Southwest Pasta Salad

Tastes great. Skipped the chicken. Great to use as a last minute thought as usually have most ingredients on hand.

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)
Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

To prepare dressing place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.
First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.
Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.
When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.
Makes about 4 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Chicken Stir Fry with Cashews

from Ball Family Cookbook p. 179

Ingredients:

1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips
 2 T oil
1 clove garlic, minced
diced fresh ginger
1-2 C vegetables (snow peas or green peas, sliced mushrooms, bite size broccoli, julienne carrots, green onions, whatever)
1/3 C chicken bouillon or broth
1/2 C cashews or peanuts

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine cornstarch, soy sauce, 1 1/2 T oil, and honey. Add chicken; toss to coat well. Marinate at least 30 minutes.

2. In a large deep skillet or wok heat 2 T oil over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken; stir fry 1-2 min until no longer pink.

4. Add vegetables and broth; stir fry until vegetables are the texture you like.

5. Add nuts and stir fry x 1 min.

Serve with rice.

Pudding Brownies

from Ball Family Cookbook p. 381

Ingredients:

1 sm. instant chocolate pudding mix
1 3/4 C milk
1 pkg Devils Food chocolate cake mix
2 C chocolate chips (tried mint chips and they were great)

Directions:

1. Mix the instant pudding and milk.

2. Mix in dry cake mix.

3. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Spread mix evenly in pan.

5. Cook at 350 for the time it says on the cake mix.

Easy, fast, and good!

Mexican Soup (Refried Bean Soup)

from Ball Cookbook p. 51

Ingredients (makes 2-3 servings):
4 slices bacon, diced
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4 C chopped celery
1/2 C chopped green pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
dash hot sauce (or a few, optional)
1 can chicken broth
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped tomato
crushed tortilla chips
chopped cabbage (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in microwave or preferred method (recipe says to cook in pan and then use grease to cook onion and co., but this made too strong of a bacon flavor in my opinion).

2. Saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in a pan until tender

3. Add beans, pepper, chili powder, and hot pepper sauce.

4. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Serve with toppings.

Funeral Sandwiches

from Sunday Baker

Super easy to make ahead and then cook quickly right before an event. Would be easy for a large group. Could try different cheeses and meat. A little sticky but definitely yummy. I couldn't find Hawaiian Rolls (now found them at Target), so just found some soft rolls at the store and they worked great.

{Funeral Sandwiches}

1 package of King's Hawaiian Rolls

1/2-1 lb. good ham deli meat

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 T. worcheshire sauce

2 T. mustard

2 T. brown sugar

dash of onion powder

METHOD:

1. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.

2. Mix together the butter, worcheshire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour the whole works over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes,uncovered,or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

Mom's (Jill's) Wheat Bread

The bread I grew up on and love that my mom got from Jill L.

Ingredients:
1 qt. Warm Water
3 T Yeast
1/2 C + 2 T Oil
2 T Salt
1 C. Powdered Milk
2 Eggs
3 C Whole Wheat Flour
8 C White Flour

Directions:
1. Beat 10 minutes
2. Rise
3. Form 4 loaves (could do in 3 in larger pans like mine)
4. Set 10 min.
5. Shape
6. Rise
7. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

Crockpot Mom's Beef Stew

from Favorite Family Recipes: Mom’s Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs steak, cubed
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 c. beef broth
• 2 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into large cubes
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/2 c. tomato juice (or to taste)(used 8 oz tomato sauce, was good)
• cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

• Braise beef in oil until just brown on all sides (turning only once if possible).
• Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add onions and saute until onions become clear.
• Transfer to a *large pot and add beef broth, potatoes and carrots.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour (or until potatoes are cooked through) if you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer.
• About 20 minutes before serving, add corn, peas and tomato sauce and simmer until ready to serve. If you like your stew nice and thick, add a about 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch to some beef broth, stir until smooth, then stir into the stew.
• Add beef broth to thin out and cornstarch to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
• *You can also throw everything (except potatoes, corn & peas) in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours -- add potatoes, corn & peas the last 2-3 hours so they don't get too mushy.