Mexican Rice

For each cup of dry rice:

1 can of tomatoes (diced- if your store has a can of RoTel with tomatoes and green chiles in either mild or medium (whichever you prefer) you can substitute these cans for most of the tomatoes and green chiles. I would have one extra can of just the tomatoes just in case)

1 sm can of green chiles (mild if you don’t want it to be spicy)

lots of cumin

some cilantro (fresh is great)

lime juice (optional)

salt to taste

Option 1: Most of the time I cook the rice- as directed and then mix in everything. I just empty One can of tomatoes and green chiles at a time and generously sprinkle some cumin on top. Then mix. Then continue adding tomatoes and green chiles and more cumin. I keep going until all the rice looks tomato-ey (not white). Then add chopped cilantro and a dash or squeeze or two of lime juice, mix one more time and taste for salt or serve with salt on the table.

Option 2: Empty 1 can of tomatoes and 1 can of green chiles for every cup of dry rice into the pot with the dry rice. Cook the rice with the tomatoes and green chiles and cumin (sometimes I’ll add the lime juice or if I have dried cilantro). IMPORTANT: Add less water for the rice (because the tomatoes have juice and if you added the lime juice). You can just estimate. When it’s cooked just stir and add the fresh cilantro if you didn’t use dried.

Zucchini Parmesan

Sliced zucchini
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese (shredded)

1. Put a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Fry up zucchini.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Asiago sage butternut squash

Butternut squash,sliced
Shredded Asiago cheese
Melted Butter (we love brummel and browns yogurt butter-great for weight watchers)
Chopped fresh sage.

Lay butternut squash on cookie sheet. Brush or spoon over butter. Sprinkle on Asiago cheese and sage and cook at 350 for 10 minutes or until browned

Raspberry Rice

White rice
Glazed walnuts
Raisins
Raspberry Vinaigrette

Make white rice as directed.  Then fry up with lots of raspberry vinaigrette and glazed walnut and raisins. 

Ginger-Caramelized Pineapple

PointsPlus: 3 pts for 2 pineapple spears and 1 teaspoon of syrup
Prep: 2 minutes  Cook: 9 minutes

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 (1 1/4 pound) cored fresh pineapple, cut vertically into 12 spears (for a really good pineapple look for a really good golden pineapple- the less green the better. Or see if you can pick out a leaf easily from the top)
2 tablespoons light butter, cut into pieces (I used yogurt butter)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat..  Coat pan with cooking spray; add pineapple.  Add butter pieces, and quickly tilt pan in all directions so butter covers pan with a thin film.
2. Cook pineapple 8 minutes or until browned, turning once. 
3. Add vanilla.  Add honey, ginger, and salt; cook 1 minute, tossing to coat with honey. 
YIELD: 6 servings

Delicious Spinach Dip

1 10oz  pkg chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

1 pkg knorr o Vegetable soup mix

2 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 can 8 os water chestnuts chopped

3 green onions chopped

Combine and chill for 2 hours.  Stir before serving

Put it in the center of Sheepherder bread and cut up some additional Italian bread in small servings.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Fresh mushrooms

cream cheese

Lawreys season salt

chopped olives

stuff paprika

Just 1 or 2 min or 5 min

Funeral Potatoes

1 large (32 oz.) Frozen Hash Browns (or 12 large potatoes)

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 pint sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (medium)

4T butter, melted

1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small onion) (optional)

Mix with hash browns

Topping:

3/4 C grated Cheddar Cheese (medium)

2 C cornflakes crushed mixed with -

2 T melted butter

Sprinkle cheese and then cornflake mixture.

 Bake 350 deg. For 1 hour.

