Chili-Lime Barley and Vegetable Salad

1 ½ cup dried barley
¾ tsp salt
4 tsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ c corn
2 tsp chili powder
¼ cup lime juice (lemon will work fine too)
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook barley according to packaged directions, using ¼ teaspoon of salt in water. Drain well.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until the pepper is crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add corn and chili powder. Increase heat to medium high and cook until corn is piping hot, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together remaining salt, lime juice and black pepper. Add barley, sautéed vegetables, and remaining 2 tsp oil and toss to combine. Add cheese and toss gently. Serve at room temp or slightly chilled.

Zesty Rice

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (or brown rice)
2 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 (14.5-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pot. Add garlic, and rice and saute for 2 minutes until rice is toasted. Add 2 1/4 cups water, chili seasoning and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer as directed on packaging.

In a large bowl combine onion, yellow pepper, cooled rice, beans, vinegar and cilantro. Mix well.

"Refried" Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, or other chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Mash the beans coarsely with the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

**Note-These definitely do not taste like canned refried beans, however they are healthier than refried beans in a can (because you are controlling the ingredients) and they also work in a pinch. You can substitute black beans for pinto beans if that's all you have.

Chick Pea Salad

2 (19-ounce) cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, grated
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Let sit about an hour to let flavors meld.

**Note-if you have leftovers of this, combine it with some cumin, a bit of flour if it's too dry and about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per cup of leftovers. Pulse everything in food processor, form into balls, and bake 15-20 minutes at 400 for easy, quick baked falafel!

Chili Garlic Roasted Broccoli

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend
1-2 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears

Oven at 425 degrees F.

Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

**Note-this is another one of my all time favorite recipes! Yummy!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can Evaporated Milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sugar; cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Serve warm.

Cheddar Baked Potato Slices

1 can cream soup
4 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Oven at 400. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Arrange potatoes in overlapping rows. Pour soup on top and then cover with cheese. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until potatoes are fork tender.

**Note-again, this isn't the healthiest dish, but sometimes when you buy a big 10lb bag of potatoes and have exhausted every other recipe, this is a good one to have on hand. It's also perfect for a potluck or gathering as what's not to like about potatoes, creaminess and cheese?

Rotini and Black Bean Salad

8oz rotini pasta, cooked according to packaged directions
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup corn (my use frozen, fresh or canned)
¼ c green onions
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Mix oil, vinegar and garlic together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Mix pasta and other ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the top. Toss gently to combine. Refrigerate at least one hour, up to 24 hours.

**Note-to make this a main dish, add cheese cubes and or cubed chicken.

Broccoli-Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli pieces
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix

Oven at 400. Grease muffin tin. Microwave broccoli for about 2 minutes, to defrost it. Meanwhile, whisk together egg, milk, and cheese. Add muffin mix and stir until just combined. Remove broccoli from microwave and press out any extra water. Finely chopped the broccoli and add it to the muffin mix. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 12-14 minutes, until the muffins just begin to brown around the edges and spring back when touched.

Easy Spanish Rice

1 1/2 cups rice (preferably brown)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon chili
1 4oz can of diced green chilis (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil. Add garlic, onions and peppers. Saute until softened. Add rice and chili powder. Stir and saute for 5 minutes, until rice browns a little. Add broth, tomato sauce and chilis, if using. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer according to packaged directions.

Easy Bake Cheddar Biscuits

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into smaller pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk.

Oven at 450. **In a food processor, combine all dry ingredients with a few pulses. Add butter and pulse until it resembles peas. Add cheddar cheese and pulse to combine. Add the milk and combine until the dough forms a ball. Remove from a food processor and knead on a floured surface 8-10 times until dough becomes more smooth and elastic (this will become apparent after kneading the 8-10 times.) Pat dough into a 6x6 inch square and then cut into 9 pieces. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet 10-12 minutes.

**Note-you can do these biscuits by hand but doing them in a food processor is infinitely easier and I highly recommend doing it this way.
**Note-these biscuits are so incredibly yummy and so easy, I always make a double batch. 9 is just not enough!

Corn Souffle

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb fresh corn or 10oz frozen corn, thawed and drained

Oven at 350. In a medium saucepan, heat butter with sugar. When melted, stir in flour until blended. Remove from heat. Stir in milk, eggs, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Fold in corn. Put in a 1-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 40 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

**Note-this is a twist on a traditional holiday classic corn casserole dish. It is much less fatty and caloric, but you don't notice the difference.

Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole

Base:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes **
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping**:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter

Cook and mash sweet potatoes. Mix together sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, milk, butter and vanilla. Place in a 8 x 11 inch casserole. Mix topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Spread over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

**Note-This is a very traditional sweet potato casserole recipe that families have every year at the holidays. I, however, had never had it until my sister-in-law passed on the recipe. I love it! I tend to eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day!
**Note-My preferred way to cook and mash the sweet potatoes are to boil them in water for about 30 minutes. Let them cool a bit then peel off the skin (very easily done by hand). Then mash the meat of the potato.
**Note-I cut the topping in half. The original recipe calls for double the amount of topping. When I made it the first time, I found it to be too sweet. Cutting it in half, I find, makes no difference in the taste and quality of the dish.
**Note-I also cut down the sugar and butter in the base in half as well. Again the taste is not affected.

Four Seasons of Potato Salad

WINTER
4 cups large storage potatoes, coarsely diced and boiled until firmly tender
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
¾ cup last summer’s dill pickles, finely chopped
2 tbsp dill
salt to taste
Mayonnaise to consistency

Combine potatoes, eggs, and pickles, being careful not to mash anything. Add dill and salt to mixture and combine thoroughly. Add just enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together.

SPRING
4 cups storage potatoes, coarsely diced
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1-2 cups new peas
1 cup crumbled feta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Boil diced potatoes as above. Combine ingredients.

SUMMER
2 lbs red or golden new potatoes, cut in 1 inch chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt
2 yellow or red bell peppers, cut in chunks
2 cups green beans (stringed and broken in 1-inch lengths)
1-2 ears sweet corn on cob

Toss potatoes with salt and oil and spread on baking sheet. Place ears of corn, lightly oiled, with potatoes to roast as well. Roast in 450° oven until tender (20-30 minutes). Add peppers and green beans to roast for last 10 minutes. When done, loosen the vegetables with a spatula, cut corn kernels off cob, and combine in a large, shallow bowl.

2 cups tomatoes cut in wedges
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil whipped together with 1 tbsp balsamic or other mellow vinegar
Toss tomatoes, basil and dressing with roasted vegetables, salt to taste.

FALL
2 lbs fingerling potatoes (Russian Banana, Rose-Finn, La Ratte)
seasonal vegetables
4 tbsp dried basil
¼ cup olive oil whipped with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Prepare roasted potatoes as in “Summer” recipe, combining with late-season peppers and green beans, shelly beans, or limas, roasted along with the potatoes. Toss with fresh tomato wedges, basil and the dressing. As the season progresses and different things become available, you can mix and match other vegetables with the potatoes to your heart’s content, keeping proportions roughly the same. Cubed winter squash and sweet potatoes are wonderful in this roasted dish, requiring about the same amount of time in the oven. Don’t hesitate to combine sweet and regular potatoes – they are unrelated, and marry well!

Seasoned Pinto Beans

Makes equivelent of one can of beans

**Note-these seasoned beans are great for tacos, burritos, etc.

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (or about 1 cup dried pinto beans before cooking)
Juice of 3 limes-about 3 tablespoons (or substitute lemon juice without much of a flavor change)
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1. In microwave or in a small sauce pan, warm all ingredients together. Serve with meals as desired.