The Times They Are A Changing

Red, White and Blue Cake

Ingredients

White Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 - 3 oz package strawberry jello
1 - 16 oz container Cool Whip
1 quart strawberries (sliced)
1 cup blueberries

Directions

Prepare white cake with 3 eggs and 1/3 cup oil and follow cake directions on package. While the cake is still warm poke holes in the cake with the wrong side of a wooden spoon. Prepare the strawberry jello as per package directions, but don’t chill, instead pour over cake. The jello will seep into the holes making a wonderful strawberry flavored cake with a nice coloration. Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, like icing. Mix the strawberries and blueberries together, then put them on top of the Cool Whip evenly. Put the cake back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Variation: Cut strawberries in half (instead of sliced) and decorate the top of the cake like a flag with the blueberries in the top left corner as though they were the stars and the strawberries as the stripes.

Creamy Chili Rellenos

Ingredients

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
½ cup green chili sauce
3 - 7 oz cans Ortega green chilis, drained
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
9 - flour tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a pot, heat soup on medium heat. Add sour cream and green chili sauce and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat.
Cut each chili in half lengthwise. Place two chili halves on each tortilla along with 1/9th of the cheese and roll up. Place in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Pour the soup mixture over the top of the tortillas. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with Mexican rice and beans. Make packaged rice according to directions. Add a can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top.

Serve with slices of tomato and avocado, placed alternately on the plate.

In-a-Hurry Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup carrots, chopped very fine
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15 oz can chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Pour in onion, garlic and carrots, sauté until tender. Pour in crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, corn, broth and cumin. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper t taste, simmer an additional 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with cheddar cheese for garnish. Serves 8.

This is a great winter meal served with hot biscuits or buttered tortillas folded in quarters.

Rancher’s Mix

Ingredients

10 cups popcorn, popped
2 cups small pretzels
1 - 6 oz package goldfish crackers
1 cup peanuts
½ cup butter
2/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1 - 4 oz package dry ranch salad dressing mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the popcorn, pretzels, goldfish crackers and peanuts.
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add Parmesan cheese and ranch salad dressing mix. Pour over popcorn mixture and stir to coat mixture. Pour onto a baking dish.
Bake for 15 minutes. Serves 14 cups.

Variations: Use taco seasoning pack instead of ranch dressing mix.
Use any Checks cereal instead of popcorn.
Use your favorite nut instead of peanuts.

Birthday Mix

Ingredients

6 oz corn Chex cereal
6 oz Cheros
1 cup pecans
½ cup white chocolate chips
¾ cup butter
¾ cup dark corn syrup
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup MnM

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine cereal, pecans and mix.
In a sauce pan, melt butter, then pour in corn syrup and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Pour the sugar mixture over the cereal and mix to coat.
Pour mixture into a greased baking pan and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Pull from oven and sprinkle with MnMs.

Cinnamon and White raisin Loaf

Ingredients

1 - 10 oz refrigerator white bread dough
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup white raisins
½ cup pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease one loaf pan. Spread bread dough out to a 13”X9” rectangle. If necessary pinch dough pieces together to make the proper size. Brush or rub butter across the top of the dough.
Combine white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon, mix well and sprinkle over the top of the loaf. Scatter raisins and pecans over the top of the bread.
Gently roll up bread from the short side in. Place in the greased loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove bread and cool on rack. When completely cooled, cut with serrated knife. Serves 12 slices.

When ready to serve, reheat in a toaster or toaster oven and spread with butter. Add a cup of coffee or juice for a quick breakfast.

Biscuit Pizza

Feel free to substitute toppings for your favorites. Pepperoni is probably the most popular with kids or just plain cheese. This would make a great dish for a lunch children’s birthday party.

Ingredients

6 slices (regular) bacon
Spray oil
¼ cup cornmeal
3 containers refrigerator biscuits
1 - 14 oz jar marinara sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz mixed Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz mixed Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can pineapple chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large skillet, fry bacon. When cooked drain on paper towels and chop into small pieces.
Into a 9”X13” baking pan, spray oil and sprinkle cornmeal. Top with refrigerator biscuits, one at a time to line the pan. In a separate pot, pour in marinara sauce, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Heat on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Pull off of heat and cool for a couple of minutes. Spread sauce over the biscuits. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Add bacon and pineapple evenly over the top of the biscuit pizza.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 8 to 12.

Pesto Shrimp and Pasta

Fast and easy. Add refrigerator breadsticks. Before putting them in the oven rub with olive oil and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. For a salad, try spinach instead of the ordinary green salad. It’s better with fewer ingredients. So, keep the salad to spinach, chopped Roma tomatoes and red onions. Then toss it with prepared Italian dressing.

Ingredients:

1 - 16 oz penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shrimp, deveined and peeled
½ cup pesto
1 cup sour cream
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse and return to pot. Meanwhile in a separate skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink. Pour in pesto, sour cream and white wine. Cook until heated through. You may add some corn starch if you like a thicker sauce. Pour into pasta pot and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese after plating. Serves 4.

Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Rotini

Ingredients

1 - 16 oz package Rotini ( or pasta of choice)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
4 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
½ can chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 small jar artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz feta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook Rotini according to the packaged instructions, drain and return to pot.
In a separate pan, pour in olive oil, garlic and onions, cook until onion is tender. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour chicken broth mixture into Rotini pot along with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, mix thoroughly. Serve with sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8.

Serve with garlic Italian bread: Slice Italian loaf in half lengthwise, spread softened butter and sprinkle with freshly minced garlic and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve with a green salad with your choice of ingredients and creamy Italian dressing.

Sweet Potato Burritos

Bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time or even the night before and put them in the refrigerator to save time.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
12 flour tortillas
16 oz. Mexican mix cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
1 large avocado

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic onion, chili powder and cumin for about three minutes. Pour in vegetable broth and beans, continue cooking. Mash sweet potatoes and add to the bean mixture.

Put 1/12 of the bean mixture into each four tortilla, top with cheese and roll up.
Place tortillas into a baking dish and rub olive oil on top. Then top with cheese and bake for ten to twelve minutes. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of avocado. Serves 6 to 12.

For an easy dessert mix a package of lime jello and a small can of crushed pineapple into a container of Cool Whip and chill. When ready to serve, stir till fluffy and put into stemmed glasses to serve.

South of the Border Shrimp

Ingredients

½ cup butter or extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon corn starch
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium-low. Add garlic and shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink, 3 or 4 minutes. Pour in cornstarch, working it into the butter to make a rue. Add lime juice, salt and chili powder, cook an additional 3 minutes.
Serves 6 - 8.

Serve with Classic Beans and Rice

Classic Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 ½ white rice
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small can Ortega chilis, chopped
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup salsa
½ teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a large pot, cook rice according to package. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, chilis, chili powder, cumin, salsa and salt. Cook, stirring until the onion is tender. Pour in tomatoes and kidney beans. Heat for another few minutes. Pour bean mixture into rice and mix thoroughly.