Terry Stark's Chili

This guy is from our ward and is well known for the delicious chili that he brings to the fall festival contest. Enjoy!

For genuine chili (just the meat and sauce):

1 Bag Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili Kit (Fry's and Bashas have it for sure.)
Follow the instructions on the bag. BE CAREFUL: The cayenne can be hot so leave it out or add
to taste.
2 lbs. ground beef (gets more mild as it simmers)

You can add whatever you like from the list below.

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can hatch green chilies
Your choice: Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

I like to add all the ingredients. I also like to add salt to taste. For fast chili just add cans of beans, but be sure to DRAIN the JUICE. It's great with one of each kind listed.

Seafood Bisque

I know it looks like a lot, but this is a very delicious and simple recipe. The hardest part is opening all the cans. It works well as a side or as the main part of the meal. I got this recipe from a friend who had a friend that made it.

1 Large can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 Large can beef broth
1 Small can tomato soup
1 Regular can Progresso Hearty Tomato Soup
1 Regular can Campbell's split pea and ham soup
1 Can Crab Meat
1 Can peeled, broken shrimp (or tiny shrimp)
4-5 shakes Worchestershire sauce
1 Can sweetened condensed milk

Heat together. Add a spoonful of sour cream in the middle of the bowl and swirl into soup with a knife. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Oreo Jello Dessert

Put 1 can of evaported milk in the coldest spot in the freezer
combine:
1 large package of lime, lemon or rasperry jello
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. boiling water
Stir until dissolved and put in freezer, stir every 5 minutes until cool but not set.
Crush 1 pkg of oreo cookies, and put 1/2 in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Whip 1 can of chilled evaporated milk until fluffy (it should whip up similar to whipped cream, but not thick like whipped cream) then beat in the cool but not completely set jello mixture. Spread in the pan and top with remaining crushed oreos.
Delicious!

Great Green Chili

This is the recipe for the soup that I brought to Dane and Holli's Halloween party. Thanks Holli. We had a great time!!

8 cups chicken broth
1 onion, finely chopped
2 lbs chicken breast
2 pkgs chicken gravy mix
3 cans (7 oz) mild diced green chiles
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 can (28 oz) white hominy, drained
flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
sour cream


In a large pot, combine chicken broth, onion and chicken breasts. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is no loger pink about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool.

Use a whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth. Then add chiles, garlic, cilantro, cumin, jalapenos and hominy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to low.

Shred chicken and add it back into the broth. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Warm flour tortillas. Spoon a portion of the green chili into bowl, top with a spoonful of diced tomato and a tablespoon of sour cream. Fold a warmed tortilla, and place it beside the bowl of chili for dipping. Serve and enjoy!

(This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook "Eating for Life" by Bill Phillips)

BBQ or Salsa Chicken in a Crockpot

This is fast, simple and yummy.

4-6 chicken breasts (or however many you want)
BBQ sauce or Salsa

Put the chicken breasts in the crockput and douse heavily with BBQ sauce or salsa. Cook on low for 4-6 hours if thawed and high for 6-8 hours if frozen. Serve with veggies and rice. You can also shred the chicken and add more BBQ sauce for BBQ chicken sandwiches. Or, you can shred the chicken and make it into burritos if you used the salsa. This is also great on top of green salad.

French Bread Pizza

When you're in a hurry, or if you just don't want to make a crust this is great!

1 loaf of French bread
1-2 cans of pizza sauce
Shredded cheese
Your favorite pizza toppings (i.e. pineapple, ham, pepperoni, bellpeppers, olives, hamburger, tomatoes etc.)

Cut the loaf of bread in half the long way. Spread each side with sauce. Top with cheese and toppings. Broil in your oven until the cheese is melted. Cut into sections and serve.

Straight From the Island Pina Coladas

This is SO SO SO DELICIOUS! I don't know why it isn't more well known to make pina coladas this way because it is absolutely simple. Try the oriental food section of your grocery store for the coconut milk.

