Fresh Cilantro Lime Salsa

Lindsey Scarber

Makes 3-4 quarts

12 med   tomatoes, finely diced (or use food processor)

2 cups   cold water

2 bunches   cilantro, de-stemmed and finely chopped (or use food processor w/ the cold water)   

16-20 cloves   garlic, minced (or use food processor w/ the cold water)   

4 cans   tomato sauce (8oz ea can)

1/4  - 1/2 cup  fresh lime juice or lemon juice (or ¼ cup white vinegar)

2 Tbsp   sugar

1 Tbsp   salt, add more to taste

1 Tbsp   crushed red pepper, add more to taste

4 cans   mild diced green chilies (7oz each can)

1-2 med   onions, finely diced (I start with 1 onion, if it's really strong, it might be all I need)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Taste test with corn chips. When the salsa tastes good, transfer it to glass jars. You can use plastic containers if you don't mind your plastic container smelling like salsa for months after.

Let salsa sit in the fridge to allow the flavors to blend.  Sometimes is tastes even better the next day. Lasts 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

Make ahead directions:

Follow instructions above, except omit cilantro. 

Store in glass containers in fridge.  Add cilantro just before serving.

Bok Choy, Carrot, and Apple Slaw

Use bok choy (also called Chinese white cabbage) to give slaw an Asian flair.

Season the lemony dressing with fresh grated ginger.

Thank you, Rebecca Heale, for sharing this lovely recipe!

PREP: 20 MINS

 TOTAL TIME: 20 MINS

 SERVINGS: 4

SOURCE: EVERYDAY FOOD, JUL/AUG 2004

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INGREDIENTS

·         1 pound baby bok choy (4 to 6 heads)

·         1 teaspoon coarse salt

·         1 peeled apple, cut into matchsticks

·         2 large shredded carrots

·         3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·         1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

·         Coarse salt and ground pepper

·         Agave nectar or Sugar, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.     Halve baby bok choy lengthwise; rinse under cold water to remove grit. Cut crosswise into thin strips; place in a large colander, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Toss to coat. Top with a plate that fits inside colander; weight with a heavy object (such as a skillet or canned goods). Set aside in sink to drain.

2.     In a large bowl, mix apple, carrots, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and peeled fresh ginger. Add bok choy; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss.

COOK'S NOTES

Bok choy has a mild, sweet flavor, crisp stalks, and tender leaves. It‚'s rich in vitamin C, calcium, and folic acid.

Kid-Friendly Red Enchiladas

                All pantry ingredients!

1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 t. chicken bouillon

1 T.  chili powder, if you want spicy add an extra 1 Tbsp

1 t. cumin

½ t. onion powder

¼ t. garlic powder

 12 corn tortillas, half fried in oven

Shredded cheese for topping

Options for filling, some vegetarian:

3/4 lb shredded cheese - cheddar or monterey jack

½ lb shredded cheese and re-fried beans

½ lb shredded Cheese and Fried eggs (broken yolk, salt, pepper, 1 or 2 layers)

½ lb shredded cheese and ½ lb ground beef

½ lb shredded cheese and ½ lb shredded beef, chicken, or pork

COMBINE: In med sauce pan, combine tomato sauce, water, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder

SIMMER the sauce for about 10 min.

HALF-FRY tortillas: Brush one side of each corn tortilla lightly with oil. Place 12 tortillas flat in 350° oven, oil side up, for 2 min.  Remove from oven to a plate. Let cool.

ASSEMBLE enchiladas: Place a little sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Then place 3 half-fried tortillas flat.  Cover tortillas with spoonfuls sauce. Sprinkle cheese and other filling,  a little spoonful of sauce on top.  Place 3 more tortillas. Sauce. Cheese and filling. Sauce. Continue pattern.  Top with all leftover sauce then cheese. Bake 350° oven until cheese is melted, 15-20 min. 

SERVE: Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream. Consider possible side dishes of Spanish rice, re-fried beans, or a 15 oz can black beans reheated

Lazy man enchiladas - Make individual servings in the microwave. Use a glass plate or glass pie pan.  Cover enchiladas while in microwave. Cook 2 min or until cheese is melted.   

