GUACAMOLE from Ashley K!

I've been meaning to add this since March. Sorry Ash!

3 ripe avacados (peel and take out pit, cut into smaller pieces if they are tough)
2 fresh cloves of garlic, minced
1 serrano pepper (take out the seeds), minced
juice from 1 lime

Mix/Mash together and enjoy with chips :)

My New Favorite Salad

I use the Red Butter and Baby Spinach - Chopped

Chopped

Crumbled

Quartered

Chopped

Blue Cheese - Crumbled

Balsamic Vinaigrette

MICROWAVE SHOWDOWN (and Fudge Recipe)

Last night here in the dorm my Residence Life staff hosted a little competition and demonstration called the "Microwave Showdown". It was our little version of the Food Network. We had two teams compete like "Iron Chef" using basics you might find in a dorm room or college cafeteria. It was great! After that my RAs demonstrated 9 different recipes. Some of them really hammed it up. We might even have the next Food Network Star in our midst!

One of my new favorite quick dessert recipes is...

MICROWAVE FUDGE

Ingredients:
12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave on medium for 2 to 3 minutes
(stirring at 1 minute intervals)
until chips are melted and mixture is smooth and thick.
Pour into greased 8" sqaure dish and cool.

We also made...
Late-Night Asian Noodles
Mexican Chicken
Pizza Mac n Cheese
Microwave Veggies in Parmesan Sauce
Cheesy Mexi Rice Casserole
Cake in Coffee Cup (Delish!)
and Scrambled Eggs

(For those of you counting...the 9th was a cobbler but it didn't turn out well. Succesful on 8 out of 9, not too bad!)

Let me know if you guys want me to post any of the other recipes.

CROCK POT STEAK BURRITOS from Erin

Ingredients:

2-1lb flank steaks cut in half
2 pkg taco seasoning
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 can chopped green chilies


Directions:

Place chopped onion in bottom of crock pot.
Shake steaks in a plastic bag with taco seasoning to coat.
Place in crock pot (She adds the extra taco seasoning as well).
Pour rotel and chilies over meat and add white vinegar.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred meat and assemeble burritos as desired.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE from Erin

Ingredients:

1 chopped onion
2 tbsp oil
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced Rotel
1 can mexicorn, drained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
corn tortillas (about 10)
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 cups mexicheese


Directions:

Saute onion in oil until tender.
Add next 6 ingrediants and cook until warm (this is the sauce).
In a 9x13 pan, layer half of sauce, tortillas, chicken, cheese, chicken, tortillas, remaining sauce, top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.

This meal also devides easily into two smaller pan and freezes well.
If freezing, assemble then freeze. Thaw then bake.

MEXICAN CORN DIP from Beth

I made this for the kids in Slovakia and they loved it. It's been a hit with friends and family as well.

Ingredients:
3 (11 ounce) cans mexicorn whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies
2/3 cup green onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions:
Combine sour cream,mayonnaise and cumin and stir well.
Add corn,cheese,chiles,black pepper,and onions to the sour cream mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon till all is combined.
Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight to bring flavors out.
Serve with warm tortilla chips or corn chips.

CROCK POT MEXICAN STEW from Christy

Christy is a cousin of mine. She lives and dies by her crock pot so she emailed these to me from memory.

Ingredients:
2 cans creamed corn
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 small bag frozen corn
1 can sliced potatoes (then she sliced them some more)
2 cups chicken broth (or 1 small can)
2 big handfuls rice (used brown)

Spices to Taste:
dried/minced onion ('cause I hate chopping)
red pepper flakes
garlic
Tobasco
Cayenne pepper

She also added one can of black beans (drained). This one has to cook longer since the rice is dry... took about 5 hours on HIGH.
You could also cook the rice before if you have time.
They like thicker soup, so she only added enough chicken broth for the rice to soak up, then a little more right before she served it.
Check it around 3 hours to see what it tastes like and add more spices.

CROCK POT SPAGHETTI SAUCE from Christy

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey if you prefer)
1 large can petite diced tomatoes (she uses the Italian)
1 packet thick and zesty sauce mix (she uses generic)
1 clove minced garlic
1 jar sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 can tomato paste (she uses the Italian)
pasta of choice

Directions:
Brown the ground beef and drain it.
drain the mushrooms.
Now, dump everything in the crock pot on low for at least 4 hours.
This EASILY serves 4, but she has also added additonal cans of tomoatoes and paste when she's had a bunch of people over.

CROCK POT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI from Christy

Ingredients:
2 cans chunk chicken (raked with fork)
2 cans navy or great northern beans (drained)
2 c chicken broth (or 1 small can)
1 clove minced garlic
1 medium onion chopped (she used onion flakes)
1 t cumin
3/4 t oregano
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t cayenne
White cheddar cheese -- shredded (optional)
Fritos

Directions:
Literally dump all of this in the crock pot.
Stir it a couple of times and turn it on low for at least 4 hours.
Serve with Fritos (and cheese) on top... or you can put the Fritos on the bottom of the bowl before serving if you want them to be softer.
This is cheap and good -- She and her husband usually have enough left for lunch the next day.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE from Victoria

Victoria is a sweet friend of mine who grew up in Estonia. We met at Belhaven. She and I found each other again on FB after college. Our daughters were born one day apart. She has submitted several recipes to share. Let me know if you try them out! I will put up pictures as I try them too.

Ingredients:
1 and1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4Tbs unsalt butter
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips
4 T warm water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
White Chocolate for garnish

Directions:
Stir marshmallows, butter, chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan.
Then separately beat 1 cup heavy cream and add 1 tsp vanilla.
Whisk until semi hard.
Fold in the chocolate mixture.
Grate white chocolate on top.