1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk (I use the "Light/Lite" kind)
1 can of pineapple
sugar
ice
Optional: Top with whipped cream.

Dump all ingredients except ice into blender. Blend and sweeten to taste. Next add ice and blend until you have the desired consistency. Top with whipped cream if you like. YUM!

Veggified Scrambled Eggs

You can make all kinds of combinations with vegetables and eggs. This recipe is great with all or only one of the veggies added. I estimate the vegetables based on the number of eggs I am making. You might be surprised at how many vegetables your eggs can handle.

olive oil
eggs
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper (any color)
minced garlic (optional)
chopped celery
grated cheese
1 Tbsp. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan for about a minute on medium-medium high heat. Add chopped vegetables and turn heat to medium-low. Saute until vegetables are bright and still a little crunchy. Add eggs and cheese beaten together with milk. Add salt an pepper. Turn heat back up to medium-medium high until eggs are cooked. This is also great without the garlic if you don't like that flavor.

Healthnut Trail Mix

I saw this combo, or something similar to it, on a TV show. Dane and I really like it. I just eyeball everything until it looks good so the measurements are just estimates.

1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup date pieces (they are cylindrical and have a white powder on them)
1/2 cup raw, shaved coconut

I get the date pieces and coconut in Fry's bulk food section. Just toss the ingredients together in a plastic bag and you have a tasty snack!

Salsa

Salsa by Tamara & Jeanette

4 bunches green onion chopped (white part only)
3 cans stewed tomatos
4 cans green chiles
1 tsp diced jalapenos
1/2 lime juiced
1 bunch cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Put all ingredients into food processor, vita-mix (for only about 3 seconds), or chop up by hand.

Serve with chips or on top of anything! This salsa makes a great Christmas pass around.

Fruit Dip

1 package cream cheese
1 regular sized bottle of marshmello cream
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon

Whip all ingredients together.
Serve with Apples, Strawberries or any other kind of fruit.

Yum Yum!

Chocolate Chip Skor Cookies by Jeanette Wengert

This is a winner recepie!

1 C butter flavored crisco
3 T vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c white flour
1 pkg milk chocolate chips (use 1/2 bag if you want less chips)
2 C skor bits
Beat crisco, vanilla, & eggs until big and fluffy. Add salt, soda, flour and then chocolate chips and skor bits.

Roll into balls and bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes. ENJOY!

You can buy the skor bits online at amazon.com in a 4 pound bag. I don't recommend the heath toffee bits because they have nuts in them and the cookies don't turn out the same.

Other great combinations are: White Chips & Butterscotch Chips or Milk Chocolate Chips with White Chips

Texas Caviar by Jeanette Wengert

TEXAS CAVIAR!

This is an absolute favorite that everyone loves. It's a fun snack or a great side with a meal.

1 bunch cilantro chopped fine
2-3 bunches of green onion chopped fine (white part only)
2 avocados diced
4 tomatos diced (may add more or less to your liking)
1 can black eyed peas drained
1 can yellow or white corn drained
1 package of Italian dressing (Make the dressing as called for on the packet with the oil, vinegar and water)
Add 2 Tablespoons of white sugar to the dressing and mix well.

Combine all ingredients and pour dressing over the top and mix.

Serve with Tortilla chips

Mexican Salad

This is something I created on our vacation in Mexico last summer. It really hits the spot. When I make it I usually just layer individual salads up on each plate. It would probably be easy to set up Hawaiian Haystack style with each ingredient in a separate bowl.

Romaine lettuce chopped (or any lettuce)
Chunked Cheddar Cheese (any cheese will do)
1 can heated black beans (use more for larger families)
Chopped cilantro
Chopped avocado
Diced tomatoes (or sliced)
Salsa
Ranch Dressing

Layer your salad with lettuce first, then beans, then remaining ingredients. The salsa and dressing go on top. You usually need less Ranch dressing than on a regular salad because the salsa adds to it.

