Mexican Lasagna

1lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Rotel
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed
8 8in flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Preheat large skillet over medium high heat. Brown ground beef, 5 minutes, drain.  Add taco seasoning, Rotel, corn and black beans. Heat mixture through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Coat a shallow baking dish in non-stick spray. Cut tortillas in half or quarters to make them easier to layer.  Build lasagna in layers of meat mixture, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.  Serve alone or with toppings of sour cream or quacamole.

Italian Baked Chicken

1/4 c zesty Italian salad dressing
2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil cooking spray

Marinade chicken in Italian dressing in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place bread crumbs in shallow dish.
Take chicken from marinade and coat in bread crumbs.
Arrange the chicken on a cooking rack placed on top of a cookie sheet.
Spray the chicken lightly with the cooking spray and bake until golden brown and centers are no longer pink, about 20 minutes.

This goes great on top of pasta with marinara sauce and sprinkled with shredded parmesan cheese.

Crunchy Cajun Oven Fried Chicken

2 cups original or cheddar french fried onions

1 tbsp cajun seasoning, or to taste

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix french fried onions and cajun seasoning in ziplock bag. Crush onions with rolling pin or your hands.

Place in a shallow dish or pie pan.

Dip chicken in egg, then coat in onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere.

Place chicken on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet. This allows the oven heat to surround the chicken, keeping the coating crunchy.

Bake for 20 minutes or no longer pink in the center.

Great alternative:  Crunchy Cajun Pork Chops

Follow the recipe above, but substitute pork chops for the chicken.  Baking time and temperature remain the same.

Tangy Citrus Spinach Salad

10 oz package Spinach leaves, washed and dried on papertowels
1 can Mandarin Oranges, drained (and rinsed if packaged in heavy syrup)

Citrus Dressing:
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil

Whisk together dressing ingredients, pour over spinach and mandarin oranges.

This is a great spring / summer salad and goes very well with Chipotle Spiced Shrimp.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice

Fresh pineapple rings from produce section OR canned pineapple rings in juice
Preheat grill, while waiting:
Mix honey and lime, brush both sides of rings with mixture
Grill rings for 3 - 4 minutes, turning halfway to get grill marks on both sides
Brush with more honey-lime mixture while still hot

These make a great appetizer or dessert, and they are excellent on Hawaiian style hamburgers.

Chipotle Spiced Grilled Shrimp

1/2 pound frozen, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 32 shrimp)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Grill basket or skewers

Defrost shrimp, rinse in cold water and pat dry with papertowels.

To make the marinade, whisk together the tomato paste, water and oil in a small bowl. Add garlic and chili powder. Mix well.

Using a brush, spread the marinade (it will be thick) on both sides of the shrimp. Place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Oil grill rack or spray with non-stick cooking oil.

Preheat grill.

Put the shrimp in a grill basket or on skewers and place on the grill. Turn the shrimp after 3 to 4 minutes. The cooking time varies depending on the heat of the fire, shrimp are done when tails turn white.

This is a great summer recipe. Pair it with the Tangy Citrus Spinach Salad

Avocado Dip

8oz container fat free or low fat sour cream
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed<

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, onion, hot sauce and avocado. Mix to blend the ingredients evenly. Serve with baked tortilla chips or sliced vegetables.