SHRIMP SCAMPI from Victoria

Ingredients:
1 lb of shrimp
1 package angel hair pasta
1/2 c butter
1/4 c onion
3 cloves garlic
1 t worsestershire
1t lemon juice
1/4 c parmesan
1T parsley

Directions:
Melt butter. Add onions and garlic.
Saute and add worcestershirre.
Reduce heat and add shrimp.
Cook 3 minutes and then stir in lemon juice.
Toss shrimp mix with cooked pasta.
Garnish with parmesan and parsley.

HOMEMADE CRUTONS TWO WAYS from Victoria

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
4 slices of french bread cut into cubes

Directions:
Melt butter/ olive oil. Add garlic.
Mix well then add cubed bread.
Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a cookie sheet and place in 350F oven for 10 minutes

Option #2

Ingredients
1/2 c olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 teaspoon of dry parsley
1/3 c parmesan cheese
4 slices of french bread

Directions:
Mix all ingredients. Brush bread with pastry brush (both sides of slices).
Cut in small cubes.
Place on cookie sheet and bake on 325F for 10-15 minutes.

CHICKEN KIEV from Victoria

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 Tablespoon parsley
1/2 Tablespoon chives
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
6 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 cups breadcrumbs
3 eggs beaten
3 Tablespoons water
2 quarts vegetable oil (She tries not to use that much, so she adds some water instead.)

Directions:
In a small bowl combine butter, parsley, chives, and lemon juice.
Blend and refrigerate.
Place chicken breasts between pieces of wax paper and pound to flatten. Remove paper and season with salt and pepper.
Put the butter mixture onto the chicken breasts.
Fold the short ends of the sides of the breasts and secure with toothpicks.
Dip in beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs.
Chill for 1 hour.
Fry in hot oil or bake.

BANANA FRENCH TOAST from Victoria

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 ripe bananas
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1/4 c sugar
5 pieces of toast.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender.
Soak 5 pieces of toast in mixture.
Fry in butter.
Dust with powdered sugar.

CHINESE DUMPLINGS from Beth

Jacob loves to eat Asian foods, especially dumplings. These are usually pretty costly for the quanity you recieve. One day I thought to myself, I bet I could make those! I found a recipe (Sandra Lee), made some modifications and made almost three times the amount (28 dumplings) of dumplings for the cost of what you pay at your local Chinese take-out place.
Now if I could just master the art of making sushi!


INGREDIENTS:
1 (12-ounce) package pork sausage (I use the low fat type.)
2 green onions, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (like Chinese bbq sauce and can be found at Kroger in the Asain foods aisle.)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred kind. I know, I know. Fresh is better.)
24 square wonton wrappers (Found near the tofu, etc.)
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine the sausage, green onions, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and garlic.

Place 8 wonton wrappers on a clean surface and brush edges with water.
Place 1 tablespoon of pork mixture in center of each wrapper.
(Depending on the size of the wrapper, sometimes I can only fit about 2 teaspoons on a wrapper.)
Gather edges of wrapper together over filling.
Press edges of wrapper together, enclosing the filling completely.

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Fill a large wide pot with 1/2-inch water.
Bring water to a simmer.
Spray a collapsible metal steamer rack with nonstick spray.
Working in batches, arrange dumplings on rack 1-inch apart.

Place steamer rack in a large wide pot.
Cover pot with lid and steam dumplings until cooked thoroughly, about 8 minutes.
Watch the water level and add more as needed. (I add more water between batches.)

Jacob likes to make a dipping sauce combining the Hoisin sauce and soy sauce. We would like to experiment with added ginger to our next batch.

We usually enjoy these with a side of rice.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SOUR CREAM SAUCE from Beth

So I used to work at On the Border...since then I've been trying to find a recipe that would match their Chicken Burrito. In my search, I stumbled upon this enchilada recipe. I've made it two or three times and it has become one of my favorites. It makes a lot of food for two people so I prefer to make it if we are having people over to eat with us.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil (I use cooking spray to saute the onions.)
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I use a couple of cans if I want to save time.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 corn tortillas ( or flour...I prefer flour)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups sour cream
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

The Filling:
Sauté the onion in the oil just until softened. Add the shredded chicken, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to combine. Set aside and allow to cool. Add the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and mix thoroughly.

Place an equal amount of the chicken mixture on each of the 12 tortillas, roll them up and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish. (I usually spray each side of each tortilla with cooking spray to soften them up a bit.)

The Sauce:
Over medium heat in a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for a minute or so. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Reduce the heat, or remove from the burner, and stir in the sour cream and green chiles. Do not allow sauce to boil, but gently heat through.

Pour the sauce evenly over the tortillas in the dish, and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Make sure that each tortilla is completely covered in sauce to prevent them from browning too much. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve hot.

Makes four servings , three enchiladas each.

I like to serve this with spanish rice!

CHEESECAKE MUFFINS from Beth

I discovered this recipe while watching Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. I loved to make these for the girls in the dorm and sometimes even gave them as gifts on occasions like Christmas. People love them!

Ingredients
1 box moist white cake mix
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I buy the prepacked crumbs from Kroger.)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup cherry preserves (I have experimented with different flavors.)

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the batter, in a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, softened cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. (The batter will be very thick so make sure you've got a good mixer!)

To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a smaller mixing bowl, beat together all ingredients for cheese filling until smooth. Set aside.

Divide half of the graham cracker mixture among the 12 muffin cups and lightly press into bottoms. Fill cups all the way to the top with muffin batter. Place 1 teaspoon of preserves on top of muffin batter and with a teaspoon, lightly cut preserves into batter.

With the back of a spoon dipped in water to keep from sticking, indent the batter and top with a dollop of filling to cover the cherry preserves. Sprinkle remaining graham cracker mixture over the top of muffins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing muffins from pan.