Making Meals Monday - Birthday Style

Today is my mom's birthday!  She turns, uh, 37......according to Arlington.  So in honor of her birthday, I asked her to send me the recipes of her favorite meals.  I asked for 3.  Let's just say, she isn't much for restraint.  3, 7 - what's the difference?  So today is your lucky day!  You have meals for a whole week!  Lucky you!  SO - without further ado, here are Phyllis' favorites!

MY FAVORITE CHILI RECIPE – it is from Judy Haines

Brown about 3 lbs. of very lean ground beef in a saucepan and then drain the drippings

Add:    2 cans of diced tomatoes

            A 2 lb. can of tomato sauce

            2 cans light kidney beans

            1 can black beans

            Chopped green peppers’           

            Sugar, chili powder salt and pepper

Cook slowly about ½ hour-delicious and it also freezes well

GREAT HOLIDAY SALAD

1 large box raspberry jello

1 can whole berry cranberries

1 can crushed pineapple

1 apple-peeled and chopped

¾ cup walnuts

Drain pineapple well and save the juice

Add enough water to the pineapple juice to make 3 cups liquid

Put in saucepan and bring to boil

In a bowl put the jello and boiled liquid and stir for 2 minutes

Add the other ingredients, stir well and chill until set.

ORANGE-CHICKEN RICE BOWL

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

¼ cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

¼ cup orange juice

3-4 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables

3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

¼ cup chopped cocktail peanuts

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium high heat.  Add chicken; stir-fry 5-7 min. until done

Stir in dressing and juice.  Bring to boil.  Add vegetables; cook 5-7 min or until heated through, stirring occasionally

Serve over rice.  Sprinkle with nuts

PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEPPERS

1 lb. medium asparagus, peeled, tough ends removed, and stalks cut into 2-inch pieces

2 yellow bell peppers, charred, peeled and diced

2 red peppers, charred, peeled and diced

1 teas.  Minced garlic

1 ½ cups chicken stock

1 tbls. salt plus one teas.

1 ½ tbls. minced fresh thyme

2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/8 teas. Black pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, boil asparagus in lightly salted water until it begins to soften, about one minutes after the water boils.  Drain

Add the peppers and garlic to the skillet and toss one minute.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and set aside

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot and add one tbls. of salt

Add the pasta, cook to just before it reaches al dente and drain

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the cooked penne and fresh thyme.

Stir and simmer 5-7 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

Mix half the cheese plus the better and remaining salt and pepper

Transfer to a bowl, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Serves 6

SPINACH LASAGNA

1 container(16 oz.) low fat cottage cheese

1 pkg.(10 oz.) frozen ch0pped spinach, thawed, well drained

3 cups of 2% shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

2 eggs beaten

1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided

9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese and eggs

Layer 1 cup of spaghetti sauce, 3 lasagna noodles, and ½ of the cottage cheese mixture in a 13X9 inch baking dish.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining 3 noodles, sauce 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving

NO PEEK CHICKEN

1 box. Long grain and wild rice with herbs

1 can cream of mushroom sou’1 an cream of celery soup

1 can cold water

1 tsp. parsley

6-8 pieces of chicken

½ pkg. Lipton onion soup mix.

Lighty grease casserole.  Mix first 6 ingredients together, place in casserole and lay chicken pieces on top.  Sprinkle the chicken with the onion soup.  Seal with foil and bake 350 degrees for 2 ½ hours- don’t peak!!!

APPLE DUMPLINGS

Pastry:

            2 cups flour

            2 teas. Baking powder

            1 teas. Salt

            2/3 cup Crisco or shortening

            ½ cup milk

Put flour, salt and baking powder into bowl, add Crisco and blend into flour.  Add milke and mix together as for pie crust.  Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll out into squares.

Pare and core 6  small apples removing the skin

Syrup:

            1 cup sugar

            2 cups water

            3 tbls. butter or margarine

            ¼ teas. Cinnamon

Boil together for 3 minutes

Fill cavities of apples with mixture of:

            ½ cup sugar

            1 ½ teas. Cinnamon

Place an apple on each sqaure of pastry.    Dot with butter.  Bring opposite points of pastry up over the apples.  Overlap, moisten with water and seal.

Place dumplings a little apart in baking dish.  Pour hot syrup around the dumplings but try to avoid the tops as it will burn.  Sprinkle sugar on top of each dumpling.

Bake 375- 40-45 min.