carton (8oz) ricotta cheese
1 cup (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 jar (26oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (4-1/2oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
6 breaded fully cooked chicken patties
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1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic powder; set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms.

4. Drain spaghetti noodles and add 2 cups spaghetti sauce mixture and toss to coat.

5. Transfer noodles to a greased 13x9" baking dish

6. Cover with the ricotta cheese mixture

7. Arrange chicken patties over the top

8. Drizzle with the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture and mozzarella.

9. Bake, uncovered at 350 F for 40-45 minutes until bubbly.

Yields 6 servings

Easy Lemon Bars

We like to take dessert when we go over to the parents' houses for Sunday dinner, so we don't feel like total mooches. So, I'm always looking for fast and tasty dessert recipes, and this was a winner! Normally, lemon bars are too sugary sweet for me, but this was a much more subtle recipe, and everyone seemed to like it.
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1 Yellow Cake box mix (best if it's the pudding kind)
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
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1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
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Mix the cake mix with the egg and oil until crumbly.

Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs, and put the rest in an ungreased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

While that's baking, mix the cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar, and egg together to make the creamy topping.

Spread this over the cooked crust and then sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool for an hour (while you eat dinner), then cut into bars and serve.

French Bread Recipe

Since Kristi is looking for non-soy/non-dairy foods, this french bread recipe caught my eye. The original post is from a blog I frequent called Deals to Meals. There are a lot of interesting meal ideas there as well. This recipe makes 3 loaves.
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2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar
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1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6 1/2 - 7 1/2 c. flour (or a little more if it's too soft)
---------------------------------------------------
Combine the water, yeast, sugar, and white vinegar and let sit until bubbly.

Add the salt, oil, and then gradually add the flour till you get the right consistency.

Knead for 2-5 minutes and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist.

Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, as long as you have time to babysit it (2-5 times).

Put the dough on a greased counter top and divide into 3 sections.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet.

Roll the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes.

Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg.

Put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to bake them.

Once they are to the right size, turn up your stove to 400 (without opening the door!) and let them bake 15-20 until the tops are golden brown.

(Or, just let them rise on the counter for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.)

Easy Enchiladas, Chicken or Vegetarian

I've been trying to use less meat in our dinners since, for one thing, it's expensive, and for another, we're told to use it sparingly, especially in summer. Instead of chicken, I used a can of refried beans and a can of black beans. This was a very fast dinner to make, and it was very yummy. If you want to use chicken instead of beans, I'm sure that would taste even better.

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2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package cream cheese, softened
8 flour tortillas (or 10 corn tortillas)
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained
Shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes
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In a small bowl, combine chicken and cream cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cp chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 13"x19" baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa; spread over tortillas. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce and tomatoes if desired.

Mexi-style Casserole

I can actually claim this as an original creation. I've been getting bored with recipe books. It tasted pretty good, and it was very fast to make. Dave liked it, and Elizabeth enjoyed a few cheese and meat free bites.
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1lb ground beef
Taco Seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced chiles
1 cup water
1 can refried beans
2 cups cheddar cheese
6 tortillas
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the hamburger over medium heat. Drain any fat and then add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, chiles, and water. Let it simmer on medium heat till it reaches a good consistency.

In a 9x13 casserole dish, layer tortillas, refried beans, some of the meat mixture, and cheese until you have 3 layers. Top remaining cheese.

Cook at 350F for 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips.

If you want to get more fancy, throw in sliced olives, and maybe add an extra layer of enchilada sauce or salsa over the top.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Delicious!! These really taste like the soft pretzels you buy at the mall. They're pretty easy as well.
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1 pkg or 1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. butter
Pretzel or kosher salt
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1. Combine yeast and 1 1/2 c. warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Combine yeast mixture, brown sugar, and bread flour in large bowl.
3. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to make dough soft.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3 minutes).
5. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.
6. Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll pieces into 15-inch ropes. Shape into pretzel.

7. Combine 1/2 c. water and baking soda. Dip pretzels into mixture, shaking off excess water.
8. Place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
9. Bake at 475 degrees for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Brush with butter and serve immediately. Makes 12 pretzels.

I didn't have any bread flour, so I just used all-purpose flour for all of it. Also, I didn't have any Kosher salt, so I used the regular kind, and it worked okay. We served these with leftover pizza sauce, but I think it would also be really good with a bit of garlic powder and Parmesan cheese topping. Of course there's always the usual nacho cheese sauce, which is quite yummy. You've gotta give these a try!

Addendum: Eat these all the first day. They make soggy next-day leftovers!

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This would make a good appetizer anytime, or a good light main dish for summertime.

Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 c. poppy seed salad dressing

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp finely grated gingerroot

1 diced (or pressed) garlic clove

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp water

Salad

1 small cucumber

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken

4 large Boston, bibb, or Romaine lettuce leaves

Additional chopped peanuts and chopped fresh basil (optional)

For sauce, chop peanuts in food processor. Chop basil with knife. Combine all sauce ingredients in bowl and set aside.

For salad, peel cucumber; slice into julienne strips avoiding seeds. Slice bell pepper into thin strips. Shred chicken; toss with half of the sauce. Set remaining sauce aside for dipping.

To serve, divide cucumber among lettuce leaves. Spoon chicken mixture over cucumber. Top with bell pepper. Garnish wraps with additional peanuts and basil, if desired. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.

Mediterranean Quesadillas with Antipasto Relish

The relish is made up of some specialty ingredients, so it's not the cheapest of meals, but if you like Mediterranean flavors it is so delicious that it's worth it. Jimmy and I loved it, and the kids could eat the quesadillas without adding the relish, so it worked for the family.

This recipe only makes about 2 good adult-sized servings, so be prepared to increase ingredient amounts if you need to make it for more.

Antipasto Relish

1/2 c. jarred roasted red peppers, drained

1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives (also spelled with a "c" on some brands)

1/4 c. pepperoncini peppers (I buy jarred)

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, pressed (I used diced)

Quesadillas

1 c. shredded cooked chicken

1 c. shredded Provolone cheese

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

4 6-in flour tortillas

For antipasto relish, chop red peppers and olives. Thinly slice pepperoncini and chop all basil; set aside 1 tbsp for quesadillas. Combine red peppers, olives and pepperoncini in bowl. Add basil, oil and garlic; mix well and set aside.

For quesadillas, shred chicken. Combine chicken, cheese and remaining basil in bowl. Divide mixture among tortillas; fold tortillas in half.

To finish quesadillas. lightly brush griddle or pan with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook quesadillas 2-3 minutes on each side or until tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serve with antipasto relish spooned into quesadillas, or on the side.

Chicken and Mushroom A la Sheena Joyce

This is a crock pot recipe that I got from a friend who is quite the cook. It is really easy, but also very good. The recipe will make a whole crock pot full, so the most I've done is 1/2, and we still have lots of leftovers with that much.

In the bottom of a crock pot place (in this order):

2 lbs raw chicken tenders

2 cans slices or mushroom pieces (or fresh sauteed)

In a bowl mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.

3 jars Classico Tomato Alfredo sauce

2 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

several cloves fresh garlic

salt & pepper

four snipped sun dried tomatoes

Cook in crock pot 7 hours on low.

Serve with linguini.

Potato and Ham Slow Cooker Chowder

This super easy, healthy chowder is very comforting on cold days like we've been having. It tastes great and the barley and potatoes make it very filling.

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2 cups potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup leeks (white part only) or onions, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1 piece bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 oz half-and-half
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In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and bacon; cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half; heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving, for 6 servings.

Thai Chicken Pasta

This recipe was a bit exotic for our usual fare, but we actually liked it a lot, AND it was very easy, with common ingredients. I like to add sauteed red peppers and onions to the sauce. It's also even better served over Jasmine Rice instead of noodles.
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3 oz uncooked fettuccine (whole wheat if you want to be healthy)
1/2 C salsa
2 Tbsp reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
Crushed red pepper to taste
1 cup cubed, cooked chicken breast
1 Tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
1 Tbsp minced cilantro
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1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe dish, combine the salsa, peanut butter, orange juice, honey and soy sauce. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Add the crushed red pepper till you get your preferred amount of spice. Add the chicken and heat through.

3. Drain fettuccine. Serve with chicken mixture. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

Nutritional Facts: 409 calories, 10g fat, 6g fiber, 33g protein

Cheeseburger Pasta

This was a good find! It takes 30 minutes to make, it's fairly good for you, and with the ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, etc, it really does taste like a cheeseburger. Dave liked it, and he's pretty young at heart, so I'm going to venture a guess that this will be a popular dish with the kids.
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2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp dill pickle relish (I just chopped up some pickles)
2 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tsp steak seasoning (I used A-1 sauce, about 2 Tbsp of it)
3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain pasta; add to meat mixture.

Stir in the tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, and steak seasoning. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat and let stand until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts: 1 1/2 cups equals 391 calories, 12g fat, 4g fiber, and 30g protein.

Poppy Seed Chicken

This tasty chicken dish is great served over rice. Very creamy.

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3 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast
2 cans reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 cup crushed reduced-fat butter-flavored crackers, crushed (about 25)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter; set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Stir remaining crumbs into chicken mixture.

