cafe rio chicken

2 lbs chicken
1/2 a small bottle of zesty italian dressing
1/2 TBS minced garlic
1 pkt ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
put all ingredients in a crock pot. High for 5-6 hrs or low for 8. Shred with fork and serve in salads, burritos, etc.

Beans and Ham Hock Soup

This recipe sounds kind of gross, but it's actually really good (especially for beans!). I got it off the bob's red mill bean package.

Ingredients:
2 cups bean blend
2 1/2 quarts water (best with broth)
ham hock or ham shank
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce or 1 qt tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp- 1 TBSP chili powder
garlic, minced


Directions:
Wash beans then soak overnight. In the morning drain, rinse and bring water, beans and ham hock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, 3-3 1/2 hours. Add onion, tomato sauce/tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, I take the ham hock out and pull off the meat and put it back into the soup, throwing away the bone and other non edible parts.

Old-Time Beef Stew

If you don't want to wait 4-6 hours for the crock pot, this takes about 2.5 hours from beginning to end and is easy and delicious.

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs stew beef
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
5-6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
3-5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup peas (opt)
2 Tbs cornstarch

Directions:
Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika and allspice. Cove and simmer 1.5 hours. Remove bay leaves. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, and peas. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Mix with a little hot cooking liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen, Food Network

Beef Stew (from Brooke Streadbeck)

Stew meat or chuck roast (cubed)
flour
salt
pepper
potatoes, peeled and cubed
celery, peeled and sliced
carrots, sliced

Coat meat in flour and salt and pepper. Brown in pan with oil. Put in crock pot and cover with water about 1 inch higher than the meat. Put on low and cook for 8 hours total. After about 5 hours peel and cut up potatoes (to amount you want), celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

(The picture isn't mine. I don't use peas but you can.)

Broccoli Cheese Soup (from Rebecca Lewis)

Saute:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 TB butter

Add:
2 cups water
3 TB better than bouillon (chicken)

Boil and add 2 cups of broccoli (or more to taste).
Let simmer and cook until tender.

Add 1 pint of cream or more to taste. Heat until simmering.
Add small cube of velveeta cheese in chunks and stir occasionally until it melts.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gourmet Autumn Salad

Gourmet Autumn Salad

1 lg. bag spring mix

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 bag baby spinach

Fresh fruit:  choose from

2 large granny smith green apples (diced fine and dipped in Lemon)

or use red and green pears

or use seeded oranges and ruby red grapefruit (de-veined)

2 avocados (sliced)

1 bag craisins

Walnuts (candied in carmelized white sugar)

2 red onions (sliced very fine)

Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 c sugar

1 t dry mustard

1 t salt

1 t paprika

(grated red onion) not too much

1/3 c red wine vinegar

3/4 c salad oil

1 T poppy seed

(optional: red food coloring)

Mimi's Buttermilk Pancake Recipe (Romney Recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, separated
3 cups buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat pancake griddle to 350 degrees F.  Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Separate eggs into two mixing bowls and beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside. Beat egg yolks in separate bowl. Add buttermilk to yolks and beat to combine. Stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites. Cook on preheated griddle, turning once, until each side is golden brown. 

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Oreo Crust:
20 oreos
1/4 cup butter
 
Truffle filling:
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet choc chips

Whipped Chocolate filling:
6 ounces bittersweet choc chips
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar

For the Oreo crust, take the cream out of the oreos and puree the cookies. melt 1/4 cup butter and stir into the oreos. Press into pie tin and refrigerate.

For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with ½ cup of the cream until the chocolate is melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until thick. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form (tips curl). Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, for the topping, beat 1 cup cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Optional: Garnish with chocolate pieces/shavings. Serve immediately.

Moist Shredded Crockpot Chicken

4 costco chicken breast (about 32 oz total)
4 cups chicken broth or stock
pepper to taste
salt to taste (only add if you've used stock)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
sugar or sugar substation to taste, optional

Heat on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours (preferred method). Shred with fork. Add chicken to any dish that needs chicken, freeze in small baggies for later, or add veggies to crockpot make a chicken soup.

Chicken Lime Fettuccine

Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus some for garnish
2 Tbs minced garlic
2-4 Tbs minced jalapeno peppers (I used 4-5 Tbs canned green chili peppers)
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-4 Tbs fresh lime juice
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/4 lb chicken breast-cubed
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced (I used 1 1/2 green total because thats what I had)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:
In medium saucepan, saute cliantro, garlic and jalapeno peppers in 2 Tbs butter over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and most of the lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste-like consistency. Set aside. Marinate chicken in soy sauce and remaining lime juice for 5-10 minutes. Cook and set aside. In medium sized saucepan, saute onion and bell peppers with remaining Tbs butter for a few minutes. Add the lemon paste and cream. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Stir in chicken and pasta. Garnish with cilantro. Delicious!