Top Ramen Coleslaw

1 head cabbage shredded chopped fine
1 bunch green onions
4 chicken breast cooked chopped
3 T toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 pkg Top Ramen, chicken flavoring

Roast in over at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Dressing:
3 T white vinegar
3 T sugar
chicken top Ramen seasoning packet
1/2 cup oil
1 T Lawry's season salt

Coleslaw

Recipe from Bob Hunt

3 c Weight Watchers Mayonnaise
1/2 to 3/4 c rice vinegar
12 to 15 packets Equal
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp minced onion
1 1/2 to 2 tsp white pepper
3-5 tsp poppyseeds
raisins (optional)

Put all ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.  Pour over shredded cabbage green and red mix and add Redskin peanuts

Orange Rolls

(if TRIPLE, then just double yeast)

1/4 c water
1 pkg or 1 T yeast
jiggle together, sprinkle sugar on top, set aside.

Scald milk- 1 c (no boil on top- sides and bottom)

1/2 c shortening
1/3 c sugar
1 t salt
Mix together
Add milk and let sit- 5 minutes

4 3/4 c flour (won't use all- dough needs to be sticky)
2 beaten eggs
1/4 c mixed orange juice
Add 2 cups of flour, some of the eggs and some of the yeast to the mix.  Stir.  Add the rest of the flour little by little with more eggs and more yeast- just makes sure it's still sticky.  When you're out of eggs and yeast add in orange juice and more flour.  Just make sure the dough remains sticky.

Let sit and cover (1 hour to 1 1/2 hours depending on temperature- until doubled).  Then punch and let sit for 10 more minutes.

Grease counter
Roll out dough in rectangle.  Use a pizza cutter to cut in 3/4 inch strips.
Butter pan.  Loosely tie strips in knots and set in pan.  Let them rise some more for 30-40 minutes.
Cook at 375 for 9 minutes.

Glaze: Orange juice and powdered sugar.  Spoon over baked rolls

Pot Stickers/Spring Rolls

These have always been a hit anytime I have made these. The only difference between the pot stickers and spring rolls is the size and shape; the filling is the same for either. There is no wrong way to make the filling and you should always experiment with new ingredients. I'll give you the basics and then you can go from there.

Ground meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), 1lb
Green onions, 1 bunch minced
Eggs, 3
Soy sauce
Sugar
Salt
Garlic (fresh pressed or powdered)
Onion powder
Wraps (either 1pkg small or big)

Mix meat, minced onions, 1 egg, and then garlic, salt (1Tbs), soy sauce (1/2 cup), and sugar (2Tbs) or according to personal preference (smelling will give you a good idea of this).

Now the fun part! I encourage this be done as a family or group, as it will take long otherwise. Put two egg white in bowl. For small wraps take one heaping Tbs of filling and place in center of the wrap. Folding the pot sticker can be artistic or utilitarian as you please (use egg white as adhesive to stick sides together); no matter how you fold them bake sure that the filling is sealed completely. For spring rolls you can chose how much filling depending on how big you want them (four Tbs is a good amount imo). Place the wrap diamond-wise and place the filling horizontally near the bottom. Roll the bottom corner up halfway, then fold the sides in and roll the remainder of the wrap, cementing with egg white.

There are a number of ways to cook pot stickers, it simply depends on preference. 1) Steam them (soft and moist), 2) fry in oil (crunchy), 3) brown then steam by adding a small amount of water to pan and covering until water is gone (firm but not crunchy). For spring rolls I only recommend frying them in oil on medium or medium low heat so they cook throughout.

If you have leftovers (doubtful) they are easily frozen raw in a ziplock bag or tupperware (I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper between each piece so they don't stick together). I don't recommend freezing cooked pot stickers/spring rolls because they won't be very good (mushy) once thawed out and reheated.

There are also a number of other ingredients that are good in the filling:

Jalipenos
Cilantro
Hot sauce
Celery powder
Fruits of stiffer consistency (pear, apple, pineapple, etc.)

There are also cream cheese based fillings like crab, shrimp, or just cream just plain that are very easy to make as they are mainly cheese and another ingredient.