2. Transfer to an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved crumbs; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

NUTRITION FACTS: 1 cup equals 332 calories, 13g fat, 27g protein.

Hot Fudge Sundae Sauce

This is an oh-so-delicious chocolate sauce that I LOVED while growing up. The trick to this recipe is to make it only when you have a lot of people coming over, or when you can give most of it away. Otherwise, you end up eating most of it yourself.
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2 cups white sugar
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
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 Mix the sugar, flour, and cocoa together in a saucepan, then add the evaporated milk and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla, and let cool.

Serve over ice cream of your choice.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I finally found a recipe I like for one of my favorite cakes! (Actually, I combined two that I kind of liked) This new moist concoction just melts in your mouth.
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1 (18 1/2 oz.) box lemon cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 c. oil
1 (5 1/4 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding
1 1/4 c. cold water
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
4-5 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
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Combine dry cake mix, eggs, oil, dry pudding mix, water and poppy seeds. Mix well, about 4 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees in greased 9 x 13 inch pan for 20-30 minutes, (or in a bundt pan for 40 minutes) or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mix up glaze and pour over the top of the slightly cooled cake. Serve.

Goes well with whipped cream or vanilla icecream.

 

Interesting, this lady's recipe includes blueberries and buttermilk

I had a hard time getting the cake out of the bundt pan; part of the top stuck to it. But Mama Hollioni says after your oil the pan, dust it with bread crumbs, and it will come out in one piece.

Chicken Burritos, Slow Cooker style

This took about 15 minutes to put in the slow cooker. It is a winner recipe. Very tasty, and very healthy. We'll be making this again soon.
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1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup canned chicken broth
12 medium whole wheat tortillas, about 7-inches in diameter each (or corn tortillas)
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
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Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours.

Drain off liquid. At this point, I put the liquid in a pan and cooked it on high for about 10 minutes to boil off some of the liquid, then added what was left back to the slow cooker. I think this helped make the dish more flavorful.

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Yields 1 burrito per serving, and 6 servings.

Black Bean Chicken with Rice

Not only is this flavorful dish easy, it's also very healthy. We were out of chicken, so I used pork chops instead, and it worked fine. We also put some Café Rio dressing on top. Delish!
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3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
2 tsp olive oil
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
1 cup salsa
2 cups cooked brown rice
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1. Combine the chili powder, cumin, pepper and salt; rub over chicken.

2. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken in oil on both sides.

3. Stir in the beans, corn and salsa.

4. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

5. Slice the chicken; serve with rice and bean mixture.

Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half with 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup rice equals
400 calories, 7 g fat, 52 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 32 g protein.

Italian Veggie Soup

This is a super easy and super healthy recipe, and so tasty too! I don't have the nutritional values for it, but it's 0 Weight Watcher points... if you know what that means.
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10 oz baby spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
4 cups (or two cans) vegetable or beef broth
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
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Place all ingredients in a large pot on the stovetop. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low; simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes. DONE!
You can also just put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours.

Serves 8

Great to keep on hand in the fridge for a healthy snack/meal.

Peppery Fish Chowder

This soup is really good. I made it with the bacon, but I think you could make it a little healthier by using peppered ham and adding a Tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil to replace the grease that comes off of the bacon.

2 medium red potatoes

1 1/2 c. water, divided

3 slices peppered bacon

1 small onion

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 c. clam juice

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 lb boneless, skinless tilapia fillets (or any firm, white-fleshed fish)

1/4 c. snipped fresh parsley

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Hot sauce (optional)

Dice potatoes and place them, 1/2 c. water and 1/2 tsp. salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover, microwave on High 6-8 minutes or until tender. Remove from microwave, do not drain.

Meanwhile, dice bacon into 1/2 in. pieces and chop onion. Place bacon into 4 qt pot. Cook over medium high heat 5-7 minutes or until crisp.

Add onion and pressed garlic to pot (I just use finely chopped garlic as I don't know how to press it). Cook until onion is tender, add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until flour is evenly distributed. Slowly add clam juice, potatoes with cooking water, 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of salt and black pepper, bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 3-5 minutes.

Carefully remove dark reddish brown vein down length of tilapia and cut the rest of the fish into 3/4 in pieces. Add to pan and cook until tilapia is opaque throughout (should only take a few minutes).

Snip parsley. Remove soup from heat. Stir in cream and parsley. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Chipotle Chicken Soup

We just tried this one tonight, and it was a hit. Very hearty! I got it out of one of my Healthy Cooking magazines, and even though it was healthy, it sure was tasty. You definitely want to serve it with sour cream, because it's  a little spicy. Oh, and it makes a lot, it actually serves 8, so we'll have leftovers for awhile. I modified it a bit to make it easier.
 

