Taco Salad Texas Style

3/4 to 1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut in bite-sized pieces or shredded coarsely
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 15-oz. kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups tortilla chips, slightly crushed (not fine)
1 cup Kraft Catalina dressing

Crumble and brown the ground beef; let cool slightly. Combine with remaining ingredients. Serves 4.

Additional add-ins: diced canned/jarred jalapeños, sliced or chopped black olives
diced avocado

Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin

from Cooking Light

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes,cut into 1/4" slices
1 t salt, divided
2 T shallots
1/4 c flour
2 c low-fat milk, divided
3/4 c grated Asiago cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh chives
1/4 t ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm. Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.
Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Grilled Fish with Jalapeno-Lime Butter

adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c orange juice
3 T lime juice
1 T tequila
1 T grated lime zest
1 T minced jalapeño pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
4 5-oz. fish fillets
1/4 c butter, softened
14 t garlic salt
2 t minced fresh jalapeño
2 t grated lime zest

In a bowl, stir together vegetable oil, orange juice, 3 tablespoons lime juice, tequila, 1 tablespoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, and garlic. Reserve a small amount to use as a basting sauce, and pour the remainder into a shallow baking dish. Place the fish in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning frequently. In a small bowl, mix together softened butter, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper, and 2 teaspoons lime zest. Cover, and refrigerate.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate, and place fish on the grill. Cook fish for 5 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork. Baste occasionally with reserved sauce. Transfer to a serving dish, top with jalapeño butter, and serve.

Coconut Cream Pie

from Susan White, of Knox City, Texas

3/4 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
2 c milk
3 eggs, separated
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 1/3 c shredded sweetened coconut
1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled



In saucepan combine sugar, flour, and salt. Mix well. Gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Separate eggs, putting yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a small mixing bowl. Take small amount of this mixture and stir into bowl with egg yolks; mix well. Immediately return to hot mixture, cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. (If mixture is too lumpy or egg yolks have separated, beat with rotary or electric mixer.) Add butter and vanilla, then coconut. Pour into cooled pie crust. Spread meringue on top. Cook at 350˚ for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool. Can sprinkle a little coconut on top of meringue before cooking.

Grilled Ham, Swiss, and Apple Pitas

3 rounds whole-wheat pita bread, cut in half
6 slices Swiss cheese
3 large slices Black Forest ham, cut in half
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Fill each pita half pocket with one slice of Swiss cheese, half a slice of ham, and several apple slices. Spray each side with nonstick cooking spray and grill until lightly browned on each side and cheese begins to melt. Makes 6.

Whole Wheat Pfannenkuchen

this recipe makes about 20 crepes, so you might want to cut it in half

4 eggs
1/4 t salt
2 T Splenda granular
1 c whole wheat flour (I used Stone-Buhr, a brand found in the western US)
2 1/2 c white whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur)
1 t vanilla
4 1/4 c milk

Beat eggs well. Add salt, Splenda, and vinegar. Add flour and half of the milk, stirring until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the milk to make a creamy batter. Heat a large nonstick skillet until drops of water dance on it. Spray with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. Add about 1/3 cup of the batter. With a quick rotary motion, tip skillet to spread batter thinly. Brown only lightly on each side. To serve, roll up with your choice of jams.

Spinach-Apple Salad

3 T vegetable oil
3 T raspberry or red wine vinegar
2 T honey
dash salt & pepper
about 3 cups fresh spinach (about half of a bag)
1 crisp apple (Fuji, Gala, etc.), unpeeled, cored, and sliced
2 T sliced almonds, toasted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Chill thoroughly. Remove stems from spinach; wash leaves thoroughly, and pat dry. Tear into bite-sized pieces. Toss spinach in enough dressing to coat, reserving remaining dressing. Place spinach on serving platter. Core and slice apples. Toss in reserved dressing, and arrange on spinach. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 3-4 servings.

Lemon Couscous Chicken Salad

1 1/4 c water
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 c edamame, thawed
1 pkg. Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous
1 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken (2 small half-breasts)
juice of 1 lemon (2 T)
1/2 t lemon peel
1 T dried parsley

In a large skillet, bring the water, oil, edamame, and contents of the spice pack from the couscous mix to a boil. Stir in the couscous, chicken, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add parsley and fluff lightly with a fork. Chill well and serve cold. 4 servings

Cinnamon Bread

from Joe of Culinary in the Country



3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cinnamon chips
2 tablespoons sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon, can use more or less to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, yeast, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, butter and egg. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, beating until smooth. Cover and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then stir in the baking powder and cinnamon chips with a wooden spoon.
Preheat oven to 350˚. Scoop the batter into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon sugar. Bake the bread for 35 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then tranfer it from the pan to a rack to cool completely. This bread slices better when you wait for it to cool down some.

Jalapeno Bagels

2 jalapeño bagels, sliced in half horizontally
2 T cream cheese, divided
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1/4 c shredded cheddar or jack cheese, divided
canned jalapeño slices to taste (don’t use fresh–they’re too hot!)

Spread bagel halves with cream cheese. Top with tomato slices, cheese, and then jalapeño slices. Bake at 350˚ 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 2.

Mocha Ice Cream

low sugar



3 c half-and-half, divided
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c Splenda granular
1 T powdered cocoa
2 T espresso powder
1 t vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the half-and-half with the sugar, Splenda, cocoa, and espresso until sugars and powders are dissolved. Add vanilla and the remaining half-and-half. Turn ice cream machine on and pour into freezer container. Freeze 25-30 minutes and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Put in freezer for another couple of hours to ripen.

