Mom's Taco Salad

Ingredients:
rice (I use brown)
1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can black or kidney beans, heated
1 can corn, heated
shredded lettuce
grated cheese
salsa or pico de gallo
tortilla chips, slightly crushed
fresh tomatoes (optional)
olives (optional)

Directions:
Start the rice in rice cooker. Brown ground beef and add seasoning mix, following directions on envelope. Cut, grate, heat, and prepare all remaining ingredients. Pile on according to your liking for a delicious salad.

Notes:
I prefer to make my homemade pico de gallo recipe, so I don't do fresh tomatoes. Also, it's really good with the creamy tomatillo dressing from Cafe Rio. I often just pick that up to spice up my dinner.

Source:
Shari Lindsay

Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, finely sliced or diced
oil
1 really large can baked beans
1 15-ounce can white beans (Great Northern)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 package bacon, cooked and diced
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Saute pepper and onion in a little bit of oil over medium-high heat just until tender. Combine all ingredients in a large, oven-safe pot. Bake, covered, for one hour. Remove lid from pot and bake an additional 30-60 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Notes:
I need to figure out the actual measurement of the large can of baked beans. Also, when I made this, it took quite some time to thicken, closer to 60 minutes uncovered, rather than just 30.

Time:
Approximately 2 hours start to finish.

Source:
Shari Lindsay

Cafe Rio Salad

I LOVE Cafe Rio salad, but can't always afford to eat there. Plus, it's kind of fun to make it myself. Here, I have the recipes for baked tortilla shells and pico de gallo. I purchase the dressing from the restaurant and enjoy the rest of my home-made salad!

Here's how I make my salad:
--homemade baked tortilla shell with melted cheese
--hot brown rice
--black beans
--chicken; marinated, grilled, and sliced (could do other meats)
--fresh chopped lettuce
--homemade pico de gall0
--tortilla strips (sometimes purchased from Cafe Rio)
--Cafe Rio dressing

Baked Tortilla Shells
Ingredients:
large flour tortillas
warm water
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Place an empty food can (or any oven-safe item that can be used to drape the tortilla over) on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Cover can with a square of tinfoil. For each tortilla, dip it in warm water mixed with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Drape tortilla over the tinfoil, and shape like an upside down bowl. Bake 4-5 minutes, or until golden and crisp to your liking. Using potholders, carefully lift shells off of tinfoil, and place right-side up, baking 2-3 additional minutes (I like to place grated cheese inside the bowl to melt while it bakes). Remove from oven. Fill and serve.

Source: adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/how-to-make-baked-taco-salad-shell-bowls-54417#


Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup white onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeno or serrano chiles (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Allow to rest at room temperature for an hour for flavors to blend.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pico-de-gallo-with-homemade-tortilla-chips-recipe/index.html

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 can corn
1 chopped cucumber
1-2 chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

For dressing:
5 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add quinoa and toast it until it turns light golden and smells toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the grain is tender and has absorbed all of the water, about 10 - 15 minutes. Off the heat, let the grain stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the grain with a fork. While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Add beans, vegetables and cilantro and toss well.

Dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Notes:

I love this salad! So colorful and healthy. I like a lot of lime juice, and the last time I made it, it was really moist, so I would consider decreasing the oil in the dressing from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup.

Source: Lindsay Caldwell, adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-and-Black-Bean-Salad-12245#ixzz0hHLv0NBj

Mom's Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (29-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can corn, with juice
2/3 of the corn can filled with water (about 1 cup)
1/2 to 1 taco seasoning packet
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
Cook beef with onion in a large soup pot until cooked through. Add remaining ingredients and boil and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes.

Time:
45 minutes start to finish

Servings:
About 8?

Source:
Shari Lindsay

Grandma Jean's Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
large onion, chopped
garlic salt
1 (29-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can S&W kidney beans
1 (29-ounce) can chili beans (or 1 (15-ounce) can of both chili and white beans)
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
bay leaf

Directions:
Cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic salt. Simmer until onions are tender. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, two hours.

Time: 10 minutes prep, simmer two hours
Servings: I'm not sure, but we usually have enough to freeze half and eat the remaining half for two days. 12 maybe?

Notes:
This is comfort food! A family favorite. Sometimes I add a third can of tomato sauce if it looks too thick. I usually rinse and drain all my beans, but not draining could make it not so thick. Also, I don't usually have time to let it simmer for two hours, but it is still very good. I like it on the spicier side, so I add a lot of chili powder. I also like to use half chili beans half white beans for color and variety. Very easy, filling, and tasty!

Source:
Grandma Jean

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
8 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, avocado, pimentos, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.

Time: Ready in 20 minutes
Servings: 12

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 159

Total Fat: 6.3g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Source:
Patricia Barnes, via www.allrecipes.com