Aunt Linda's chilllleeee yum

So here is the skinny. Linda makes good chili. This recipe is an estimated amounts of ingredients because you only ever make one round of chili. You don't want leftovers if you know what i mean! However, when you want chili you want chili. And this recipe won't disappoint... But you have to decide amounts for yourself. Its not hard.

Ingredients:

1 bag pinto beans
1 large white onions
1 lb hamburger
chili spice (To desired hotness)
ketchup (to desired sweetness)
1 Tbsp honey
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1 can tomato paste

How to make;
soak pinto beans over night. They double or triple in size.
Boil soaked beans until soft. Drain
Brown hamburger
Dice White onion and add to burger
add remaining ingredients to cooked burger. warm through and add to beans.

refried bean burritos

Tonight for dinner we ate bean and cheese burritos. The thought of just refried beans slapped into a tortilla shell smothered in cheese didn't completely set well with me... so I spiced up the idea with veggies and hid them in the beans so the Mr. McKay wouldn't feel obligated to remind me that he doesn't love to eat such green foods... The beans turned out amazing... I had kids and a husband eating bowls full... And so I never want to forget how I made such goodness. Here you go... I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1 small zucchini

2 small jalapenos

1/4 C chopped celantro

1- 2 C arugula

Celtic sea salt

pepper

olive oil

1 can great white northern beans

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

3 oz cream cheese

Begin your refried bean experience by:

chop all veggies small

in a fry pan, saute onions in 3 T olive oil until they become translucent. Add remaining ingredients and saute until soft! Pepper and salt to taste. (I have fallen in love with Celtic Sea Salt... I will never go back to regular salt... This stuff actually pulls flavor out of your food!)

Drain beans thoroughly! AS IN... NO LIQUID!!! (or you will have refried bean soup!)

In a separate pan, heat up beans with 3 oz cream cheese until cheese is melted.

in a blender pour veggie mix and puree. Pour hot beans on top and blend together. Not too long or the beans will turn into soupy mix. Though the flavor will be right, it is difficult to get the consistency right for burritos. However, if that happens, no biggy... just make cheese crisps and dip them into the bean dip!

pour refried beans back into the pan to keep warm while making burritos. I use whole wheat tortillas and sometimes put in a scoop of brown rice. YUMMY!

*Some reasonable garnishes would be celantro, Rosie's homemade salsa, a dobber of sour cream and fresh avacado. Is your mouth watering yet?

Veggie and Tofu lo mein with Teriyaki

This little ditty is soooo tasty. I dare you to make it... your taste buds will par-tay and your heart will thank you. This, my friend, is brain food!Teriyaki sauce:

(to mix up and set aside for later)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black strap molasses
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Lo Mein/ Stir Fry

1 medium white/yellow onion -sliced thin

1 red bell pepper- sliced into thin strip about 1/2" long

1 1/2 C chopped purple cabbage

4 carrots- peeled and sliced

1 zucchini- peeled and sliced into small sticks

2 celery sticks- cut small

6 mushrooms- sliced

1/2 bunch fresh spinach-washed and chopped (large)

Saute veggies in 1/4 C olive oil while Adding 1 pkg. Tofu Lo mein noodles and 3/4 of Teriyaki sauce and 2 eggs. Cook over Medium heat for 10-15 min.

Serve with brown rice. You can use the remaining sauce to pour over dish if you don't have enough.

Hadit Foo Bitsley

For us haditfoobitsley was the food of the Gods growing up.. Mum made it when she was in a dinner crunch.... and the smell of it is divine. But the taste is so impressive. I'm not sure where this recipe originated. I believe the beloved Geri Kofoed named it though.... Kids love it. Moms like to make it cuz it's easy and dad loves to eat it cuz it's OOOHHHHH SOOOO GOOD!!!
Ingredients:

6-8 red potatoes (washed skins on... bake until done... then sliced thick)

1 white onion

1 pkg bacon (cooked crispy)

salt and pepper

How to make:

cook bacon in pan. (Drain most of the grease... but save some for cooking the potatoes in.) Set aside bacon for later.

Cook sliced white onion in saved bacon grease. When translucent add potatoes (sliced 1/4" thick).

salt and pepper to taste.

When potatoes and onion are cooked add the crispy bacon to top and 1/4 C water to pan. Cover and let simmer for about 5-10 min. Stir occasionally.

Chicken Roll Ups and gravey

This recipe serves 8... so plan on doubling it! Because all 8 will be going back for more! Mum served this for family dinner a few months ago... and she (for the first time ever) ran out of the main dish... Mostly because Ikey and McKay thought that they each needed 6 of their own... after all, they are growing 8 year old boys!

What you'll need and what to do with it:

3 oz pkg cream cheese

2 Tbsp melted butter

*Mix cream cheese and butter together and set aside

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp chopped white onion

*mix chicken, salt, pepper, milk and onion together and then add to cream cheese and butter mixture.

1 (8oz) pkg crescent dough ~ separate dough into triangles and flatten out.

2 Tbsp melted butter (dip for chicken rolls)

3/4 C seasoned crushed croutons

*put 1 Tbsp chicken mixture into the center of the triangular crescent dough and pull dough over to make a ball. Seal the edges.

Dip the roll up into melted butter and roll into crushed croutons.

Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (check instructions on crescent dough package)

serve with gravy over the top:

1 Can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C sour cream

Approx. 2 tsp. Lawry's Lemon Pepper

*heat together until it is creamy like gravy.

