Slow Cooker Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Hula Joes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 pound smoked ham or bacon, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (turkey or pork)
1 sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Kaiser rolls
1 cup shredded yellow cheddar cheese

Preparation
Pre-heat the broiler.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 3-4 minutes, and remove it to a small bowl.Return the pan with the bacon drippings back over the heat. Add the ground pork and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

While the pork and onion are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Pour into the skillet with the pork and onion, cook about a minute, then stir in the pineapple. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

While the filling is cooking, split open the rolls and toast them under the broiler. Be careful not to burn them!

To serve, place a bun bottom on a plate with a scoop of Hula Joe mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Top with the bun cap and serve with Pacific Rim Potatoes alongside.

Sesame Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 dash sesame oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chile paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water

1 quart olive oil for frying
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS
Sift flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 tablespoons water, vegetable oil, and a dash of sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Dissolve 1/4 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup of water, and stir into boiling sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens and turns clear, about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and keep sauce warm.

Heat olive oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Drop in the battered chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. To serve, place fried chicken pieces onto a serving platter, and pour the hot sauce overtop. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to garnish.

Whiskey Chicken

Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine bourbon and next 9 ingredients (bourbon through garlic). Reserve 1/3 cup marinade.

Pour remaining marinade into a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium-hot using both burners.

Turn left burner off (leave right burner on). Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over right burner; grill 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Move chicken to grill rack over left burner. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Slice each breast diagonally into thin strips; place chicken on a platter.

Cover loosely with foil.

Combine water and cornstarch, stirring well with a whisk. Place reserved 1/3 cup marinade in a small saucepan; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly.

Drizzle sauce over chicken; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bourbon Salmon

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 (6 ounce) salmon steaks
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Place salmon fillets on top of brown sugar mixture. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Turn salmon, and pour bourbon around the fillets. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon glaze over the salmon, and serve.

Maple Salmon

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon


DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Firecracker Salmon

INGREDIENTS
8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate.
Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking.

Asian Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 carrots, julienned
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving.

Roasted Tomato, Eggplant & Garlic Pasta

Ingredients
1 large whole eggplant
1 large head garlic
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
2 pints grape tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cavatappi pasta
A large handful of fresh basil leaves (about 20 or so), torn into pieces
1/4 pound chunk ricotta salata cheese, crumbled or substitute 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese


Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
Cut 4-5 slits on one side of the eggplant and place it slit-side-up on a baking sheet. Trim about an inch off the top of the head of garlic, just exposing the tops of the cloves inside. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle it with a little EVOO, wrap it up and place it in the oven alongside the eggplant. Roast them both for about 30-40 minutes, until the eggplant looks like a flat tire.


When the eggplant and garlic only have about 15 minutes left to roast, put the grape tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle them with some EVOO and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the tomatoes to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes.


Place a large pot of water over high heat with a lid on it and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and cook the pasta to al dente (with a bite to it), according to the package directions.



Right before draining the pasta, remove and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water.


Once the eggplant, garlic and tomatoes are all roasted, remove everything from the oven. Split the eggplant open and scoop out all of the roasted flesh with a spoon, discarding the skin.



Transfer the flesh to a large serving bowl, along with the roasted tomatoes.


Squeeze out the roasted garlic flesh from the papery shell and add to the eggplant and tomatoes.



With the back of a fork or a potato masher, smash up the eggplant, tomatoes and garlic until thoroughly combined. Add the torn basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and the reserved pasta-cooking liquid to the bowl, stirring and smashing to combine.


Add the pasta and toss until thoroughly coated. Divide the pasta between four serving bowls and top each one with some of the crumbled ricotta salata or a large dollop of the ricotta cheese.



Serve with your favorite salad alongside.

Caribbean Black Bean Soup (like Bahama Breeze)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups dry black beans
6 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped, with leaves
2 cups water
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
1/4 cup sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
In a medium-size stock pot, add dried black beans and 6 cups of water, cover and let soak overnight.
In another large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onion, minced garlic and chopped celery. Saute until vegetables are softened.
Drain and rinse soaked black beans. Add pre-soaked beans or drained and rinsed canned beans to vegetable mixture along with 2 cups water and broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer.
Add cayenne pepper and ground cumin. Partially cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft.
Puree soup in batches in food processor or blender. Return pureed soup to stock pot and simmer.
Add vinegar, sherry, soy sauce and pepper. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and white rice and chopped green onions.