Asian Chopped Salad

1/2 head  green cabbage, chopped

1  med  carrot, shredded

6 oz fresh  spinach or kale, chopped

2  Green onions, chopped

some   Cilantro, chopped

1/4 c.    toasted almonds, sliced

some   Sesame Ginger Asian dressing

1/2 c.   chicken chunks (optional)

some   Wonton noodles or Chinese noodles (optional)

Toss and mix well. Serve immediately.

Simple Spinach Dip!

by Adriana Burk

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, well-drained

2 c. dairy sour cream (16 oz container)

1 c. mayonnaise

3 green onions, chopped to make about 1/2 cup

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional

THAW spinach and squeeze out all liquid before mixing the dip.
COMBINE: In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until blended.    

IMPORTANT: Refrigerate 4-6 hours or until ready to serve. This allows flavors to blend and it makes a big difference in taste! Taste test prior to serving. Add more onion powder, garlic powder, or salt if needed. 

SERVE: Serve with French Bread, crackers, corn chips, or assorted raw vegetables

I like this recipe because it has no 'Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix' and no water chestnuts as ingredients.  It's also a great party food.

Southwestern Chicken Chowder

by Thomas Pruitt

1 Whole Chicken - Boil in 2 quarts of water
                            - Remove meat from bone and dice into bite size pieces
4 lbs Potatoes - diced
3 lg Jalapenos
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 red Bell Pepper
2 onions diced sm
2 cans cream style corn 
2 cans corn
4 T Chili Powder
1 T Onion Powder
4 t Garlic Powder
2 t Cayenne Pepper
2 t Oregano
1 t Thyme
1 t Black Pepper
1 t Salt
2 pints half & half - add when potatoes cooked 
                              - do not boil after cream is added

Indian Coconut curry DINNER

             by Tabby D

2  cans 13.5-ounce coconut milk

1 can tomatoes puréed 

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 to 3 cloves garlic, grated

1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated

1 red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium potatoes

1  can 14-ounce chick peas, drained and rinsed

Tofu (go vegetarian or meat of choice)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook in crock pot. 

Serve over basmati rice cooked with ground turmeric and fennel seeds. 

Garden Cilantro, PurseLane, and cashews to garnish 

Oh baby! So yummy 

Fresh Chickpea Salad

by Kayleigh Evans

Dressing:

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar, or white vinegar

1.5-2 tablespoons natural cane sugar, to taste

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Salad:

2 medium field cucumbers, seeded and chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup red or white onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 can 15 oz. chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and adjust to taste. Feel free to add more sweetener if you prefer. Set aside.

2. Peel cucumbers, slice off the ends, and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon (see photo in post if necessary). Slice halves into 1/8-inch “half moons” and toss into a large bowl. If your cucumbers are really big you can slice the half-moons in half as well.

3. Dice the red pepper and red onion and add into bowl. Roughly chop cilantro and add into bowl. Add chickpeas. Pour in the dressing and toss to combine.  Let this salad sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge, tossing every 10 minutes or so to help the dressing soak in.

4. Portion into bowls and top with peanuts. Serve immediately.

MAKE-AHEAD DIRECTIONS:

Make dressing as above. Combine dressing and salad ingredients as above, minus the cilantro and peanuts. Let flavors blend in fridge, up to 48 hours. Add cilantro and peanuts just before serving. 

Beef Barley Lentil Soup

        by Lindsey Scarber

1/4 lb. ground beef, sautéed (optional)

1 onion chopped, or 1/2 cup dehydrated onion

3 quarts hot water

1/2 c. barley, dry

2 c. brown lentils, dry

2 stalks celery finely diced, or 1/2 c. dehydrated celery

3 carrots finely diced, or 1/2 c. dehydrated carrots

3 T. beef bullion

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté ground beef and onion in a large Dutch oven pot. Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer til veggies and grains are done, about 30-40 min

Crockpot Version: Cover, Cook on High for 3-4 hours.  

