SPICY CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (11 ounce) can whole-kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Remove 1 chile from can and mince.  Reserve the remaining chiles for another use.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and cumin; saute 4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in minced chile, chicken, broth, tomatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.

Let's Dish
You can always add an extra chile to this, but I recommend trying it first.  It's pretty spicy as is!   The original recipe didn't use beans, but I thought it was a nice addition.  In fact, I think this would be great as a vegetarian soup.  Just omit the chicken and add several varieties of beans, or even chickpeas.  I also used frozen corn, because I really don't like canned vegetables. Extra adobo chiles can be stored in the freezer in a zip top sandwhich bag. As always, soups are great in the slow cooker.

Who Dished It Up First

This recipe was originally published in Cooking Light magazine, but I found it online at myrecipes.com.

EASY FRUIT COBBLER

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sliced fresh fruit(or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries)
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in an 8 or 9-inch square pan and place in oven. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk and stir to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake until the batter browns and the fruit bubbles, about 45-50 minutes.

Let's Dish
Dessert doesn't get much easier than this. It only took about 10 minutes to put together, and even less time for my family to devour it! It's great with all kinds of fruit, or a combination of different fruits. You may need to increase your baking time by 5 minutes if you're using frozen fruit.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

TEX-MEX BLACK BEAN DIP

Filed under Appetizers
Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup mild salsa

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

Directions
Place black beans in a medium size mixing bowl, partially mash beans; beans should remain a little chunky. In a medium size frying pan, heat oil over a medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Mix beans, corn, tomato, salsa, cumin, and chili powder into the frying pan; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese, cilantro and lime juice; stir until cheese is melted.

Let's Dish

This is the kind of recipe where you don't need to worry about exact measurements. Just toss in what you have, although I think the fresh cilantro and lime juice make the dish. Sometimes I make it for lunch during the week. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Who Dished It Up First

Adapted from allrecipes.com

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Directions
Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan (glass works best for this recipe). Measure peanut butter and marshmallow cream into a large bowl. In a large saucepan, bring evaporated milk and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once mixture begins to boil, continue boiling and stirring for 3 more minutes. Pour hot mixture over peanut butter and marshmallow cream. Stir until all ingredients are smooth and well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Let's Dish
It is hard to put into words how much I love this fudge. It really is easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool so you can eat it. For chocolate peanut butter fudge, stir in some chocolate chips just before pouring the mixture into your pan. I like to make a double batch and eat . . . I mean, freeze half.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

SEVEN LAYER TORTILLA PIE

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can re-fried beans
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Rotelle tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
7 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until done; add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions. Stir in re-fried beans, red onions and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix together Rotelle, cilantro, and black beans.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 tortilla in a greased pie plate or tart dish. Spread ¾ cup meat and bean mixture over tortilla to within ½ inch of edge. Top with ¼ cup cheese, and cover with another tortilla. Spread with ⅔ cup black bean mixture, and top with ¼ cup cheese. Repeat layering twice. Cover with remaining tortilla, and spread with remaining meat and bean mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Let's Dish
The original recipe didn't include meat. I added it for my husband, who besides being a carnivore, isn't a big fan of beans. I prefer the meatless version myself. It's surprisingly filling, with or without meat. Unless you're feeding 6-8 hungry people, you can plan on leftovers. This is great topped with salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and sliced green onion.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

HOMESTEADER CORNBREAD

Filed under Breads
Ingredients
1 ½ cups cornmeal
2 ½ cups milk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil

DirectionsPreheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk egg and oil together until smooth. Add all wet ingredients to dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Bake in a greased 9x13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let's Dish
I'm the only person in my family who likes cornbread, which means if I don't half the recipe, I'll be eating a lot of cornbread! Not that I'd mind. For "fancy" cornbread, I like to bake this in 9-inch round pans and cut it into wedges. It also makes great cornbread muffins.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

CREAMY CILANTRO LIME DRESSING

Ingredients

1 package ranch dressing mix
1 (8 oz.) bottle salsa verde (green salsa)
½ bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Juice of one lime

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Thin with milk if desired.

Let's Dish

I prefer to make this with 1/2 the package of ranch dressing mix. Leave it a little thicker and it also makes a great dip for tortilla chips and vegetables.  Who am I kidding?  I could eat it from a spoon.

Who Dished It Up First

This is the dressing for Cafe Rio's famous shredded pork salad. I've taken several versions from the internet and combined them to make this recipe.

CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients

1/4 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cans (14.5 ounce) Rotelle tomatoes

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 cans (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

3 cans beans, any variety

1 envelope chili seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a large dutch oven or sauce pot, saute the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, chicken, beans, chili seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Let's Dish

I took this chili to a friend once and it remains one of their family's favorite dishes to this very day.  I'm not making that up, check out the comment below.  This makes a lot of chili so it's great if your feeding a crowd. If not, the leftovers freeze well.  It's also a great dish to make in the slow cooker. I like to use a combination of black, kidney and white beans. I recommend serving it with a variety of toppings and condiments, like sour cream, shredded cheese, jalepenos, green onions and tortilla chips.

Who Dished It Up First

This was originally published in the Taste of Home Celebrations Cookbook as Red, White & Blue Chili.  I've adapted it to suit my tastes.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Filed under Breads
Ingredients2 ½ cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter or margarine
¾ to 1 cup milk

Directions
Mix dry ingredients, then work in margarine with a fork or hands. Add beaten egg and stir gently. Add milk ¼ cup at a time, stirring gently until dry ingredients are just moistened and a soft dough is formed. Turn onto floured surface and press out gently with hands to desired thickness. Cut and place close together in greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Let's Dish

For the lightest, fluffiest biscuits, mix the dough as little as possible. I do all the mixing for these biscuits by hand.  Most biscuit recipes don't use eggs, but I think that's what makes this recipe so good. Contrary to popular belief, your biscuits don't need to be round. I usually just press out the dough and cut it into squares before baking.

Who Dished It Up First

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and I think it was passed on to her from another relative, so I guess you could say it's a family recipe.

CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD WITH DILL DRESSING

Ingredients
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cucumbers, sliced
1 cup sliced red onion
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Directions
In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, dill, pepper, and oil. Add cucumbers, onion, and tomatoes. Toss, and let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Let's Dish
This is a great summer salad, especially if you've had a successful garden (not me). I don't think it matters much how you slice or chop your vegetables. If you prefer a chopped tomato over a wedge, go for it! Dried dill works just fine if you can't find fresh, and white wine vinegar will work as a substitute for cider vinegar.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com