Caribbean Layered Dip

Prep Time : 20 Minutes
Start to FinishTime: 20 Minutes

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, well rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped mango
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño chiles
Lime-flavored or plain tortilla chips


1.In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning mix with spoon or electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Spread on 10-inch round serving plate.

2.Top cream cheese mixture with remaining ingredients except tortilla chips. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

24 servings (2 tablespoons dip and 3 chips each)

Scandinavian Almond Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and almond extract; mix until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
3. Divide dough into 4 pieces, and roll each one into a log about 12 inches long. Place 2 logs per cookie sheet 4 to 5 inches apart. Flatten each roll by hand until it is about 3 inches wide. Brush flattened roll with milk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
4. Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. While the cookies are still warm, cut them crosswise at a diagonal, into slices about 1 inch wide. When cool, drizzle with almond icing.
5. Almond icing: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies.

Clafoutis aux cerises

Ingredients

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp of oil

2 to 3 cups cherries

1/4 cup of slivered almonds

30g butter

1 cup of milk

1/2 Tbs vanilla extract

1/2 ts almond extract

a pinch of salt

Powdered sugar for topping

Mix the eggs with sugar. Add Flour and oil

Stir in the warm milk vanilla and almond extract.

Add salt.

Butter a rectangle pan and put cherries and almonds in the pan.

slowly cover with the liquid batter.

Cook @ 350 for 45mn

When cooked sprinkle the powdered sugar on top.

Hearty Fisherman's Stew or Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil

1 1/2 dry white wine (optional)

1 package of mild Italian sausages sliced.

2 large yellow onions chopped

3 bell peppers (yellow, red & green)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (in tomato puree)

1 1/2 cans of chicken broth

1/2 large head of garlic

1 tsp salt

1 lb of fresh fish (cod, talipa...)

1 lb of medium shrimp

4 Tbs chopped parsley

The How

* Cook sliced sausage. Remove. Pour off fat.

* In 1Tbs oil simmer onions, peppers and garlic. 10min until tender.

* Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients, except the fish, shrimp and parsley.

*Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30mn.

* Add sausage, fish and shrimp. Simmer 5mn

* Serve. sprinkle with chopped parsley at the end or in the plate.

The shrimp I used was raw, frozen with the shell on. I boiled them in the chicken bouillon until they turned pink. Then I took the skin off and put the bouillon in the main pan with the other ingredients.

Great with rice and/or Parmesan-garlic toasted French bread (homemade preferably).

Banana Cake

Cream together

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

Add

2 eggs

Mix together

3/4 ripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of buttermilk

Mix dry ingrediants

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix the banana with eggs mixture alternating with the flour. End with the dry mixture.

Bake in a 9x13 pan

@ 350 for 30-35 mn

Brush the cake when it comes out of the oven with 1tbs of butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Bread

2 Loaves

3 1/2 Cups Pumpkin puree (29 oz. can - use it all)
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
2 2/3 Cups White sugar
4 Eggs
3 Cups All-purpose flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9x5 in loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans.

Lanenga's Spinach Salad

Ingrediants

1/2 head of Romain lettuce
1/2 bag Baby spinach
1/2 c red onion sliced
1 c sliced fresh mashrooms
1 bag sliced almonds
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c grated parmasan cheese, feta or blue

Dressing

1/3 c sugar.
1 tbs poppy seeds
1/3 c vinegar.
1tbs mustard
3/4 c canola oil.
1 c cottage cheese

Easy layered fruit desert

Shortbread cookies crumbled
Wipping cream
Peaches cut up
Strawberies sliced
Rasberries (and/or any other berries)

Layer in a glass:
shortbread, fruit, wipping cream.
Top with cream and a berrie.

Easy Cream cheese Chicken

Ingrediants

. 4 to 6 frozen chicken breasts
. 1 pk Good Season's Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
. 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (can use low fat or fat free)
. 1 large or 2 small cans of cream of chicken soup
. Pepper to taste

Directions

Put chicken in crock pot and sprinkle seasoning.
Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Using 2 forks shred chicken.
Add cream cheese and soup.
Stir and cook for another 1/2 to 1 hour.

Serve over rice, linguine and french baguettes

Easy Baked Salmon

IngredientsA nice piece of salmon
Lemon juice I always use fresh
1 onion sliced
Fresh Parsley chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350
Put Fish in Baking pan
Squeeze the lemon juice on top
sprinkle parsley
layer the onion slices on top
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover and bake for amount of time recommended for the amount of pounds of the fish. (20mn)

Wonderful with a salad or/and rice and asparagus...

Stuffed Pasta shells

Ingredients
1 pkg of large Shells
1 jar of Prego Tomato sauce (meet flavor)

Stuffing
1 24oz container of Cottage cheese small curd

1 container of ricotta cheese
2 or 3 beaten Eggs
2 cups of grated Swiss cheese
1 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of chopped Parsley
2 cloves of Garlic pressed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the pasta shells according to directions on the box.
Mix all stuffing ingredients in a bowl, except 1 cup of swiss cheee.
Stuff the shells after they have cooled. place them in 11x9 pan.
Pour the spaghetti sauce evenly on the shells. Cover with remaining 1 cup of swiss cheese.
Bake at 400 for 40mn.

Eat with french bread or garlic bread.
Great with a salad.

Taco soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans with liquid
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
2. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. For the picky kid, I blend the onions, the cubed tomatoes and the green chiles!
3. Cook on Low setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Sprinkle at the end the chopped cilantro.
Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar or Mexican cheese and some tortilla chips.