Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 ripe avocado, diced
3 ears fresh yellow or bi-color corn
2 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped

Honey Lime Dressing
1 lime, juiced
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS honey
1 clove garlic put through a garlic press, or minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 7-10 minutes turning often.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender but not mushy.  Cut the corn off of the cob and then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices.  Set aside and let cool.  Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes, dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.  Make dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisking until well blended.

Combine the corn, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado.  Pour dressing over all and gently mix so as not to smash the avocado.  (I like to use a little firmer avocado when I make this, so it doesn't mush up in the salad)  Let salad sit for 15 min. so flavors will mingle.  Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Pechugas De Pollo Con Rajas (Chicken breasts with chilies)

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 lbs. chilies poblanos or Hatch chilies
(Should be about 1 cup roasted and sliced chili strips)

3 reserved poblanos or 3 roasted Hatch chilies
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups thick sour cream (do not use fat free)

1/2 cup Chihuahua or Cheddar cheese, grated

Roast the chili poblanos on a grill or over a gas burner until blackened and blistered on the outside.  (You can also use Hatch Chilies that have been roasted)  You will probably need about 9 Hatch chilies.  Peal and clean the poblano or Hatch chilies.  Reserve 3 chilies.  Slice the rest of the peppers into strips or (rajas).

 Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Heat butter and oil together in a skillet and saute the chicken filets for a few minutes on both sides until they are lightly browned.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same fat, gently fry the onion, without browning too much, until soft.  Add the rajas (pepper strips) to the onions in the pan. Cover and cook over medium to medium low for about 6-8 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, blend the reserved chilies with the milk and salt until smooth.  Add the sour cream and blend for a few seconds longer.

Arrange the chicken in a 13 x 9 or smaller casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam.  Cover them with the onion and rajas, then pour the sauce all over.  Bake until chicken filets are done, about 30 min.  Sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven until melted.

Serve with mexican corn rice.

Italian appetizer skewers

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-oz.) block mozzarella cheese or a ball of fresh mozzarella, or small bocconcini cut in half
• 8 (4-inch) Genoa salami slices (sliced thin and cut in half)
• 1 (14-oz.) can small artichoke hearts, drained and halved or jar of marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 (6-oz.) jar large pitted Spanish olives, stuffed with pimento and  drained
• 1 pkg. cheese tortellini ( I like the mixed green and plain) cooked al dente and cooled.
• 16 (6-inch) wooden skewers
• 1 (16-oz.) bottle Ken's Steak House Balsamic & Basil Vinaigrette (you can use regular or light)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cut cheese evenly into 16 cubes or cut large ball of mozzarella into cubes.
2. Wrap salami slices around cheese cubes.
3. Thread cubes, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, tortellini and olives alternatively on skewers.
4. Place skewers in a large plastic container or baking dish
5. Stir together vinaigrette and lemon juice.
6. Pour dressing mixture over skewers;
7. Cover tightly, and chill 8 hours.
8. Remove skewers from marinade, discarding marinade before serving.

Hints: I like to use the green and the plain tortellini and usually put one of each on each skewer.  Sometimes you can find a mixed package, but usually you have to buy one of each.  

If you can find an olive bar that has marinated  olives of different flavors, that also adds a different spin on the skewer.  If not, the large Spanish olives work just fine. 

The original recipe called for wrapping a whole slice of salami around the mozzarella, but I found that too bulky, so I cut the salami slice in half and wrapped it that way.  You can do it the other way, but you will need more salami.

Plain canned artichoke hearts tend to be very mushy, so be careful when putting them on the skewers.  I have used marinated hearts and they seem to hold up a little better.  Again, either one works. 

Arroz Blanco

A large saucepan
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1/4 cup oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and put through the garlic press
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Heat oil in pan until hot.  Stir the rice into the oil making sure all the grains get coated.  Cook the rice until it begins to get translucent ( about 3-4 min).  Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to get translucent.  Stir the broth into rice and do not stir again during the cooking time.  Cook the rice over a medium to low flame.  It should bubble lightly until almost all of the liquid has disappeared....about 10 min.   Stir in the frozen corn.  Lower the flame and cover pan.  Cook 5 more min. or until corn is done.

Pumpkin Trifle

• 1 package spice cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
• 5 cups cold milk
  
• 4 small boxes instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice
• 2 small cartons  Cool Whip, thawed (I used light)
• 1/3 cup Heath toffee bits
  

Directions

• Bake cake according to package directions in a 13 x 9 pan.  Allow to cool completely.
• Cut cake into small squares or pieces.
  
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in pumpkin and spices until well blended.

• In a trifle bowl or 3-1/2-qt. glass serving bowl, layer one fourth of the cake cubes, half of the pumpkin mixture, one fourth of the cake cubes and half of the whipped topping, one fourth of the cake cubes, the other half of the pumpkin mixture, one fourth of the cake cubes, finish with whipped topping. Garnish with Heath toffee bits (found in the baking isle with chocolate chips) 

This can be made diet friendly by using fat-free, sugar-free butterscotch instant pudding, 1%  milk and light cool whip.  It tastes pretty much the same and cuts a lot of calories.

Popcorn Balls

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5-6 quarts plain popped corn

Butter sides of a heavy saucepan.  Add sugar, water, vinegar, salt and Karo syrup.  Stir.  Insert candy thermometer.  Cook on high heat until mixture reaches hard ball stage or 250 degrees on candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla.  Pour over popcorn and stir to mix.  With buttered hands, form into balls making sure not to pack it too tightly.  Makes about 16 balls. Store cooled balls in individual ziploc bags.

I spray a large roasting pan with Pam and put my popped corn in that to mix.  

Breaded Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup egg beaters
1 box /2 cups Progresso Italian Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Pam-butter flavor

Trim and rinse asparagus. Make sure it is still damp. Line up three pie plates or breading trays. Put flour in first one, egg beaters in second and panko bread crumbs in third one. Mix garlic powder into bread crumbs.

Line a cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Rinse asparagus. While still wet, roll asparagus spear in flour, then in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat process until all spears are coated. You can put them close together. Lightly spray all over with butter flavored Pam.
Bake at 425 for 10-15 min. or until lightly browned and tender.