December 24, 2011: New Mexican Chalupas Recipe

Here’s another perfect winter dish that feeds a lot of people and fills them up quickly. The best part about this recipe is that you can throw the ingredients together in the morning and let it cook all day long, until the meat and beans are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Served with a salad and flour tortillas, it’s a complete meal with little fuss and muss.

Chalupas

One 3-pound pork roast (any variety; even tough cuts become tender)

1 T. vegetable oil

1 small white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. oregano

1 T. ground cumin

1 t. salt

1 16-ounce can tomatoes

2 14-ounce cans chicken broth

2 small cans green chiles (or 1 cup fresh/frozen chiles, diced)

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed

¼ t. powdered red chile

6 quarts water

Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, black olives and salsa for garnish (any or all optional)

Trim and discard excess fat from pork. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to medium; add pork and brown on all sides. Add onion and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add remaining ingredients (up to garnishes). Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 6 hours, stirring often (you can also placed the covered pot in a low oven for the same amount of time).

Before serving, remove pork roast and shred into bite-size pieces. Return to pot. Spoon pork mixture onto tostada shells and top with garnishes, or serve with flour tortillas or corn chips on the side.

Serves 12 – 16

December 23, 2011: Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac

Do you have a crowd of people to feed for dinner before the big holiday meal? This recipe is an economical way to feed lots of diners and fill them up. It’s a recipe I created completely on my own, from scratch – hope you like it!

Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac topped with shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac

One 1-pound package smoked cheddar link sausage (such as Hillshire Farms), cut into half inch thick slices

2 small stalks celery, diced

½ white onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large Roma tomato, diced

2 T. chopped green chile (substitute black olives for less heat)

1 15-ounce can Ranch style beans, undrained

1 cup water

1 cup dry macaroni

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream and fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, saute the sausage with the celery, garlic and onion until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans, green chiles (or olives) and diced tomato. Cook over medium low heat for a couple minutes, just until heated through. Add the water and raise heat to medium-high. Add dry macaroni and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the macaroni is soft. To serve, spoon into bowls and top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and cilantro.

October 13, 2011: Chicken Tenders Salad Recipe

Back when I lived in the city, I used to love going to Applebee’s for lunch. They had a fried chicken salad on the menu that was my favorite. Now that I no longer live in a city with an Applebee’s restaurant and no longer work in corporate America, I’ve come up with my own version of that salad. This is great as a lunch dish or even a main dish salad for dinner. And it's the perfect way to use up any leftovers from my cornflake crusted chicken tenders recipe.

Chicken Tenders Salad

4 cups mixed baby greens

1 tomato, cut into chunks

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

½ recipe cornflake crusted chicken tenders

Divide all ingredients between two large bowls. Top with Honey Mustard salad dressing and fresh sourdough croutons and cracked black pepper, if desired.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

¼ cup prepared yellow mustard

¼ cup Dijon mustard

½ cup honey

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 T. olive oil

1 t. finely minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake well to mix.

Serves 2 as a main dish.

August 2, 2011: Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

Here’s another simple casserole dish that’s easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Since I was gone over the weekend, I hadn’t gone grocery shopping for a while and that’s the reason I decided to make this dish before we left for my 30th high school reunion in Silver City, NM. It’s simple to put together and tasty – hope you enjoy it!

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin

3 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
8 ounces ham, trimmed and cut into one inch cubes
2 t. dehydrated garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a casserole dish. Place one third of the potato slices in the bottom and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with one half of the ham, one half of the garlic and one third of the cheese. Add another layer of the same ingredients. End with remaining potato slices and cheese. Warm the milk in the microwave and pour over the casserole. Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove cover for last five minutes of cooking.

Serves 3 – 4