Oven Version: Bake in 250 degree oven, Cover tight w/ tin foil, for 3-4 hours. 

The Crockpot and Oven versions of the recipe make a good Sunday lunch.

It's hot & ready-to-eat when church is over.

Japanese Restaurant Cucumber Salad

Japanese Restaurant Cucumber Salad

                          Lindsey Scarber 2013     

      Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

      Veggies:

4 large cucumbers - peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 carrots - peeled, julienne cut into 1/4 x 1/4 inch strips  (I used the carrot peeler to make strips)

2 Green onions - sliced thin

Directions

Whisk sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt together in a bowl.

Add cucumbers, carrots and green onions.  Stir to coat.

Allow salad to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Black Bean Burgers

I'm so sorry it's taken so long to post this!  But this is what I made for the "food storage iron chef" ward activity that we had FOREVER ago...  Enjoy!  --Casey Gifford

BLACK BEAN BURGERS
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 45 min.

PATTY INGREDIENTS
4 cups (2 cans)	black beans
1/4 med	red onion
1 clove	garlic
1/4 bunch	fresh parsley
1 Tbsp	sriracha
1 Tbsp	mayonnaise
1 tsp	worchestershire sauce
1 tsp	cumin
to taste	salt and pepper
1 lg	egg
1 cup	bread crumbs
TOPPINGS
6 lg	hamburger buns
2 med	roma tomatoes
1/2 med	red onion
1/4 bunch	lettuce
1/4 cup	mustard

STEP 1: Pour the black beans into a colander, rinse well and let drain. Add the beans to a food processor along with everything except the salt, egg and bread crumbs [parsley, onion (roughly diced), garlic (minced), sriracha, mayonnaise, worchestershire sauce, cumin and fresh cracked pepper (about 20 cranks)]. Process until everything is combined and the mixture looks pasty with a few chunks. See photos below

If you don't have a food processor, mash the beans with a fork and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Make sure the onion, garlic and parsley are well chopped.

STEP 2: Transfer the mixture to a bowl and season with salt. I used about 1 tsp of salt total. Adjust other seasonings at this time as well. Make the mixture slightly stronger in flavor and saltiness than you want the burgers to be because once the bread crumbs and egg are added, the flavor will be diluted.

STEP 3: Whisk an egg and stir it into the mixture. Stir in the bread crumbs. The resulting mixture should be moist chunks and crumbs. The mixture should stick together if squeezed in your hand. Adjust the bread crumbs up or down to achieve a mixture that will hold a patty shape.

STEP 4: Use your hands for form the patties. Coat a skillet with non-stick spray and cook the patties for 7-8 minutes on each side. The patties should be brown and crisp on the outside and slightly firm to the touch. Be delicate when handling the patties, they are not as cohesive as meat patties but should hold their shape while cooking.

Serve the patties on a bun along with any toppings you desire.

NOTE: You can cook just a few patties and freeze the rest.  Wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in a zip lock freezer bag. To cook later, just thaw the patty for 30 seconds in the microwave then finish cooking in a skillet as described above.

Black Bean Hummus

Submitted By Lindsey Scarber

2 cups cooked black beans, drained (or 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained*)

1 Tbsp tahini (or 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter + 1 t. sesame oil**)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 lime, its juice (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)

2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder to taste)

1 tsp ground cumin

salt to taste

Pulverize the beans with an immersion blender.  Add all other ingredients.  (If an immersion blender is inaccessible, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender.)  Blend again.  Taste it. Add a little of this or that until you get the taste you are looking for. 

Refrigerate for 30 min to 2 hours, to let the flavors blend. 

Serve with pita bread, pita chips, corn chips, or veggie sticks like carrots and celery

I like to double the recipe because it lasts in the fridge 2-3 weeks. 

Vegetarian. High in protein. Gluten-free.

