Doctored Chili

2 cans Hormel or any brand chili with beans
1 can diced tomatoes- partially drained
1 can black beans - partially drained
1 onion diced
1 green pepper chopped
1 -2 stalks celery, diced (optional)
butter

Saute onions and green pepper together in butter on med or low heat until soft.
Add tomatoes, black beans and chili and heat through.

You can add more chili seasoning for added spice.

This is easily adapted to more cans of chili or whatever variation of veggies you have.
Super simple!

Banana Bread...bundt cake

2 1/3 c flour
1 c walnuts/chocolate chips/or whatever is pleasing to your taste
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 c sugar
1 c mashed bananas (about 3)
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 c melted butter (or margarine)
1 c buttermilk (substitute: 2 tsp lemon juice + 1 c nonfat milk)

Mix flour, pecans, etc. baking powder, baking soda, salt in large bowl
(I heard if you first put a little bit of flour with chocolate chips they won't all float to the bottom...is this true?)

Mix sugar, bananas, vanilla, and eggs until well blended. Add butter and buttermilk. Mix well.

Add flour mixture into the wet mix. Stir evenly. Spray the pan and pour in.

Bake at 350 for approx. 1 hr. Yummy!

Dan Dan Noodles

1 6-oz. pkg. Spaghetti noodles, cooked, drained and cooled

Chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat 3 T.oil til medium hot, then add

1 t. garlic
¼ t. basil
½ t. sugar

Saute for a few seconds, then add chicken breasts. Turn heat to medium and sauté for 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat and slice into bite-size pieces. Set aside. OPTIONAL: saute diced green/red pepper after removing the chicken.

Sauce:

½ c. dark brown sugar, packed
6 T. soy sauce
1 c. chicken broth
chili-garlic sauce (add as much or as little as you like)

Mix and set aside.

Heat 2 T. oil then stir in and cook for only about 15-30 seconds:

1 T. minced garlic
½ t. minced ginger
½ c. green onion, chopped

Add sauce. Simmer 2 minutes. Dissolve 2 tsp. cornstarch in 1/4 c. water. Add this to the sauce to thicken. Simmer 1 minute. Add sliced chicken. Add noodles and toss lightly. Optional: drizzle sesame oil on top.

Raspberry White Chocolate Salad/Dessert

4 6oz. containers Raspberry Lite Yogurt (Yoplait)
2 sm. pkg. sugar free white chocolate instant pudding
16 oz. pkg. lite cool whip topping
pkg. frozen whole raspberries

In a large bowl, combine yogurt and pudding, mix very well. Add thawed cool whip, mix well. Add frozen raspberries, stir until mixed.

Artisan Bread

Hey Grad Studies,

My Mom found an artisan bread recipe at http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/. Tried it and loved it--thought you guys could make some at the house and it would smell yummy! It sounds complicated because you have to use stoneware, but it's really pretty basic and easy once you get the hang of it. Apparently, even unsealed/unglazed travertine/marble/granite tiles will work (until they crack from too much use).

1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T kosher salt
3 C lukewarm water
6 1/2 C all-purpose flour

In a 5qt ice cream bucket (or another large, plastic container with a lid that's NOT airtight), dissolve the yeast and kosher salt in the water. Mix in the flour but do NOT knead. Mix ingredients only with a wooden spoon or with hands. The dough will be very sticky. Cover with the lid but do not seal, and let the dough rise completely (usually from two to four hours, depending on location, temperature, and type of yeast). Once dough begins to collapse onto itself, put the container into the fridge for a few hours before baking (so that the dough is easier to handle). Make sure the lid is only loosely sealed.

Twenty minutes before baking, place the stoneware pan or pizza stone into the oven and then preheat. Five minutes before baking, place a steam pan into the oven with the stoneware pan (I use an old cookie sheet with a cup of water on it--the pan warps with consistent use, so make sure it's a pan you don't love). Remove the dough from the fridge and shape into loafs (I've been making hoagie-sized mini-loafs, but you can make it a boule, a baguette, braided loaf, whatever you want). Then bake at 450 for half an hour, or until the loafs are golden brown. Remove the loafs from oven, but leave the stoneware in the oven until it cools down. Cover the loafs with a dish towel, and let cool most of the way before eating (otherwise it tastes fine, but smells a bit yeasty and salty).

I've made it with cranberries and pecans. We're using it as pizza dough this afternoon. You can also add chopped black olives and spices for a nice Greek bread.

Hope all is well!

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/2 bag tater tots, frozen (depends on the size of the bag)
cook beef and onion (you can even add celery). Stir in soup and milk. Mix in tater tots and pour into 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 40 -55 minutes till bubbly

This was a staple in the diet of a 70's college student! Still tastes great!

Peppermint Dessert

1 c. crushed peppermint candy
1 pint whipped cream
1/2 - 1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla

Wafer Crust
2 c. chocolate or vanilla wafers, crushed (Christmas party, 1 package oreos was used)
1/2 c. butter

Mix wafers with melted butter and press into 9x12 pan (You can make the crust as thick as you want. The recipe calls for some of the crust sprinkled over the top at the end).

Whip cream to stiff peaks. Fold in peppermint candy, nuts, marshmallows and vanilla to the whipped cream. (It will turn pink!) Spread over wafer crumbs and refrigerate over night. Add extra crumbs on top if desired.