Confetti Rice

DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE!

There... Our mother (who is the genius that shared this recipe with us) told us not to double it. When mama speaks we don't question... So we don't know why we don't double it... for the same reason we don't know why we rub the cucumber ends after we cut them off... Mama said to. That's why!

This rice is delectable. Try eating it with chicken roll ups. But don't double the recipe... just make two separate dishes of it!

Ingredients and a how to all in one!

10 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 5 C hot water

1/4 tsp pepper

2 C uncle Ben's converted rice

****************************

Mix above ingredients in a casserole dish (9X 13). Bake 350 degrees for 35 min.

****************************

While the above is baking:

Saute in 1 cube of butter (over med heat)...

1/2 C chopped white onion

1 C slivered celery

1/2 C chopped bell pepper

1 C grated carrots

1 C chopped spinach

****************************

Stir sauteed mixture into baked rice.... then cover it with tin foil and bake @ 350 degrees for 25 more minutes.

White bean Chicken Chili

Grandma Linda made this soup for us years ago at one of her visits to AZ. Since then this little recipe has been the winner of several chili cook offs... and the talk of delish at many meals! Because we celebrated rain today, I decided to make it for dinner and I was once again reminded that it is one of my most favorite soups. It tastes more like a tortilla soup than a chili... you'll have to decide! Enjoy!Ingredients:

1-2Tbsp Olive oil

1 Chopped white onion

1 Chopped fresh garlic clove

2 (14 oz) cans great white northern beans

2 (14oz) cans chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can white corn

1 (4 oz ) can chopped green chilies

small bottle Herdez salsa verde (optional)

2 C cooked (cubed) grilled chicken breast

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Juice from a small lime

Garnishes:

tortilla strips

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

chopped cilantro

To make:

Grill chicken and cut into cubes... set aside. Heat oil in large pot. Add onion and garlic~ saute until translucent.

Mix in remaining ingredients, including the chicken. Bring chili to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 min.

It has been reported that homonee (hope to have spelled that correctly? It's not an English word!) is a great addition to this soup. It is! Go ahead and add some to yours!

Zucchini Casserole

I can think of 100 things to do with zucchini... it is a staple at our house! In fact, we eat it nearly 5 nights a week. So, if you ever grow too much in your garden, please send it our way! We can handle all the excess... However, after a taste of this zucchini casserole, you might not have any leftovers! There are few casseroles that I find worthy to feed my family! (no offense to all those casserole eaters) This is definitely ONE! PLEASE give it a shot! Your taste buds will thank you!Ingredients:

5 C peeled/diced zucchini

1 C peeled/ diced yam

1 C peeled/ diced potato

1/4 C onion

1 Can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C sour cream

1 C shredded carrot

8 oz package stove top stuffing (with the season packet)

1/2 C butter

Prepare:

Boil zucchini, yam and potato for 3 min. Drain.

in 8x8 dish mix soup, sour cream and carrots.

add boiled veggies to sour cream mixture.

in a separate bowl, mix stuffing and melted butter.

Top the veggies with stuffing. Cover.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min.

your non-ketchup meat loaf

Some time ago it was requested of me to make meat loaf for dinner. YUK! I grew up on meatloaf... with ketchup and brown sugar in it. Sorry mum, I love most everything you cook... but I'm glad you retired that recipe. Everything else you create makes up for it! Where was I... Meat loaf... my version.

Again... no picture.... so this will have to do!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or sirloin

1 yellow onion

3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 zucchini

1/2 red pepper

2 C fresh spinach

3 mushrooms

1/2 crook neck squash

2 Tbsp. mustard

1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2-3 eggs

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

Not hard to make.. just messy!

Wash and Chop all veggies small! No chunks or they won't mix. Mix all ingredients except Cream of Mushroom soup together. Mix well... Pack into greased loaf pan and pour cream of Mushroom soup on top. Bake 350 degrees until done. (I don't know when that is... check it after 30 min... write it down when you figure out the time!) This is super yummy with a side of garlic mashed potatoes.

San Francisco Joe's Special

I find myself morally opposed to post a recipe without a picture... No rhyme or reason... but I didn't have a picture of this little dinner delight. So instead I posted a fuzzy photo of the golden gate bridge for you to look at. After all, it is in San Francisco... and I guess they eat this recipe there since it's named after it! This recipe is courtesy of Dr. Schwarzbein in her book, "The Schwarzbein Principle". It's a page turner!

Necessary components of this recipe:

1 bunch spinach (about 1 C cooked)~ well-drained and chopped: or 8 oz package frozen (thawed and drained and chopped)

1/2 pound sirloin burger or ground turkey

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 C chopped white onion

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 tsp. oregano

pepper to taste

4 eggs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

To create:

Wash spinach well, remove stems. With water still clinging to leaves, place in a heavy medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to med-high and steam until leaves are wilted, about 3 min. Drain in colander, pressing out all liquid with the back of a wooden spoon. Chop coarsely and set aside.

In a medium skillet, cook hamburger over medium heat until browned, breaking apart lumps with a wooden spoon. Remove meat from pan, drain fate and set aside.

In large nonstick skillet, melt butter over a med-high heat. When butter is hot and bubbly, add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 min. Stir in oregano and black pepper. Add spinach and burger meat and stir until spinach is heated through.

In a small bowl, using a fork, beat eggs and pour over meat mix. Gently stir mixture until cooked to your liking. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.