Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions


Directions:
1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Olive Garden Salad

Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or one clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sugar (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal taste, add a little extra sugar. You can enjoy your Olive Garden salad dressing for about 10 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Another great use for the Olive Garden salad dressing is as a marinade for vegetables or even meats that you might like to grill. So you can see the Olive Garden salad dressing can be used in more than one way.

Salad:
1 bag Dole American Blend Salad
4-5 slices red onion
4-6 black olives
2-4 pepperoncini (if you like a sweet pepper, you could use a banana pepper)
1/2 cup croutons
1 small tomato, quartered
freshly grated Romano cheese (Parmesan Cheese works well too!)

Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place bag of salad in bowl. Place on top of the lettuce the red onion, black olives, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

Southern Fried Chicken

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
2 eggs
4 cups buttermilk
1 cup barbeque sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
2 cups oil for frying

Directions

1. In a large shallow dish, mix together flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in buttermilk, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.

2. Dredge chicken in milk mixture, then in seasoned flour, alternating in each at least twice. Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).


3. Cook chicken in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes each side.

Honey-Garlic Glazed Meatballs

Ingredients

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine eggs and milk. Add the bread crumbs, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Springtime Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2 cups spiral pasta
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 teaspoons dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large bowl. Add zucchini, olives, red pepper and onion. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.
Tips:

*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so and then swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a little before you add the swirl.
*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

*I wrote a very detailed post on how to get the cinnamon filling *just right* on my Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Post. Check it out before you attempt these!

Source: RecipeGirl.com

California Style Ranch Burger

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) package original ranch salad dressing mix, divided usage
1 cup Daisy Brand Sour Cream, divided usage
4 hamburger buns, lightly grilled if desired
4 large lettuce leaves
1/4 tomato, diced
1/4 red onion, diced

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, 2 tablespoons dressing mix, and 1/4 cup sour cream; mix well (the mixture will be soft). Form the mixture into 4 burgers. Grill the burgers, turning once, until done (10 to 12 minutes); set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining dressing mix and remaining sour cream; mix well. Place each grilled burger on a bun. Top each burger with a lettuce leaf and 1/4 of the diced tomatoes and onions. Place a dollop of dressing on top of each burger before serving.