Submitted by Shane
| Fresh baguette, cut into ¼” slices |
|
3 sweet onions, cut in ½ lengthwise & cut |
| 2 tbsp butter |
|
into small strips |
| 2 tbsp olive oil |
|
¼ c. white wine |
| ¼ lb Gruyere cheese, grated |
|
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled |
| salt to taste |
|
fresh ground black pepper to taste |
1. Place baguette slices in 250°F oven & bake until crisp & golden brown. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
2. In a sauté pan, heat the butter & olive oil & then add the onions & cook slowly over low to medium heat.
3. Add salt & pepper to the onions & stir occasionally while keeping the onions evenly distributed on the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the wine & allow the onions to continue to caramelize. Make sure that the onions do not burn or you will taste some bitterness instead of the sweetness that you are trying to achieve.
5. Once the onions are golden brown & the liquid has been cooked off, remove from heat & allow to cool.
6. Rub the fresh garlic clove on each slice of toasted bread (crostini).
7. On each crostini, place a heaping tsp of caramelized onions & a tsp of grated Gruyere & place on a baking sheet.
8. Place crostinis in 300°F oven & bake until the cheese is melted & just starting to bubble. Remove from oven.
9. Serve these warm & watch the reaction of your guests. Bon Apetit!!
Chef’s Note:
These appetizers are addictive & delicious. You can experiment with other types of cheese but I highly recommend using Gruyere. It’s a form of Swiss cheese that is so much more complex in flavor than the traditional Swiss that you may be used to. At first it’s a little fruity & then becomes earthy & a little nutty. It goes perfectly with the caramelized onions. This takes a little bit of time to prepare but you & your guests will not regret it. The number of servings will vary.
Submitted by T.B. Player
| 2½ lbs boneless chicken breast |
|
1 lb bag frozen corn |
| 3 large cans black beans (Goya recommended) |
|
1 large can hominy (white corn) |
| 2 small cans tomato paste |
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1 large can stewed tomatoes |
| 3 whole limes |
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2 large red onions |
| 1 large white onions |
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2 large green peppers |
| 1 large red pepper |
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1 large yellow pepper |
| 1 large orange pepper |
|
|
Spices & Other ingredients used in prep:
| chili powder |
|
cinnamon |
|
cumin |
| crushed red pepper |
|
black pepper |
|
onion powder |
| garlic powder |
|
olive oil |
|
corn starch |
| minced garlic in water |
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6 oz Jack Daniels |
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2 oz Jose Cuervo |
| 8 oz orange juice |
|
brown sugar |
| Key West lime juice |
|
2 sticks unsalted butter |
|
Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce |
The Day Before:
1. Take the all of the colored peppers & chop them into ½ inch cubes. Pop them in a covered container with a capful (about 2 oz.) of Olive Oil, 4 oz. of Orange Juice, 2 Heaping tablespoons of Minced Garlic, a dash of Cumin, the Jose Cuervo, a little black pepper, & a few drops of the Pepper Sauce (NOTE: This stuff is LEATHAL…1-3 drops is enough to produce a mild warmth, if you like hotter go a little more, but no more than about 10. You’ll be adding some more later, so if you really don’t want it too spicy this is a good time to think “less is more”). Shake until coated & then let sit overnight.
2. Dice ¼ of the white onion, & then wrap & put aside the rest of it. In an oiled frying pan, sauté the onion until lightly brown, & then set aside. Do not drain it off.
3. In a saucepan, melt ¼ stick of butter. When it is liquid, add in a dash of Garlic Powder, a dash of Onion Powder, a dash of Cinnamon, a small tbsp of Minced Garlic, & 4 oz. of Jack Daniels. Bring to a boil, & then add ½ c. of Brown Sugar to the mix, & stir rapidly. As the sugar dissolves, the mixture should begin to thicken considerably, but you my need to sift in some corn starch to get it to thicken up to a syrup-like consistency. Once it thickens, add in the diced onion with the oil, & stir rapidly. Pour the mixture into a container, cover & refrigerate.
The Morning Of:
Thoroughly wash & dry the chicken, cut it into bite size pieces, then place it in a container with the remaining 2 oz. of Jack Daniels, the other 4 oz. of Orange Juice, 2 heaping tbsp of Garlic, 2 oz. of Nellie & Joe’s Lime Juice, a dash of Black Pepper, & 2-3 drops of the Habanero pepper sauce. Slice one of the limes into ¼ inch thick slices, squeeze them into the mixture & then drop them in the container. Seal it. Shake well & let sit in the fridge for the next few hours.