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1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 C chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, rinsed & drained
2 cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 cans whole kernel corn
1 can chipotle peppers, minced
2 tsp green taco sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cubed, cooked chicken breasts
1/2 C fat free sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 lime juiced
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In a big pot, saute onion in oil until tender.
Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chipotle peppers, green sauce, cumin, & pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Stir in chicken and lime juice; heat through.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

Nutrition facts: 1 2/3 cups with 1 Tbsp sour cream equals 287 calories. 4 g fat, 7 g fiber, 21 g protein. 2 servings of vegetables.

Serves 8

Strawberry Butter

This is great on rolls. I take it to family dinners and everyone loves it. You can also use raspberries instead of strawberries if you prefer.
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2 cubes of butter, softened
1/3 - 1/2 cups strawberry jam
1/4 cup fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
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Puree the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill and serve on bread or rolls.

Chocolate Frosting

This is the perfect chocolate frosting for cakes and cupcakes. 
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1 cube butter, softened
3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp shortening for consistency
2-3 Tbsp ice water
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 Combine all ingredients while beating with a mixer.

Mom's Wheat Bread

We love this recipe. The bread is very fluffy, very tasty even though it's wheat, and even though it's a bit of work, you end up with two loaves of fresh bread.
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5-6 cups wheat flour (freshly ground if you have it)
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp Saf instant yeast
1 Tbsp lecithin (granulated or liquid; you can get it at a health food store in the bulk area)
1 Tbsp dough enhancer (optional)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp gluten (also found at the health food store)
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Combine 3 cups wheat flour, hot water, yeast, lecithin, dough enhancer, oil, and brown sugar. The kitchenaid mixer is great for this. While mixing, add an additional 2 to 2 1/2 cups of additional wheat flour. Mix this all for 2 minutes.
Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Add 1 Tbsp salt and gradually add 1 to 3 cups of flour until you get the correct consistency. Mix for 8 minutes.
Roll the dough out on an oiled surface and divide into two bread pans.
Let rise for 30 minutes with a dishtowel over the top.
Put the loaves in a COLD oven and then turn the temperature to 350 degrees. (I think this keeps the bread from collapsing.) Cook for 25-28 minutes.
Remove the bread from the pans for cooling to avoid overdone crust. Once cool, slice and serve.

Easy Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a fast and easy, but fancy dinner. You can add cooked and seasoned chicken to make it even better.
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2 cups fettuccine pasta
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
Parsley flakes
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Cook the fettuccine according to directions. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir the flour gradually into the butter until you have a nice paste. Slowly stir in the milk. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until it is thick and bubbly. Stir in the garlic and salt and cook one more minute. Remove and stir in the Parmesan Cheese. Pour the sauce over the noodles and sprinkle parsley over the top.
Serves 4.

Homemade Maple Syrup

Goes great with Waffles, pancakes, cornbread, and German pancakes.
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1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp maple flavoring
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Bring the water to boiling, then add the sugar, vanilla, and maple. Reduce heat and let boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. This makes enough for 4 people.

Mom's Wheat Waffles or Pancakes

This is Dave's favorite breakfast these days. The wheat flour makes it very filling, and pretty healthy if you serve it with strawberries and fat free whipped cream. Of course, I prefer homemade maple syrup which defeats the purpose, but, oh well.
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2 cups flour (You can use white and wheat flour in the ratio you prefer. I usually do 1 cup white, 1 cup wheat)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or oil
2 eggs
Water for right consistency
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Mix all the ingredients in the above order and pour the batter in your waffle iron or griddle for pancakes. Homemade, and it's that easy!

Grandpa's Cake

This was my Grandpa Thurston's favorite cake, and I always asked my mom to make it on my birthday. It's a very decadent white cake that is best with homemade chocolate frosting. Really, it melts in your mouth. It's a bit of work, but very worth it.
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2/3 cup Shortening (solid coconut oil works too, but the cake will be much denser, I recommend shortening)
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups Flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups Milk
5 egg whites
1/4 cup white sugar
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(Let the egg whites sit for 30 minutes before beating them with the sugar later.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until it is light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and add it to the mixture alternately with milk.
Now you'll use those egg whites. Beat the egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff and fold it into the batter.
Divide into two greased 9" round baking pans. (It's best if you line the bottom with wax paper cut to size.) Bake at 350 degrees and check after 20 minutes.
Once cooled, frost with chocolate frosting.

It actually tastes even better the next day, so let it sit covered over night if you can wait.