Rainbow Rice and Bean Salad

My friend gave me this recipe. I love it! It makes a beautiful, healthy, quick, tasty dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups prepared brown rice
3 medium carrots, finely chopped or grated
2 cups cooked black beans, drained
1 cup cooked corn
1/2-1 cup minced fresh herbs packed (cilantro, parsley, dill, or basil)
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped **I used dehydrated ones and soaked them**
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. fresh or frozen lemon juice or wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
**I also added lime juice to taste**

Direction:
Mix all ingredients together and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or thoroughly chilled.

I made this for Jay's lunch today and he had a great idea to put this mixture into a tortilla. Since we were short on tortillas he actually used it as a dip for his 'hint of lime tortilla chips'! It was delicious!

Strawberry-Spinach Salad with Lemon Dressing

I LOVE this salad, trust me it is delicious! (The best part are the sugared almonds!!! I leave out the mustard seed.)

Salad:
1 cup slivered almonds, sugared
1 bag (10 oz.) fresh spinach
1.5 apples, peeled and cut into wedges
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups sliced strawberries

Dressing:
2 TBSP lemon zest
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. mustard seed (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To candy almonds, wet them and roll in sugar. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.

In a bowl, toss all salad ingredients together. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss. Makes 6-8 servings.

Mandarine Orange Jello

This is some good jello salad!!!

Ingredients:
1 box Orange Jello
1 box Vanilla Pudding
1 box Tapioca Pudding
1 big can of Mandarine Oranges
cool whip

Directions:
Put all of the box contents in a sauce pan along with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Put into the bowl you'll be serving in and put in the fridge and allow to cool (will take 30 to an hour). Add the cool whip not quite the whole tub. Add the oranges and put in fridge to allow it to firm up.

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/3 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1 15oz. can pumpkin
3 cups sugar
Optional: chopped nuts, chocolate chips

Sift together dry ingredients, including sugar, into mixing bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add all remaining ingredients. Mix together until smooth. Add nuts or chocolate chips (or both) if desired. Apportion batter into 3 bread loaf pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350° for an hour.

*mini chocolate chips are my favorite*
*i also like to use this recipe for muffins, topping them with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and a little flour.* - sorry no recipe for this. i just experiment. usually i make 12 muffins and then 2 loaves-

Creamy Spinach Raviloi

I LOVE this recipe, and it's SUPER easy. Get your tastebuds ready!!

Ingredients:
2 pkg (9 oz each) cheese ravioli
1/2 C chive and onion cream cheese
1 C milk
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese (+ some for garnish)
4 C baby spinach leaves ( I chopped mine)

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, put cream cheese, and milk in a large skillet, and cook on medium until cream cheese is melted, and is well blended (stir frequently). Add 1/4 C parmesan cheese and spinach, mix well.
Drain pasta, and add to cream cheese sauce and mix. Add parmesan cheese to garnish.

Mozarella Chicken

Ingredients:

1 egg white                        ¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 T. milk                          ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 C dry bread crumbs        ¼ tsp. dried oregano
2 T. Parmesan cheese        6-8 chicken breasts
¼ tsp. salt                       1 jar of spaghetti sauce
¼ tsp. pepper                4 oz grated Mozarella ch

Directions:
Mix egg whites and milk. In small bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings (we like to add more seasonings then called for). Dip each breast into milk mixture and coat with bread crumbs. Brown chicken on each side in olive oil in a large skillet, cook on med. heat until done. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken. sprinkle cheese on top and cover until cheese is melted. Serve with pasta.

Mexican Dish

Not the most creative name for a meal, but this is a delicious, yummy, and super easy dish to make. It's a staple at our house and is eaten almost every week.

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef (or turkey)
salt and pepper
dried minced onion (about 1 Tbl)
1-2 cans of RED enchalada sauce (Old El Paso is my fav.)
prepared rice (the amount needed for your family)
shredded cheddar cheese
lettuce if wanted
Dorritos (Nacho cheese, or Spicy Nacho is what we use)

Directions:
Brown meat with salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. When cooked through add can (either one big or 2 small) of enchalada sauce. (I start the rice before I start with the meat so it's done about the same time)

Layer it up! Have all the food on the counter and have everyone layer the different parts on their own plates. 1st crunch up a handful of dorritos for bottom layer, then put rice on the chips, then the meat sauce. Finally garnish with shredded lettuce and cheese. Now enjoy!!