*I use the Pressure Cooker to bottle black beans.  When I want to make hummus , I pull a jar off the shelf, use the perfectly cooked black beans, then reuse the quart jar for more pressure cooking. :)

**Tahini is sesame seed butter, found in the refrigerator section of health food stores like Sprouts and Trader Joes.  Instead of tahini (perishable), I use a combination of peanut butter and sesame oil (both of which are shelf-stable). It saves a trip to the store to buy tahini.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Submitted by Lindsey Scarber

Recipe from my AZ friend Cammi Hawker 

This a yummy and very filling vegetarian soup.  Low-carb, too!

3 T. olive oil

1 cup white onion, minced

4 t. minced garlic, fresh is best

1/2 cup zuchinni or yellow squash, chopped 

1/2 cup frozen italian cut green beans, or 1 (15 oz. ) can cut green beans

4 cups vegetable broth, or water
1 (15 oz.) cans smal red beans, or garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup carrot, julienne cut or shredded
2 T. fresh minced parsley (or 1 T. dried)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach, or 1 square pkg of defrosted frozen spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot. Saute onion, garlic, green beans, and zucchini for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, carrot, hot water, spinach, and spices.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. 

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

This recipe is delicious and it's all food storage and garden ingredients!

I like to make it ahead of time and pack it for a cold lunch to-go. 

~ Lindsey Scarber

3/4 c.   couscous, or whole wheat couscous

1  1/4 c.   chicken broth, or water + 1t. chicken bullion

6 T.   olive oil

6 T.   lime or lemon juice ( I like lime juice)

2 t.   Balsamic vinegar

1 t.   cumin

8   green onions, finely sliced

1 c.   dried cranberries

2 c. cooked black beans, drained, rinsed

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2-quart pot.  Stir in the couscous.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand for 5 min.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin.

Add green onions, cranberries, and black beans. Toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up all the chunks.  Add it to the beans and cranberry mixture and mix well.  Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Savory Butternut, Black Bean, & Wheat Berry Burritos

      By Rebecca Heale

 1 Tbsp  oil

½ medium onion, chopped

3 c peeled butternut squash or sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups black beans

1 cup wheat berries

Tortillas (I like corn, but wheat requires less prep)

A bit more oil

Toppings as desired: grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro or parsley

 Preheat oven to 350 F.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add squash cubes and cook (still on medium) until squash is just tender.  Add spices, beans, and wheat berries.  Stir carefully to distribute the spices.  Heat through. 

 You are now ready to assemble the burritos.   If using corn tortillas, brush tortilla with oil (I put a Tbs oil in a cup and just dab it on the tortilla with a basting brush)  and heat in a pan until it is flexible. If using wheat, you can skip that step. Fill with some of the bean mixture and roll up.  Place in the pan. Continue to do this with the remaining ingredients, lining up the burritos in the pan as you go.  Bake uncovered for approx. 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

 Makes about 20 little burritos with corn tortillas, about 10 burritos with wheat tortillas. Enough for 8 polite adults, 6 hungry adults, or four teenage boys. 

 Adapted from a recipe my sister learned from a friend, Bethany Spicher, who learned it from farmers in Kansas.  
~Rebecca Heale, served at the Douglas Nighborhood Iron Chef Cook-off Mar 1

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

by Lindsey Scarber

Makes 1 gallon.  

8 med   tomatoes, finely diced

4 cans   tomato sauce 8 oz, OR 1 quart jar

1 bunch   cilantro, finely chopped

2 cups   cold water

3-4 cans   mild diced green chilies 7 oz, OR 3 cups

1-3 med   onions, finely diced (I start with 1 onion, if it's really strong, it might be all I need)

1/4  - 1/2 cup   lime juice, lemon juice, or white vinegar (I like fresh lime juice)

2 Tbsp   garlic powder

2 Tbsp   salt

2 Tbsp   sugar

1-2 Tbsp   crushed red pepper, OR 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (a little spice to keep the kids out)

1 can black beans 14.5 oz, drained and rinsed

1 can corn 14.5 oz, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic or glass mixing bowl, not metal. Using a metal mixing bowl starts a chemical reaction with the acids, the citrus juices/vinegar.

