Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder Makes about 2 qts.1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces3 T. butter or margarine1/2 c. chopped onion1-2 cloves garlic, minced2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 c. hot water1/2-1 t. ground cumin2 c. half-and-half cream8 oz. pkg Monterey jack cheese16 oz. can cream-style corn4 oz. can chopped green chilies1/4 – 1 t. Tabasco or similar hot sauce1 medium tomato, diced OR 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes w/garlic and seasonings Melt butter in a large one-gallon pot; add chicken, onion and
garlic, cooking till chicken is no longer pink. Add the bouillon-water and cumin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer for 5 min. Add cream, cheese, corn, chilies and hot sauce. Cook and stir
till cheese is melted. Stir in tomatoes. Serve w/crackers or cornbread.
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Texas Chili

Texas Chili1 large onion, chopped fine1-1/2 lb. ground beef, browned w/ onion and rinsed to remove fat1-1/2 lb. chuck roast or steak cut in 1/2" cubes, fat removed,
dredge in flour, brown and drainCombine above in 6 quart heavy pot with:2 T ground cumin1 T chili powder (some people put up to 6 TBS but I think it drowns
the flavor and it gives me heartburn)1 tsp garlic powder Add enough tomato juice to cover mixture (this is not Texas but I like it - you can use water) Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, adding water as necessary, until meat is very tender.
(Or crock pot covered on medium 4-6 hours). Refrigerate till fat congeals on top. (overnight refrigeration develops flavor). Remove congealed fat.
To Thicken: Stir into cool or barely warm mixture - 1/4 cup flour
or cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water. Bring to slow boil,
stirring till desired thickness.Serve with crackers (Texas style),
or top with grated cheddar cheese, or ladle over rice or spaghetti
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Linguine with Tomatoes & Basil
Linguine with Tomatoes & Basil
6 very ripe large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized
pieces 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 3/4 cup sliced black olives 1/2 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives 4 cloves garlic, minced Salt to taste1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 1 (16-ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta Freshly grated parmesan cheese
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, basil, parmesan
cheese, black olives,green olives, garlic, salt, and pepper; stir until blended. Cover
and let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to
pan. Add tomato mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Transfer onto individual
serving plates andgarnish with additional parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Vegetable Pizza With Potato Crust - Vegetarian

Potato Crust (see recipe below)1 medium-sized zucchini, thinly sliced 1 medium-sized yellow summer squash, thinly sliced 1 medium-sized yellow sweet pepper, chopped 1 medium-sized red sweet pepper, chopped 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno chile pepper, finely minced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 (5.3-ounce) package soft cheese of your choice (seasoned or
unseasoned) 16 cherry tomatoes, quartered 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, snipped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
In a large bowl, combine zucchini, summer squash, yellow pepper,
red pepper, onion,garlic, jalapeno pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
In a large frying pan or wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of
olive oil. Saute the vegetables mixture until they are crisp tender, stirring often.
Remove pan fromheat.
Spread soft cheese over baked potato crust; top with cooked
vegetables and tomatoes.Sprinkle with basil and mozzarella cheese. Bake approximately 5 to
7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.

Potato Crust: 2 (3 to 4 large potatoes) firmly packed cups grated raw potatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup flour 2 eggs, beaten 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 15x10-inch baking dish. Place
raw potatoesin a colander. Salt potatoes and let set for 10 minutes. Squeeze
out the excess water.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion, flour, and eggs. Pat
potato mixture intoprepared baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Brush with 1 tablespoon
olive oil and bakeanother 10 minutes. Place under broiler; broil 2 to 3 minutes or
until golden crisp.Remove from oven and maintain oven temperature.
Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup - Vegetarian
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1 medium onion, quartered 1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups milk, divided 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon dill weed 1 cup sour cream 3 cups milk Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper or to taste
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add potatoes, carrots, onion, and vegetableor chicken broth. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tenderwhen pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.

While vegetables are cooking, make cream sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-highheat, melt butter; add flour, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese and dill weed. Stir until cheese is melted. Set aside.
In a food processor or blender, in small batches, puree potato mixture with someof the milk. Pour blended potato mixture back into the soup pot. Add the cheese sauce, sour cream, remaining milk, salt, pepper, and chili pepper. Stir until thoroughlyblended. Return to medium heat and heat until warm. Remove from heat and serve insoup bowls.
Makes 6 servings.Bean and Squash Soup - Vegetarian
2 cups dry multi-type beans, sorted, rinsed, and drained 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced 4 cups water 2 cups vegetable broth 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon marjoram 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Sour cream

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, place beans and cover with cold water;bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinsebeans.
In the same soup pot over medium heat. combine soaked beans, onion, butternut squash,water, vegetable or chicken broth, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, basil, marjoram, andnutmeg. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beansare tender (do not boil).
Remove from heat and let mixture cool (if you do not let cool slightly before processing,mixture will explode out of container and make a mess in your kitchen). Remove 2cups of soup mixture and place into food processor blender bowl; whirl until pureed.Repeat 2 cups at a time with remaining bean mixture. Return pureed mixture to souppot and heat. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and serve in soupbowls topped with sour cream.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.