Zesty Meatball Soup

This is from the whole wheat Zesta cracker box. I have made it twice and it's delicious! It was fun learning how to make meatballs. I like to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of my soup before eating.

Ingredients:
1 beaten egg
10 Keebler Zesta Wheat Crackers, finely crushed
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 c chopped onion
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes with Italian seasonings, cut up
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce with Italian seasonings
1 can (14 oz.) reduced-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked dry small shell pasta

Directions:
1. In large bowl combine egg, crackers, cheese, parsley and pepper. Add ground beef. Mix well. Shape into thirty-six 1-inch meatballs.

2. Spray Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Cook meatballs, half a a time, in Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning occasionally. Remove meatballs from Dutch oven.

3. In same Dutch oven cook zucchini and onion until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth ad pasta. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in meatballs. Heat through. Yield: 6 servings

Pot of Beans

You can make this in the stovetop or in the crockpot.

5-6 c dry pinto beans
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 dried red chilies
2 Tbsp dried onions
1 tsp cumin
1 hamhock

Sort the dry beans for rocks and bad beans. Rinse many times until water is clear. Choose one of 3 ways to reduce indigestion 1) Soak beans overnight in water then rinse before cooking 2) Bring beans to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Then let stand for 1 hour, then rinse 3) Cook beans on stovetop for 4-6 hours. To cook, cover beans well with water in crockpot (about 2-3 inches above bean level. Put hamhock in the middle. Remove seeds from chilies and put them in. Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top. Stir occasionally throughout the day. You may add water as well, beans should always stay covered in water. Cook on high 8 hours. Remove bay leaves, hamhock and red chilies before serving. If cooking on stove top, bring to boil on high then turn down to about med-low to simmer covered 4-6 hours.

Famous Family Bean Dip

This is the tasty bean dip we all LOVE! If you have any variations to it, please feel free to add them.

1 can refried beans
3 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4 c cheese
light sprinkle garlic powder
3 Tbsp. salsa
1 tsp. cumin

Sometimes I add a few dashes of chili powder to spice it up. This is tasty as a hot dip for chips, in burritos or as a side dish to a Mexican dinner. Everything is estimated so add or subtract until it tastes just right to you!

Chicken Ravioli with Thai Peanut Sauce

This is a FAST and EASY recipe. Dane and I had this at a restaurant in San Diego called Lotsa Pasta. It was so yummy that I found a recipe when I got home and we had it last night.

Buy Chicken Ravioli in the refrigerated food section of Sam's Club. It is NOT in the freezers. Make that according to the directions and top with Thai Peanut Sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce: This is from www.epicurean.com

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c scallions, finely chopped (I used about 1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ginger root, freshly grated (I used about 1 tsp. ginger powder)
1 c water
1/2 c peanut butter (they recommended natural)
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1-2 dashes dried hot red pepper flakes

Directions: In a saucepan, heat oil with moderate heat until hot. Saute scallions, garlic and ginger for about a minute. Stir in rest of ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. If leftover sauce is too thick add a little water while warming. At the restaurant they grated a little fresh carrot into the sauce. Do this just before serving.

Thai Chicken Pizza

My friend gave me this recipe so I made them last night and YUMMO!

4 whole wheat tortillas
peanut sauce (I buy mine at walmart)
2 C copped cooked chicken
1 green pepper, copped and sauted
1 red pepper, copped and sauted (I left this out, too expensive now)
1/2 C grated carrots
grated mozarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Now Bake 4 whole wheat tortillas for 3 minutes on a cookie sheet. Next, spread 1-2 T of Peanut sauce over each tortilla. Now sprinkle each tortilla with chicken, red and green peppers, onions, grated carrots and mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

This is especially tasty if it's a hot day, if you are pregnant, or if you want to feel like you are in a restaurant ordering a special drink. For the full effect I recommend using a straw to drink it! Tee hee! I am sure you can substitute the fruit to enjoy a number of fruited lemonades. This makes 2 quarts of juice.

