Homemade Guacamole
*I got this recipe by seeing it freshly made at our Tennessee Cozy Mel’s restaurant table. We frequently have this with Mexican dishes coupled with chips and Lipton’s Spanish Rice side.
Mix: 3 avocados, mushed
1 juiced orange (add to taste, not too much)
1 juiced lime (fresh lime is the way to go here)
1 diced tomato
1 t. salt (to taste)
2 T. cilantro (I usually add more)
1 T. finely chopped red onions (make sure you don’t add too much)
Potato Soup
7 c. diced potatoes (add any extra)
1 ½ c. chopped celery
1 ½ c. sliced carrots
1 c. chopped onion (to save time, you could buy frozen chopped onions)
Cut up vegetables. Cook in 4 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes. Cook until vegetables are tender (12 to 15 minutes after vegetables start to boil). Add undrained vegetables to white sauce. Heat thoroughly.
White Sauce:
1 c. butter or margarine
7 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Melt butter. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk. Cook over medium heat until it thickens and boils. Continue stirring to desired consistency. Remove from heat until undrained vegetables are added.
Makes 16 servings (1 cup each).
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
*Makes 10 cups of dry mix
*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes (feeds 2 adults)
3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.
To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1/2 c. vanilla yogurt (I have found that a thick constancy works well like "Dannon Light & Fit",1/2 c. milk, and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands - let it stand for at least 5-10 minutes. Heat a griddle around 325 degrees and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. Sometimes these pancakes fall apart a little when turning but they are amazingly good!
Chocolate chip cookies
3 eggs (2 if you make 1/2 the recipe)
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1 lb. butter
2 t. vanilla
In a separate bowl, sift together:
7 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda (1 t. for 1/2 the recipe)
1 1/2 t. salt (1 t. for 1/2 the recipe)
optional: 1 1/2 c. nuts
Creamy White Chili
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can white shoepeg corn
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chicken Salad
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
3-4 green onions, diced
1 c. celery, diced
4 T. sugar
2 t. salt
½ c. mayo (or to your liking)
4 T. rice vinegar
Red grapes (I usually chopped them in half)
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. I love to buy fresh baked Kaiser rolls from the store and lightly butter them and then broil them until lightly golden. Or you could use costco croissants or make my homemade french bread.
Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
*by Our Best Bites
12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon), crushed into bits
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (if you use ground red pepper just use a dash to make sure it’s not too hot!)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook tortellini according to package instructions.
Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp and lay on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.
Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce (a little less if you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Marinated Lemon Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I sliced each breast in half)
1 lemon, zested
3 lemons, juiced
2 T and 2 t. oil
1 t. dried parsley
1 t. dried chives
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1. Trim fresh chicken of unwanted parts, rinse, and then pat dry.
2. Combine all ingredients and place in gallon size re-sealable plastic bag. Add chicken. Turn to coat evenly. 3. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
4. Discard marinade and grill or broil 5 minutes per side until chicken is no longer pink in the center. I ended up needing to broil mine a little longer.
Homemade French Bread
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
2 Tbsp. cold water
Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand (for 10 minutes) or in mixer. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour 45 minutes.
