Tortilla Salad

Marilyn Beckstrand brought this to a Relief Society activity a couple of months ago.  She gave me the recipe right away but I was VERY slow getting it up... I'm sorry!  But here it is... and trust me, it is GOOD!!!

Tortilla Salad

1 ½ packages curly pasta
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 red onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 can sliced olives
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups buttermilk
1 package fiesta ranch dip
Tortilla chips
Cheese, diced
Tomato, diced
Avocado, diced

Cook and drain noodles. Mix beans, noodles, corn, onion and olives together Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, and dip mix. Add to bean mixture. Line dish with tortilla chips. Add bean and mayonnaise mixture. Top with diced cheese, tomato, and avocado.

Serves 20.

*Taco seasoning mix and plain ranch dip can be used as substitute for fiesta dip mix.


From Marilyn:  I probably had less noodles than the recipe calls for, I didn't measure them. I also had a very large pepper and onion so didn't use all of them. Also I cut the dressing in half. I don't put the chips in the salad either.  (They were sprinkled on top.)  The recipe isn't too clear on the amounts, Sorry, you will just have to experiment to get it to your liking!

Easy Asparagus

My friend Heather shared this with me and says her children will eat the whole pan if she lets them!

Preheat oven 500 degrees.

Place asparagus on pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5-6 minutes.

Country Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (I usually use frozen green beans)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.

Corn and Rice Medleys

I have two recipes that are corn/rice medleys:

Corn and Rice Medley #1

1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 - 4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook the rice and water like normal until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in corn, onions, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender.
In a serving bowl combine cooked rice and corn mixture.


Corn and Rice Medley #2

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute the red pepper and green onion in oil until tender. Stir into rice. Add the corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Tasty Green Beans

1 package frozen French cut green beans
½ onion, chopped (sometimes I use red, sometimes I use white or yellow)
2 Tbsp butter/margarine (I like Brummel and Brown spread)
Pepper to taste
Dash of salt

Place in a covered pot, heat on medium-low for about 20 minutes.

Apple Spice Rice

Tastes GREAT with Caramel Apple Pork Chops. :)

2 Tbsp butter
2 cups rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in rice, onion, garlic, and apple. Saute 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Baked Beans with Pineapple

· 5 or 6 strips of turkey bacon, chopped
· ½ medium onion, chopped
· 28oz can baked beans (I used Van Camp’s Homestyle baked beans – 99% fat free and cholesterol free)
· 8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
· 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/4 cup ketchup

In a skillet, cook turkey bacon over medium heat until almost crisp. Add onion and saute until tender.

In a bowl, combine the beans, pineapple, bacon and onion. Combine brown sugar and ketchup; stir into the bean mixture.

Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until bubbly and beans reach desired thickness

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

My family has never been crazy about asparagus but in an attempt to find new ways to get my family to eat more green vegetables, I searched for tasty recipes for asparagus with hopes that we would somehow learn to actually like it. After many failed attempts, I finally came across this recipe, which we all LOVE! Acadia will go back for THIRDS and it's usually her favorite part of the meal! Plus, it's super quick and easy! :)

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake asparagus 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.