The Time Is Now:
1. Open all of the canned vegetables. Drain everything except one can of black beans, & add them to a large stew pot. Mix the tomato paste with a few drops of the Habanero Pepper sauce, some crushed red pepper, some black pepper, a dash of cumin & some onion powder, & then stir it into the beans. Bring them to a low simmer, & stir occasionally.
2. Take a large skillet, & wipe the bottom with an olive oiled paper towel, Bring the pan to a medium high heat & then add in the Frozen Corn (This will crackle, be careful). Cut the second lime into strips, & then add it to the pan as the corn sizzles. While the corn is frying, stir in 2 oz. of lime juice & some cinnamon, coating the corn thoroughly. If the corn sticks, add oil sparingly.
3. Dice the remaining white onion, & add it to the corn, stirring rapidly until the onion beings to soften, pick out the lime slices & toss them, then add the mixture to the saucepot, & stir.
4. Melt the remaining butter in a small sauce pan, & bring it to a low simmer with a tbsp of Garlic. Cut the Red Onions into quarters, along with a lime & then boil them in the butter until they become flaky & begin to separate. Drain off the butter into a separate container, toss out the lime & then add the onions to the beans & corn.
5. Take the refrigerated pepper mixture & pour it into the saucepan, bringing it to a low simmer for 2-3 minutes, & then add the entire mixture into the pot.
6. Pour a small amount of the butter that you drained from the onions, into the bottom of the frying pan & bring it to a sizzle. Drain the chicken off, & mix the chicken liquid with the remaining butter & set it aside. Blend the Jack Daniels sauce in with the chilled chicken, rolling it in the syrup so that it coats thoroughly. Add the chicken in small amounts to the butter, & once it is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture. As the chicken absorbs the butter, add more of the butter/marinade mixture to keep the pan moist (not soggy) while the chicken sears.
7. Bring the chili mixture to a high simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, & then serve. Garnish with Cheddar cheese & sour cream to taste.
6 Servings
206 Cal; 1g Fat (6% calories from fat); 6g Pro; 41g Carb; 0mg Chol; 319mg Sod
| 1 c. long-grain white rice, uncooked |
|
½ tsp olive oil |
| 1 c. onions, chopped |
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1 c. celery, sliced |
| 1 clove garlic, minced |
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15 oz. pinto beans, canned, drained, & washed |
| 8 oz. no-salt-added tomato sauce |
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½ c. water |
| 1 tbsp ketchup |
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1 tsp chili powder |
| ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce |
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Cook rice according to package directions. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat add onions, celery, & garlic. Cook & stir until crisp-tender. Add pinto beans, tomato sauce, water, ketchup, chili powder, & hot pepper sauce. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.
Submitted by Carli
| 1lb tube pasta (rigatoni, penne, etc.) |
|
1 tbsp olive oil |
| 1lb kielbasa sausage, cut into 1″ chunks |
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2 bell peppers (1 red & 1 yellow), diced |
| 2 c. broccoli florets, bite size |
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1 tbsp minced garlic |
| 1 14oz. can chopped tomatoes |
|
1 c. shredded mozzarella |
Cook pasta per directions until firm-tender. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage & heat through. Remove with a slotted spoon & set aside. Add peppers, broccoli, & garlic & cook until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes & add sausage back. Increase heat to high & cook uncovered until hot, stirring often. Drain pasta & return to pot. Add sausage mixture, then toss to mix. Spoon into serving dish & top with cheese.
Submitted by Monica
| 3 6½ oz. cans chopped clams |
|
6½ oz. can whole clams |
| 3-4 cloves garlic, minced |
|
1 tsp dry Italian seasoning |
| 2 tbsp fresh oregano |
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2 tbsp fresh basil |
| 2 tbsp fresh parsley (flat leaf or Italian) |
|
1 box pasta |
| Olive Oil |
|
salt & Pepper |
| Dry White Wine (Sauvignon blanc works well) |
|
Romano cheese |
1. On medium heat, in a large skillet, add olive oil & minced garlic. Cook until slightly browned , add Italian seasoning & toast for 2 minutes.
2. Add 4 cans of clams (with juice), add salt & pepper to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, add one full can of wine (or, if you don’t want to use wine, add the juice of 1 lemon), turn down heat to a simmer.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until only about ¾ to 1 c. of liquid is left (about 30-40 minutes)
5. Cook pasta according to directions on the pkg. in salted water (the water should have at least 1 full tsp of salt – NO OIL).
6. When the pasta is al dente, add pasta to the pan with clam sauce to finish cooking.
7. Add pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce (you’ll need anywhere from ½ to 1½ c.).
8. Add fresh herbs & cheese, fold together. Serve with hot crusty bread & more cheese.
