Pasta Taco Soup

1 can sliced carrots
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 medium sized bottle of salsa
1 c. bow tie pasta

-Boil pasta for about 10 minutes. Drain water and add all other ingredients. Do NOT drain cans, just throw all contents in. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

*This recipe is also good with hamburger for you meat lovers. I use about 1/2 lb.

*Serves about 8 *Prep time: 20 min.

Green Smoothie

*Looks a LITTLE scary, but it is actually REALLY good! You can't really taste the spinach at all.

1 c. Water
2 c. Spinach or romaine lettuce (We buy a big bag of spinach at Costco and freeze it)
1 c. Frozen fruit (We use a bag w/a variety of frozen fruit found at Costco)
1 banana
½ c. Strawberry yogurt
½ c. Agave

-Put water in blender and add spinach. Blend well. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well. For a thicker smoothie, add an avocado. For added nutrition, add 1 T. 100% organic Flax Oil, found at health food stores. All of these ingredients are to taste and can be substituted by whatever you like.

*Makes about 32 oz *Prep time: 5 min.

Chicken Roll-Ups

1 pkg (8) Refrigerator biscuits, jumbo size
1 can Diced green chilies

2 Green onions, chopped
1-8 oz pkg Cream cheese
3-4 Chicken breasts
Bread crumbs
Butter, melted

-Boil chicken for 25-30 min. until done. Shred or dice chicken. Or you can use one 12 ½ oz can Premium Chicken Breast which will cut the prep time down to about 30 min. In medium bowl, mix green chilies, green onions, cream cheese, and chicken. Take biscuits one at a time and stretch out. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture in center of biscuit, then wrap edges around and squeeze together to make a round ball. Dip ball in butter and then in bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until biscuits and mixture are gone. Bake roll-ups according to biscuit package directions.

*Serves 4 *Prep time: 1 hr. & 30 min. *Cook time: 12-18 min. depending on pkg

Chicken Pot Pie

1 can (10 ¾ oz) Condensed cream of chicken soup
½ c. Frozen corn, or to taste
½ c. Frozen peas, or to taste
2 c. Chicken, cubed and cooked
1 pkg. (8 ½ oz) Corn muffin mix
¾ c. Milk
1 Egg
½ c. (2 oz) Cheddar cheese, shredded (I actually never use cheese)

-In 8 inch square glass pan; mix soup, corn, peas, and cooked chicken. Mix muffin mix, milk, and egg together. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. and then sprinkle with cheese.

*Serves 4 *Prep time: 20 min. *Cook time: 30 min.

Julie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour lightly packed

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 sticks salted butter (1 c. softened, 20 sec. in microwave)

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1/2 bag chocolate chips

-Mix flour, salt, and baking soda well. Then mix butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients slowly. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 min.

*Makes 2 1/2 dozen *Prep time: 15 min. *Cook time: 8 min.

Baked Chicken Breasts

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
2 Cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 c. Sour cream
1 lb. Cheddar cheese
2 c. Ritz crackers, crushed
4 T. Butter, melted

-Lay uncooked chicken breasts in greased 9”x13” pan. Grate cheese over top of chicken. Blend soup and sour cream. Spoon over cheese, and smooth out. Mix crackers with butter. Sprinkle on top of soup. Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 min. at 350 degrees. Take off foil and bake uncovered for another 70 min.

*Serves 6 *Prep time: 10 min. *Cooking time: 80 min.

Grilled Portobello Sandwich With Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

-Roasted Red Pepper Aioli-
1/2 c. Best Foods Light Mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 T. lemon juice
7 oz. roasted red pepper (2 large peppers)

-Portobello Mushrooms-
4 large Portobello mushrooms
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1/8 t. salt
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, pressed (I actually double the garlic to 6 cloves, which I highly recommend)

4 hamburger or focaccia buns
4-8 slices Provolone cheese
2 additional roasted red peppers cut into halves

Romaine Lettuce

1 medium tomato

1 large onion

Make the Aioli first so it has time to allow the tastes to blend:
Combine in a food processor: the mayonnaise, 3 cloves garlic, lemon juice, and 7 ozs (2 peppers worth) roasted red pepper. Spoon into a container and put in the refrigerator to sit. This recipe makes a full cup of aioli (this is at least double the amount you would need for 4 sandwiches). I recommend using it in other recipes or freezing for your next batch of Portobello sandwiches.

Marinade and Mushrooms:
In a zip lock bag, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic (6 if you love garlic), salt, basil, and oregano. Shake to mix. Take the Portobello mushrooms and remove the stems. Using a spoon, remove the gills from the underside of the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the bag of marinade and marinate for at least half an hour (I usually do about 1-2 hours), turning occasionally to make sure all the mushrooms are equally marinated.

Preheat your grill for medium high heat.

Brush grate with oil, or spray with cooking spray away from the heat or flame (I skip this step and the mushrooms don't stick). Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

Assemble the sandwich with the hamburger buns, mushroom with cheese, 2 T. of aioli sauce (at least), carmalized onions, lettuce, tomato, and half a roasted red pepper.

NOTE:

-To roast red peppers on the grill, place them right on the grill. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, until all sides are pretty charred. Place in a paper bag and let sit for a few minutes. Shake them around a bit so the skins will peel off easily. Peel the skins and cut in half. Cut the core out and they're ready to be put on the sandwiches.

-To roast red peppers in oven, place your rack on the top level, allow the oven to preheat for 5 minutes, place large strips of red pepper on a sheet skin side up. Broil for 8-10 minutes until pepper skin starts to char, turning half way through cooking. Pull skin off the pepper strips once they have cooled (this is why larger strips of pepper are better - the more strips you have, the longer it takes to peel them.)

-To carmalize onions, place a whole sliced up onion along with 4 T butter and 1 T olive oil in warm frying pan. Saute until tender and until they begin to blacken slightly.

Number of Servings: 4 (Except the Aioli, you'll have extra of that)