Garlic Ranch Turkey Burgers

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup bread crumbs
seasoned salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Knead together the turkey, ranch mix, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, seasoned salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined; divide into 4 equal portions and form into patties.
Cook on the preheated grill about 5 minutes per side for well done. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Double Eggplant Parm Baked Ziti

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
2 medium eggplants, 1 peeled and chopped, 1 thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
1/4-1/3 cup milk or cream (eyeball it)
1 pound ziti (pasta with lines) or rigatoni
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs (3 generous handfuls)
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary (4-5 sprigs), chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 can crushed tomatoes or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (28 ounces)
A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups provolone cheese, shredded

Preparation
Heat the oven to 500°F and place a large pot of water on to boil. When the water comes to a boil, salt it liberally and add pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, reserving some of the pasta cooking liquid before draining.

Place the chopped eggplant on a nonstick baking sheet. Pour about 1/4 cup of the EVOO in a small dish then, using a pastry brush, coat the eggplant with EVOO. Season the pieces liberally with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes until the eggplant pieces are dark and tender.

Pre-heat about 1/4 cup EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Beat the eggs with the milk or cream in a wide, shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, combine the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs and rosemary. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture, then coat them in the breadcrumbs. Broil on a cookie sheet in the oven until brown and crispy.

Remove the chopped eggplant from the oven and switch the broiler to high. Put the roasted pieces into a food processor and process them until they're smooth.

Pre-heat another large skillet over medium heat. Add in the remaining two tablespoons of EVOO and the garlic, red pepper flakes and the processed eggplant. Cook for about one minute, then add tomatoes, parsley and some salt.

Toss the drained, hot pasta with half of the tomato-eggplant sauce and a ladleful of the pasta cooking liquid. Spread half of the pasta out in a baking dish and top it with half of the breadcrumb-coated eggplant.

Add the remaining pasta to the baking dish and top it with the rest of the breadcrumb-coated eggplant. Pour remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with provolone cheese. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Taco Soup

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1+ can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can stewed tomatoes - mexican style
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing (dry)
2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth

Preparation
Brown ground beef and onions in a large pan, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour or so. When ready, serve in big soup bowls, and have a skillet of hot cornbread to eat, too. Can also be served with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices cooked ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place milk and bread crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each piece of chicken; roll, and secure with toothpicks. Dip each chicken roll into milk, and then into breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown rolled chicken on all sides. Arrange the chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small saucepan over medium heat, blend soup and cream; season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients
4 servings boiled chicken breast, cut into chunks
16 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
Poppy seeds, as desired

Preparation
Mix chicken, sour cream, soup, and half of crackers in a bowl. Add desired amount of poppy seeds (can be omitted). Spread mixture into glass baking dish. Top with remaining crackers. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until bubbly. Remove foil and leave in oven for 5 minutes or until cracker topping is toasted. Serve with rice.

Chicken Rollups

Ingredients
1 can crescent rolls (reduced fat works fine)
1 cup boiled chicken, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk

Preparation
Mix chicken, cheese, and half of soup and sour cream in a bowl. Unroll crescent rolls and separate. Place spoonful of chicken mixture on large end of roll, then roll up and seal completely (may have to "stretch" roll in order to seal). Place roll in glass baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Continue until all rolls are filled.

Mix remaining soup and sour cream in bowl with milk. Pour over rolls in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until rolls are fluffy and slightly browned. May remove foil for last few minutes of baking if crunchier crust is desired. Serve with rice.

Taco and Macaroni Bake

Ingredients
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

Preparation
Heat oven to 400°F. Prepare Dinner as directed on package. While Macaroni is cooking, cook meat with taco seasoning as directed on package.

Stir sour cream into prepared Dinner; spoon 1/2 into 8-inch square baking dish. Top with layers of meat mixture, 1 cup cheese and remaining Dinner mixture; cover with foil.

Bake 15 min.; top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients
Cooked roast beef or very thinly sliced and tenderized sirloin steak
Sliced onions
Cream of mushroom soup
Sour cream
Worchestershire sauce
Beef base or beef boullion

Preparation
Preferably, use leftover crock pot or oven-cooked roast beef, shredded. If not available, thinly slice a well tenderized sirloin steak. Saute onion (use about as much onion as beef) lightly in a skillet with small amount of beef base or beef boullion added. Once onion is soft, add beef. If not cooked, cook slowly so beef stays tender. If meat is already cooked, heat shredded meat with onions.

Add a can of cream of mushroom soup per every 4-5 servings of beef, plus 8-12 oz of sour cream for each can of soup (may be adjusted according to taste). Add more beef base/boullion, Worchestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Let meat and sauce simmer together for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Miso Salmon

Ingredients
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons miso (soybean paste)
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Preparation
Preheat broiler.
Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Arrange fish in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon miso mixture evenly over fish.
Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting twice with miso mixture. Sprinkle with chives