Tomatensalat (German Tomato Salad)

3 T olive oil
2 t “brown and spicy” mustard
2 T cider or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 medium tomatoes, halved and sliced (this is also good with halved cherry tomatoes)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Serves 2

Shannon's Chocolate Cheesecake

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c Splenda
1/2 t vanilla
2 t espresso powder, dissoved in 1 T hot water
2 eggs
4 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 Keebler or Nabisco Chocolate Ready Crust

Mix cream cheese, sugar, Splenda, vanilla, and espresso at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended.  Add eggs; mix until blended.  Blend in melted chocolate. Pour into crust. Bake at 325˚ for 45 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool in fridge at least 3 hours.

Bohemian Coffee Cake

Gladys Ellis, Lubbock, Texas

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour (I used 1 c whole wheat and 1 1/2 c all-purpose)
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 c granulated sugar (I used 1/2 c sugar ad 1/2 c Splenda)
1 c packed brown sugar (I used 1/2 c Splenda brown sugar blend)
1 c oil (I used 1/2 c oil and 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce)
1 t vanilla
1 c chopped pecans
2/3 c sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Mix buttermilk and soda; set aside. Beat together eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla until creamy. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture until batter is well blended. Shake pecans with a little flour in a bag to coat. Add pecans and coconut to batter. Bake in greased Bundt pan for 45-50 minutes, till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan; remove from pan to cake rack. Store covered.

Baked Onion Rings

2 large sweet onions
2 eggs
1 1/2 c crushed cornflakes
2 t sugar
1 t paprika
1/4 t garlic salt
1/4 t seasoned salt

Cut onions into 1/2-inch slices; separate into rings. In a shallow dish, whisk eggs. In another shallow dish, combine the remaining ingredients. Dip onion rings into eggs, then coat with cornflake mixture. Arrange rings in a single layer on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375˚ for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Spicy Peanut-Encrusted Catfish

from Christine Cooks



3 catfish fillets (I used barracuda)
1 c dry-roasted, salt-free peanuts, chopped fine
2 T blackening spice (see below)
2 T olive oil or peanut oil
1/2 c Eggbeaters or other egg substitute, or 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and have a baking sheet ready. Blot fillets with paper towels until thoroughly dry. Set aside.With a chef's knife, chop the peanuts until they're in very fine pieces. You could use a small food processor but I like to chop such a small amount with my knife, avoiding the possibility of turning them into peanut butter. Combine the chopped peanuts and the blackening spice and place on a flat plate. Pour the eggs or egg substitute into a wide bowl. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium and add the oil. The oil should just shimmer in the pan, not smoke, or you could burn the peanuts (hmmm, how do I know that...?). Dip a fillet into the eggs to coat then into the peanut mixture, coating both sides and pressing lightly to make the peanut pieces adhere. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Place in the hot skillet and, keeping them from crowding each other, saute for about 5 minutes on one side then flip and saute the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove fillets to a baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven to finish - about 5 minutes more.

Blackening Spice
from Christine Cooks

5 T kosher salt
5 T paprika (I used sweet)
1 T dried thyme
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t ground white pepper
Mix it all up and store in an airtight container.

Chicken Fried Rice

2 eggs, well beaten
1 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 T Yoshida’s gourmet sauce, optional
1 T canola oil
1 c chopped cooked chicken
3 c cooked white or brown rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced (including green part)
1 c coarsely shredded cabbage
2 T low-sodium soy sauce

Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add eggs, tilt pan in a circular motion to coat bottom. Cook egg 1 minute; flip to other side and remove from heat. Once egg “pancake” has cooled, cut in small strips. Cook vegetables in a half cup of water for about 5 minutes; drain. In skillet, heat the gourmet sauce and oil; add chicken and sauté lightly until chicken is coated. Add rice, cabbage, and vegetables, and stir to blend. Add egg strips and green onions, and continue to cook over medium heat until all ingredients are hot. Add soy sauce; heat through. 4 Servings

Asian Citrus Grilled Chicken

1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c pineapple juice
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c fresh lime juice
2 T ginger, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T light brown sugar
1/2 c peanut oil
2 T rice vinegar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1-2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts

Whisk all ingredients except chicken in a medium bowl until well blended. Pour into a large zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Marinate several hours in refrigerator. Drain marinade and grill chicken till done.

Easy Baked Corn

From Calf Fries to Caviar by Janel Franklin and Sue Vaughn



1 15-oz. can cream-style corn
1 T cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 T sugar
1/4 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 T butter, cut in small chunks

Preheat oven to 350˚. Empty corn into small greased baking dish. Combine cornstarch, egg, sugar, milk, salt and pepper in the empty corn can (why mess up a clean bowl?). Add to corn and stir to mix. Top with butter chunks. Bake until thick and slightly brown about 25-30 minutes. 4 Servings.

Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

1/4 c mayonnaise
1 T poppy seeds
2 T horseradish
2 T onion, grated
1 1/2 c thinly sliced or finely diced ham
8 slices Swiss cheese
4 large rye or whole grain hamburger buns

Mix the mayonnaise, poppy seeds, horseradish and onion together. Place a slice of cheese on a bun, top with ham mixture, and place another slice of cheese on top. Wrap in foil. Heat 30 minutes at 350˚.