Mercer's Yummy Corn Muffin's

Mercer's Yummy Corn Muffin's
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2c vegetable oil
1c sour cream
1 box "JIFFY" corn mix

Muffin Construction:
Beat eggs and add the rest.
Pour batter into greased muffin tin.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Yields --1 dozen small muffins.
SERVE with the Chili Recipes.

Cindy's Turkey Chile

Cindy's Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
1T olive oil
1 large yellow onion,chopped
3 Cloves garlic,minced
1 Red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 lbs. Ground turkey
2T flour
3T Chili powder
2T Cumin
2tsp Powered Cocoa
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/c Tarragon vinegar
2T coffee
1 28oz can diced plum tomatoes
2 15oz cans undrained black beans
S&P to taste

Chile Construction:
Heat oil over med. high heat in large pot. 
Add onion,garlic read and green peppers.
Saute' for 5 minutes.
Add turkey and continue to saute'.
Stir in flour,chili powder,cumin and cocoa.
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
Add cayenne,vinegar,coffee, tomatoes, and salt.
Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add black beans and simmer 10 minutes.
Serve with condiments: Sour cream,.chopped scallions, cilantro, cheddar cheese and sliced avocado.
Have for dinner with Salad and Corn Bread!

Debbie's Chili

Debbie's Beef Chili
Ingredients:
1 1/2 yellow onion diced
1 green pepper seeded and diced
1 stalk celery sliced
1 clove garlic diced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
3lbs ground sirloin or chuck
1 14 1/2oz can stewed tomatoes
1 3oz. can tomato paste
1 8oz can tomato sauce
Tabasco to taste
1T Cumin
2T Chili powder
1 large can Red kidney beans
Cayenne pepper to taste
3oz beer
6 oz Pelligrino or Perrier
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Chili Construction:
1. Saute onions, green pepper, celery , garlic and jalapeno pepper in 2T olive oil.
2. Add ground sirloin, brown and drain off liquid.
3. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT the kidney beans.
4. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours. THEN add kidney beans and simmer for another 1 hour.
Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar as condiments.
For dinner, serve with salad and corn bread!

Homemade Chicken Soup

SOUP TIME!!!
HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP
1 Chicken cut into pieces (discard the packet with giblet's)
1 large yellow onion skinned and cut in quarters
6 carrots skinned and cut in half
Leafy top part of 1 bunch of celery (cut the top 5" off the celery stalks)
6 stems of fresh  dill and parsley tied together with cotton string (this is your Herb packet)
1  32 oz box of College Inn Chicken Stock
1 bag  12oz. of Egg noodles of your choice
In a large stock pot:
1. Put rinsed chicken on bottom of pot
2. Add onion,carrots,celery on top
3. Cover this with cold water and box of chicken stock
4. Place Herb packet on top
5.Cover and cook over medium flame
6.When this begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and skim off  the top any foam that has appeared.
7.Simmer for 2 hours over low heat.
8. With tongs remove and discard the Herb packet
9.Place a strainer over another large pot and place chicken pieces and carrots in strainer and let broth drain off of them,  Reserve these pieces on a plate.  They will  eventually be  returned to the broth. Put broth that drained off  these pieces back into original stock pot.
9.Now drain the original broth through the strainer into a clean large pot.  Discard all the residue, onions,celery that is left in the strainer.
10. Cut carrots into slices and place in the pot with the strained broth.
11. Take skin off chicken and cut into pieces.  Place the chicken pieces you want in the broth. You can make  chicken salad with any chicken that you don't wnat to use in the soup.
12. Salt and pepper the broth mixture to taste and place covered in the refrigerator overnight.  As the broth chills the fat will rise to the top and harden. Remove this hard fat with a spoon and return the broth to the stove and reheat and season to taste.
13. In separate pot boil  salted water for the bag of egg noodles of your choice.Follow directions for this on the bag.  Cook noodles and drain
14. Place 1 cup of noodles in a bowl and ladle in the hot broth with carrots and chicken.
15. Garnish with clipped fresh dill.
16. Enjoy your homemade soup with a salad and sliced french bread.

Homemade Lentil Soup

SOUP TIME!!!
HomeMade Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1. 1 large yellow onion diced.
2.  6 carrots cleaned and diced.
3. 4 stalks of washed and diced celery
4. 1 chopped cloved garlic
5. 2T olive oil
6. 3  32oz. boxes of  "College Inn" beef,chicken or vegetable broth
7. 1 bag of lentils (Rinsed in a strainer)

Soup Construction:
1. In a large stock pot , heat oil over a medium heat.
2. Add chopped garlic.
3. Add diced onion,celery and carrots and cook--stirring until onion is clear.
4. Add stock slowly stirring bottom to loosen any ingredients and continue stirring all  together
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste,
6.Add cleaned, rinsed lentils and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.76. Serve with a salad and sliced french bread.  Enjoy!

Variations:
You can add 1 ham steak or 1 package of canadian bacon Cut into bite size pieces BETWEEN steps 2 and 3.
This  makes the soup a heartier meal.

Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat Oven to 400
Rinse and cut off bases of Asparagus
Lay in roasting pan, drizzle olive oil , salt , pepper and Parmesan cheese on top
Roast for 10 minutes
Serve!

The Best Rice Salad

I cook all the time and am a BIG fan of "The Silver Palate" cookbooks. This recipe is from their White Covered cookbook page 214 Salads and page 147 Salad Dressing This is one of the BEST cookbooks out!!!
RICE and VEGETABLE SALAD
8 cups hot cooked rice
1.5-2 cups Our Favorite Vinaigrette (see page 147)
1 sweet red pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into thin julienne
1green pepper, stemmed,cored, and cut into thin julienne
1 medium size purple onion, peeled and diced
6 scallions(green onions) cleaned and finely sliced
1 cup dried currants
2 shallots, peeled and finely diced
1 package(10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed and blanched in boiling salted water for 3 minutes
1/2 cup pitted black olives(preferably imported) finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Transfer rice to a mixing bowl and pour 1.5 cups of the vinaigrette into rice. Toss thoroughly. Cool to room temperature.
2.Add remaining ingredients and toss thoroughly. Taste,correct seasoning, and add additional vinaigrette if needed.
3. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Return to room temperature before serving.
Vinaigrette (page 147)
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
minced parsley and /or snipped fresh chives, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
This dressing is SO easy and great on all salads!!!!