Delicious Sweet Potatoes

by Natalie Taylor

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (or fresh yams, cut boiled, mashed 3 lbs- 2 jumbo yams)
ADD
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c margarine
2 beaten eggs
1 t vanilla
1/3 c milk

Mix together and put into casserole

Topping:
1/2 c self rising flour
1/3 c margarine
     Mash with a fork until crumbly
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c pecan pieces
     Mix, sprinkle onto potato mixture.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes uncovered.

Carrot Casserole

6 lbs carrots (3 2 lb bags) sliced lengthwise
2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c horseradish
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 c crushed saltines (approx. 30 crackers)
1/4 c butter, melted (1/2 cube)

In saucepan, cook carrots, covered 10 min. or til tender.  Drain.  Place in 9x13 casserole.  Combine mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, salt and pepper.  Spoon over carrots.  Mix crumbs and butter; sprinkle atop.  Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until hot.  Serves 15.

Frozen Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese at room temperature

2 T Myonnaise

1 (15.5 oz) can fruit cocktail, drained (see below) *

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 pint whipped cream

1 c pecans or almonds (optional) chopped

Maraschino cherries to decorate: halved, drained, blotted on paper towel

Directions

Blend cream cheese and mayonnaise together. Mix fruit cocktail (or canned fruit of choice) and drained pineapple with cream cheese mix. Whip the cream with a sugar (2 T or to taste). Gently fold the cream cheese and fruit mixture along with 3/4 cup nuts (optional) into the whipped cream, mixing thoroughly. Spread evenly into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts on top. Place maraschino cherries 1 1/2 inch apart so each piece, when cut, will have a cherry in the middle. Cover with plastic wrap so that wrap touches the surface of the fruit salad. Cover with heavy foil and freeze.

*Instead of fruit cocktail, use any of these canned fruits: blueberries Queen Anne cherries, mandarin oranges, or a combination. Kids love this salad when miniature marshmallows (2/3 pkg) are added along with the fruit.

Herb- Roasted Potatoes Poupon

5 T Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 T Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 t Italian seasoning
6 medium red-skin potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into chunks

Mix all ingredients except potatoes in small bowl.  Place potatoes in lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan or on shallow baking sheet; toss with mustard mixture.  Bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.  Makes 4 servings.

Swiss Vegetable Medley

(Ready to bake in just 5 easy minutes)

1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination, thawed and drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 jar (4 oz) chopped pimento, drained (optional)
1 can (2.8 oz) Durkee French Fried onions

Combine vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, pepper, pimento and 1/2 can Durkee French Fried Onions.  Pour into a 1 quart casserole.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Top with remaining cheese and onions; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
MAKES 6 servings.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: Prepare as above.  Cook, covered, on HIGH 8 minutes; turn halfway through.  Top with remaining cheese and onions.  Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 1 minute or until cheese melts.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

12-16 Large fresh mushrooms

1/2 c butter

3 T finely chopped onion

1 1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs

2 T sour cream

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Directions

Clean and stem mushrooms. Set caps aside. Finely chop stems and set them aside. Melt 3 T butter in fry pan and saute the mushroom caps until golden–both sides. Place caps in a baking dish. Melt remaining butter and saute onions and mushroom stems until onions are clear and stems are golden. Remove from heat. Add seasonings, bread crumbs and sour cream. Mix well. Use enough sour cream to obtain a spreadable consistency. Stuff mushroom caps with this filling. They should be heapingly full. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve hot! Enjoy!

Yields: 10 servings

Spinach and Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 (9 oz.) pkg refrigerated linguine

7 oz. refrigerated pesto with basil

5 c. shredded fresh spinach leaves

1 c. chopped fresh tomato

1 c. halved, thinly sliced red onion

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

3 t lemon juice

1/4 t salt

Directions

Cook linguine according to package directions.

Rinse and drain. Combine pasta, spinach, tomato, onion and pine nuts in large bowl.

Combine pesto, lemon juice and salt in small bowl.

Add to pasta mixture, toss well. Serve immediately.

Freezer Jam

12-13 lbs sugar
8 boxes sure-Jell Light pectin
2 flats strawberries

Mash all together.

Makes 32 pts.