2/3 c lemon juice
1/2 cup of sugar (can use honey or fructose, but I haven't tried this one with honey)
1/8 tsp. salt (estimate this to taste)
Frozen Strawberries

Fill blender fairly full of strawberries then add remaining ingredients. Fill blender with water and blend until smooth. Pour into pitcher and add water until you have two quarts. Depending on your blender and how frozen you want the lemonade to be, you may do two batches of frozen fruit with water to fill your pitcher.

Jane's Brownies

- My Mother-in-law gets credit for this. Anytime I take these brownies anywhere I get asked for the recipe. These brownies have a reputation and I have people request that I bring them for parties now. They aren't low fat...but if you want a chocolaty treat...they're perfect!

6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (I use cocoa
instead because it's cheaper. The conversion is on
the side of the cocoa container)
1 1/2 C butter
3 1/3 C sugar
6 eggs
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. vanilla
- Melt butter, add other ingredients and mix together
until creamy. Pour in a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350
degrees for 1/2 hour. Cool and frost!

Brownie Frosting:
1/4 C butter
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (again I use
cocoa)
3 C powdered sugar
1/2 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
- This is only a guide. I never measure when I make
frosting. Just keep tasting and adding until it's
yummy!

Tomato Soup Like La Madeleine's

This recipe is pretty forgiving. If you want to go lowfat use milk and less butter.

2 cans stewed tomatoes blended (Blend low for chunkier soup. I do it about medium.)
1/4 cube butter
1/2 c cream (you can also use half and half)
1/2-3/4 tsp basil
Salt to taste

For BEST results put this soup in a crock pot on low for 4 hours. Yum! OR Bring it to a boil for 3-5 minutes and serve. We like it with melted cheese sandwiches.

Pork Roast With Chutney

I had something similar to this at a lady's home and looked at a couple of recipes to come up with my own creation. Dane loved it! It really doesn't have to be exact, have fun!

1 Pork Roast
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c vinegar (Use white or rice vinegar. I'm not sure if apple cider vinegar would be too strong.)
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c dried apricots quartered (I did a bag of small apricots and put it all in.)
2 apples chopped small
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Put the dried fruits and brown sugar and spices in a small pan and cover with water then boil on the stovetop a few minutes. Mix vinegar in then pour over pork roast in the crockpot for 4-6 hours on high. To serve, put whole pork roast in a dish and spoon dried fruits on top of it. Slice roast and put dried fruit on each serving. Use a slotted spoon for removing the fruit so your roast isn't swimming in juice.

Red Pepper, Tomato, and Chicken Pilaf

This is very easy to make and very low fat and low in calories. It is put out by the American Institute for Cancer Research.

1 2/3 C quick-cooking brown rice
1 small onion chopped
1 T olive oil
1 can(14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can(14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 jar(7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bay leaf
salt (optional)
1/2 C frozen peas

Place all ingredients but the peas in a 2-quart casserole dish. Cover and bake 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Stir in peas and continue to bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve!

Curried Squash Soup

I had this at Mom's last week and could hardly wait to make it when I got home. It was from Taste's of Home Magazine by Evelyn Southwell in Etters, Pennsylvania. A fast way to do the topping is to skip the heavy cream and just put a dollop of sour cream in the soup and garnish it with chopped cilantro. This is a great way to eat squash. I bet the kids will eat it! (Anders doesn't eat much besides peanutbutter and toast these days...maybe someday!)

1 butternut squash (~1.75 lbs)
1 onion chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp curry
1/8 tsp cayenne
5 c ckn broth
1 Bay leaf

Cilantro Cream Topping:
1/2 c sour crm
1/4 c heavy whipping crm
1/4 c minced cilantro

Bake squash and set aside. saute onion and garlic in oil. Add flour, salt, curry and cayenne and blend. Add broth and bay leaf. Boil 2 min or until thick. Reduce heat and simmer 20 min. Discard leaf and cool. Blend squash and broth mixture in blender. Heat through in saucepan and put dollop of topping in.