When the salsa tastes good, transfer it to glass quart jars. You can use plastic containers if you don't mind your container smelling like salsa for months after.

Let it sit in the fridge to allow the flavors to blend.  Sometimes is tastes better the day after. Serve with corn chips.  Lasts 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

This recipe is yummy with or without the black beans and corn.  However, they do add healthy protein and make it last a longer in a happy tummy. 

Meat and Potato Pie

I love pie. Fruit pies, cream pies, meat pies---all delicious.  I really, really love savory pies. They are the perfect comfort food. Filling, tasty, warm, and so homey. 

So, today I have a recipe for a meat and potato pie from my handy dandy Harry Potter cookbook by Dinah Bucholz. I promise it is easy to make (some meat pies can be a bit more laborious). If you have never made or even tasted a meat pie, this is a great beginner recipe.

Let's start with the crust, because a crust is really what makes a pie a pie. Store bought crust is over processed and flavorless--so don't bother with it. Making your own crust is super easy. I am not sure why crust has this bad, scary aura surrounding it as if only a master chef can make it, because crust is easy. Trust me, anyone can do it.

My top rule is: only use BUTTER. Don't bother with that shortening gloop. Cut to the chase and use the good stuff. Butter makes for really flaky, rich, eat-it-all-by-it-self crusts.

Next, make your crust by hand, you don't have to, but I prefer it. I know some use a food processor (I don't have one) or their Kitchen-Aid and those work great, but I like using my hands and feeling all old-fashioned and all that.

Third, use cold butter and cold water and chill your dough before rolling it out (most recipes want  2 hours--but if you are running out of time chill for at least a 1/2 hour).

Here is the recipe:

Remember, this crust is for a savory pie, so there is not any sugar in it. Most fruit pies have at least a tablespoon of sugar or two in crust. You could use this for a fruit pie, but I would recommend one with a bit of sugar in it for a sweet pie.

2 1/2 cups white flour

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/2 to 3/4 cup cold water, I usually put a few ice cubes in there, since my tap water is not super cold

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Scatter the butter pieces and mix in with your hands (like you would for scones). Mix with hands until the mixture resembles coarse yellow meal, breaking the butter up with your hands, but not melting it. Sprinkle half a cup of cold water over mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until dough sticks together. If necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball making sure to get al the dry stuff mixed in. Divide the dough in half, form into disks (one disk slightly bigger), wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

That is it! Was that so bad?

Meat and Potato Filling:

2 tbsp oil

6 oz chuck steak, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 medium red-skinned potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 tsp gound sage

salt and pepper to taste 

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash

Heat oil in large skillet. Add meat and sear on both sides until crusty brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until well browned. Return meat to pan, sprinkle with flour, and mix until combined. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours. It really does not have to be that long. I have cooked it for a much shorter amount of time before and it turned out lovely. Plus, if you cook it for this long, I find it soaks up all the liquid before the time runs out and you have to add more broth. Cooking for 45 minutes is fine or you can go the whole time, but you will need more broth.

Next, add in the potato, carrots, sage, and salt and pepper. Cook for another 30 minutes, then transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature. You don't really have to let it completely cool down if you don't have the time. I have transferred it from the skillet to the pie pan and it turned out beautifully.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Get out the pie dough.  One of the disks should be slightly bigger since it is going to be the bottom. One important thing about rolling out crust is: to not over work it! Roll it out one time. Luckily, crust is quite forgiving and you can sort of piece it together and patch it up, if necessary. Roll out your first disk into a circle a bit bigger than the pie pan and then transfer it to the pan. An easy way to transfer your pie dough to the pie pan is to fold it in half, pick it up, lay it in the pan, and then unfold it.  Roll out your second disk  to a circle as big as the top of the pan.

Fill the pie with the filling. Place your second crust piece on top and crimp the edges together, cutting off excess crust where necessary. Cut slits int he top of the crust and brush with egg wash.  Bake for 1 hour.

Serve hot!