Taco Salad

Head lettuce (consider 1/4 head per person)
Ground beef (consider 1/4 lb per person)
Chili powder, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, ground cumin
Onion
Tomato
Avacado
French dressing
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Dice onion and saute in a bit of oil.
Brown the ground beef in with the onion.
Add about 1/2 tsp each of the seasonings while browning.
Slice up enough of the lettuce head for the number of people.
Dice the tomato and the avacado.
Mix the salad and add the ground beef mixture.
Add about 1-2 TBS of French dressing.
Crumble up torilla chips and mix well.
(I used Dorito Spicey Tortilla Chips.)
Shred some cheddar on top for effect.

I got this recipe from Ted Harris and below is what he sent me. It serves about six people.

one lb. ground beef
one head iceberg lettuce shredded
4 tomatoes
one onion, chopped
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
one, 1-lb can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 bag nacho , taco or tortilla ships
one bottle French dressing

Saute beef until brown, drain well and let cool while preparing other ingredients.
Toss meat with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese, beans.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss with salad dressing.
Crush chips and add to salad. Toss again.
Serve immediately so chips don't get soggy.

Rolo Pecan Caramel Candies

Mini pretzels -1 pkg. (63)
Rolo candies -1 13-oz. bag (there are exactly 63 pieces)
Pecan halves -1 pkg (need 63 pieces, will have 25-30 pieces left)


Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Put pretzel rings in single layer on sheet.
Unwrap Rolos and put one Rolo on each pretzel ring.

Bake 4 minutes, or until the candies are softened.
Take out of oven and quickly place a pecan half onto each Rolo and push down to squish the chocolate into the pretzel and flatten out.

Cool on sheet for 15-20 minutes, then place in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes until candy
is firm. Transfer to plate or container.

Source: http://thepartyworks.com/rolo-pecan-caramel-candies-photo-a-697.html

Thai Ground Pork Salad

1 lb. ground pork
2 TBS water or chicken stock
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 green onions, finely sliced
3 TBS fish sauce
3 TBS lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
2 TBS ground toasted sticky rice
1/2 c chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground roasted dried Thai chilies
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into sturdy spears
mixed baby greens

Toast rice in dry pan over medum heat until brown.
Grind until it turns to powder.

Brown pork in medum pan with water or chicken stock until cooked.
Set aside to cool.

Mix with the other ingredients and serve on lettuce with cucmber spears.

Grilled Thai Chicken with Lemongrass

1 lb. chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 lemongrass, finely sliced (or 1 TBS lemongrass powder)
1 TBS cilantro stems
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp salt
2 TBS fish sauce
1/4 c unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c sweet chili sauce

Blend together peppercorns thru coconut milk in blender until smooth.
Marinate the chicken thighs covered for 45 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Grill chicken on hot grill for 7 minutes per side. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sweet chili sauce and rice.

I made jasmine rice with some coconut milk and chopped up mango which was really good. You can also serve with sticky rice.

Mike’s Spicy Italian Tortellini Soup

1 lb spicy Italian sausage, de-cased
1 bag of chopped fresh spinach
one can of diced tomatoes
a couple of cloves of garlic minced
1 Vadalia onion, chopped
1 package of your favorite cheese tortellini
2 boxes of chicken broth.
Grated parmesan cheese
Crushed black pepper

In a large pot, cook the spicy sausage (out of casing), onions, and garlic, in a drizzle of olive oil until the sausage has been ground up and browned. (I have used chorizo for this.)
Add the can of diced tomato to the sausage mixture and let that cook for a bit.
Pour in about a box and a half of the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a boil.
Pour in your tortellini (I also sometimes add a couple handfuls of broad soup noodles to help absorb some of the broth).
Once the tortellini and noodles seem cooked, you may need to add a little bit more broth if it needs it (depending on how soupy you want it). Dump the fresh spinach on top of the soup and cover.
Leave until the spinach is wilted, and then mix it in!
Let cool for a couple minutes and ladle into your favorite soup bowl.
Top with some parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Serves 6.

Vegetable Bean Soup

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 glove garlic, finely diced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 15-oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Grated Parmigiano cheese

Place bacon in large saucepan over medium heat.
Cook 5 minutes or until almost crisp.
Add onion, celery, and carrots - cook 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and garlic - cook 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, beans, broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in spinach.
Laddle into soup bowls and top with grated cheese and home-made croutons.
Serves 6.

Salty Cake (Ricotta Quiche)

Pie Dough

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (chilled and cut into small pieces)
1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl or mixer.
Cut in the butter until only a few pieces are still sizeable.
Add the water and mix until you can form into two balls.
Cover each in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Shred 2 zucchini, one carrot, and one onion.
Saute with some garlic in a little olive oil. Add some salt and pepper.
Mix in some bacon, sausage or ham bits (or not) and let cool.
Combine 2 eggs, 1 cup ricotta cheese and 2 handfuls or parmesan.
Combine with the veggies and pour into the pie shell.
Cover with cross-hatch strips of dough, paint with an egg wash, and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

I made a deep dish version using the spring-form pan,
but I have also made it in a tart pan and a regular pie plate.

At Christmas I used snowflake cookie cutters to create the top rather than cross-hatching.

The recipes come from Mary Laurel.

Lemon Pepper Pasta Soup

1 package of low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 package of Trader Joe's lemon-pepper pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 shallot, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
10-12 fozen uncooked (but peeled) shrimp
Handful of fresh spinach
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Add oilve oil to a medium size pot and saute the shallot.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta broken up into smaller pieces.
Boil for about 7 minutes.
(At about 5 minutes, add the fozen shrimp
At about 6 minutes, add the fozen peas.)
Reduce heat so the soup simmers.
Add a handful of fresh spinach leaves and cover the pot for about 3 minutes.
Just before serving stir in the lemon juice.

Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup non-marinated artichoke hearts drained
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

Mash artichoke hearts with a fork. Mix together all ingredients. Place in a microwaveable container with a lid or cover with saran wrap. Microwave 4 minutes and serve with bagel chips or crackers.