Chilaquiles

I first discovered this dish at Hugo's - it was so good I went back the next day to order it again. After returning from that vacation I scoured the internet, looking for the right recipe. After lots of testing, this is what I have come up with.What are chilaquiles, you may ask? Think of it as a Mexican casserole or lasagna. I make this when I want something bold, hearty, and that will last for days.


5-6 large tomatoes
2-3 jalapenos
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bunch cilantro
sour cream
cojito cheese
1 package white corn tortillas
olive oil


Place tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, 2/3 of the onion and 1/2 the cilantro in a large pot and cover with water. Heat water to boiling, and let simmer 20 minutes. Dump all contents of pot into colander and set aside to cool (do not be concerned that bits of onion or cilantro slip through the colander).


Heat oil in a large skillet. Cut tortillas into six wedges. Working in batches, fry tortillas just until crispy. They do not have to be evenly cooked or even cooked all the way through. Once they have browned and crisped up a bit, you can take them out of the oil. Drain the oil off the cooked tortillas over a paper towel. Continue until all of the tortillas are cooked. (You can use tortilla chips instead, but this is way better. Trust me.)


Peel and core tomatoes and put a blender along with the onions, garlic, and cilantro. Seed the jalapenos, and add those to the blender as well. Blend until smooth. Pour the contents into a large pot and turn heat to medium low. After a few minutes (when the mixture has begun to heat up), stir in the tortillas. Continue stirring until the tortillas are completely coated. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with fresh chopped onions, cilantro, cojito cheese, and sour cream.(Trust me, this is one recipe where you don't want to skip the garnish at the end - the onions, cilantro and cheese add a snap of flavor and the sour cream brings a coolness to a potentially hot dish.)

One more thing: I have seen this served with eggs, chicken, black beans, corn, etc. I am far too lazy to bother with all of that - and I think the dish stands up on its own, but I definitely encourage everyone to try out variations.

Tomatillo Dressing (from Cafe Rio)

1 pkg Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dry mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1-2 tomatillos, peeled
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 jalepeno, de-seeded

*Blend together in a blender until smooth and keep refrigerated.

CPK Chopped Salad

(photo courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen)

SALAD:
1/2 head iceburg lettuce
1/2 romaine lettuce
12 basil leaves, cut in narrow strips
2 cups Italian salami, in thin strips
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped garbanzo beans
4 cups fresh diced tomatoes
3 cups diced turkey breast
2 TB chopped green onions

DRESSING: Herb Mustard Vinaigerette
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced shallot
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups olive oil (mild)
3 TB grated Parmesan cheese

Cranberry Raspberry Salad

(A Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish favorite!)

1. 6oz raspberry jello
2. 1 1/2 cup boiling water
3. 2 10oz pkg frozen raspberries
4. 1 tsp lemon juice
5. 1 pint sour cream
6. 6oz cherry jello
7. 1 cup boiling water
8. 1 20oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
9. 1 16oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
10. 1 small tub Cool whip (Optional)

• Bottom layer: Dissolve (1) in (2). Add (3) and (4). Stir to thaw. Pour into 9x13 dish and refrigerate. When firm go to next step.
• Middle layer: Spread (5) across. Put back in fridge to firm.
• Top layer: Dissolve (6) in (7). Add (8) and (9) and pour on top. Refrigerate. 
• Spread (10) on top is using just before serving.

Jarasiene Salad

1. Wash and chop up a head of lettuce and put in a large bowl. Chop up green onions and 1/2 green bell pepper and add.
2. Boil 6-8 potatoes. Then skin and chop them and add to bowl.
3. Bake or grill link sausage (we use the Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa) for 10 min, turning halfway. Once cooked (or heated through for pre-cooked sausage) slice and also add to bowl.
4. For the dressing use equal parts of Good Seasons Italian and Ranch. Toss and serve.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:  (regular batch/for a large crowd batch)
2 chicken breasts/or 6 chicken breasts
1 small onion/or 2 onions
1/2 pkg curly macaroni/or 2 packages
1 small can pineapple tidbits undrained/or 2 large cans
1 cup green grapes, halved/or 2 cups
1 cup red grapes, halved/or 2 cups
1 cup chopped red apples/or 3 cups chopped apples
3/4 cup chopped celery/or 2 cups
2 green onions chopped/or 4 green onions
1 small can cashew halves and pieces/or 1 large can

Dressing:
1 12oz bottle Coleslaw dressing/or 1 24oz bottle
3/4 cup mayonnaise/or 1 - 1 1/2 cup mayo

Directions:
1) Boil chicken with onion 20-25 minutes. Also prepare macaroni and drain.
2) Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients and start putting them all in a large bowl. For the pineapple, drain the juice over a bowl. After you chop the red apples, place the chunks in the bowl with the pineapple juice (to help reduce browning) and add them at the end.
3) When the chicken is cooked, cut into small pieces and put in the bowl, discarding the onion. For the pasta, once cooked al dente drain and run under cool water before adding to the bowl.
4) In a separate bowl prepare dressing. Then pour it over the pasta salad and toss gently. Keep this refrigerated; may be made in advance and still good next day.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

·      1 16oz package of ziti (or small shells, or penne, whatever)

·      1 jar of your favorite Marinara sauce

·      1 15oz container part-skim Ricotta cheese

·      ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      8 oz park-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1.  If making homemade Marinara sauce, make first.

2.  Meanwhile, in large saucepot cook pasta as label directs to al dente. Drain.

3.  Put pasta back into pot and mix with sauce, until coated. In a separate bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt.

4.  Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon half of the pasta mixture into dish. Spread evenly with ricotta mixture and top with remaining pasta. Cover ziti with foil and bake 20 minutes.

5.  Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes longer. Serve and enjoy.