Tres Jalapenos 2012
Conte
Taco Pie
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 bell pepper chopped
3 jalapeno peppers,seeded and chopped
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1 jar salsa (15 oz.)
1 T. chili powder
1 C. shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 6 oz package corn muffin mix
cook ground beef, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers
in oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally,
until beef is browned and peppers tender; drain well.
Add salt, salsa and chili powder. Cook on medium heat for 10 min.
Pour into a sprayed, 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions.
Pour corn muffin mix over top of cheese.
Bake @ 375 for 25 minutes let cool 10 min. before serving.
Enjoy!
Jalapenos 2012 Conte
Super Easy Salsa
1 large jar of your favorite salsa
1 small cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion peeled and chopped
3-7 jalapenos seeded and chopped (depending on how hot you like it)
1-2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 cup frozen (thawed) or fresh corn (cut from the cob)
1 can black beans (drained)
*mango, pineapple, avocado are also delicious additions to this recipe
so if you don't have one or two of the ingredients in your frig...another could be used!
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, toss and serve with tortilla chips
Garlic 2012 Conte
Roasted Garlic
stem and heads trimmed 1/2 inch
4 Heads Garlic
1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 t. Kosher Salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 C. plus 1/2 T. Chicken Stock or water
French Bread
Rub the garlic with olive oil and place cut side up in a baking dish
season with salt and pepper and add stock/water to baking dish.
Roast in preheated oven @ 500 for 30 minutes.
Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins when cool enough to handle
and serve on slices of French Bread. Garnish with parsley.
Yields: 1 cup roasted garlic
Butternut Squash, Spaghetti Squash Still Life 2011 Conte
Baked Squash Cheese "Fries"
1 large butternut squash, 1 T. olive oil, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper, 1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Cut squash in half and clean seeds and pulp out , peel outer skin off, cut squash into 1/4" french fries.
Toss squash "fries" with olive oil and spread on the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 min., shaking the pan until the squash "fries" are roasted and golden, tossing and turning the fries midway through baking time. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes until cheese is melted. 103 calis per serving. 1 large squash serves 4.
Spaghetti Squash Marinara
1 large spaghetti squash, 2 T. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped, 2 C. prepared marinara sauce, 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven @ 400
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop and discard all seeds. Rub squash inside and out with 1 T. olive oil and season inside with salt and pepper put cut side down on a prepared glass baking dish. Place in oven and roast for 45 min., or until fork tender.
Scrape the squash strands out into 4 pasta bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese. Serve immediately
Jalapenos No. 2 2011 Conte
Sombrero Chili
In a skillet brown 1 lb. of ground beef, drain and set aside
In a soup pot with 3 T. olive oil saute 1 small onion chopped, 1 green pepper seeded and chopped , 1 C celery chopped, 3 garlic cloves diced, 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped and saute until lightly translucent. About 7- 10 minutes on med. high heat. Add to the soup pot 1 small can of tomato paste and stir in 2-3 cans of water stirring to dissolve the tomato paste into the veggie mixture. Add 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 jar mild salsa, 4 cups water, 1/2 C. Red Sangria Wine or 1/2 C. Mexican Beer, 3 T.chili powder, 1 t. cumin, 1 t. oregano, salt, pepper and 1 T. Tex-Mex Chi pole Seasoning. Stir in ground beef, 1 can red beans drained, 1 can black beans drained, 2 C. frozen corn, and cook on med. to med. high heat for one hour. While chili is cooking drain 1 can of large pitted black olives and slice into rings and set aside. Place 1 C. corn tortilla chips into a baggy and gently crush and set aside.
When chili is done ladle into a soup bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 C. crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of guacamole and 1 dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with a little shredded cheddar cheese and 3 T. of sliced black olive rings! Enjoy!
Pumpkins 2011 Conte
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 C butter, softened 2 C flour
1 C brown sugar 1 C oatmeal
1 C white sugar 1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
1 t each of cinnamon,nutmeg,
ground cloves,ground ginger
1 egg
1 C pumpkin puree
1 1/2 C chocolate chips
Cream butter, sugars, vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients and stir into creamed ingredients.
Add chocolate chips to combined and bake @ 350 for 15-18 minutes or until lightly brown.
* may use 2 C. whole wheat flour for a healthier version!
Watermelon 2011 Conte
Fig and Watermelon Salad
1 watermelon about 3 lb. 5 oz.
3/4 C. seeded black grapes
4 figs
dressing
1 lime
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 T. maple syrup
2 T. honey
Cut watermelon into quarters and scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut the flesh away from the rind, then chop into 1 inch cubes. Place the watermelon cubes in bowl with the grapes. Cut each fig lengthwise into 8 wedges and add to the bowl.
Grate the lime rind and mix with the orange rind and juice, maple syrup, and honey in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over low heat. Pour the mixture over the fruit and stir. Let cool. Stir again, cover, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Divide the fruit salad equally among 4 bowls, and serve.
Radishes and Scallions 2011 Conte
Veggie Cheese Spread
Combined chopped radishes, scallions (white and green parts),
8 oz.Cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until smooth.
Serve with Triscuit crackers
and your own vegetables
Little Eggplants 2011 Conte
Penne and Eggplant
Chop little eggplants into small chunks and saute in olive oil with
chopped garlic, capers, (pitted) olives and chopped tomatoes.
Toss with more olive oil, red-wine vinegar,
and fresh herbs like thyme and oregano. Serve over whole wheat pasta.
Pumpkin Soup
6 T. butter
2 - 8 oz. packages fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C. flour
2 - 32 oz. cartons organic vegetable broth
2 C. pumpkin puree
1 pt. cream
1/2 C. honey
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. curry powder
1/ t. ground nutmeg
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until
mushrooms are tender, about 10-12 min.
Add flour, stir well until there are no lumps, and gradually add broth. Heat over high heat until mixture starts to bubble, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 min. Stir in pumpkin puree, cream, honey, sugar, curry powder and nutmeg. Stir constantly until soup is heated through.
Serves 12
This is a decadent soup perfect for Thanksgiving or another Fall Feast. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top for a great garnish!
Don't have any nutmeg on hand? Simply use a dash of allspice or ground cloves!
Hot Mexican Cornbread
1 C. cornmeal 1 can cream style corn
1 C. milk 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. baking soda 1 C green onion,chopped
1 t salt 2 C cheddar cheese,grated
2 jalapeno peppers,washed and diced
1/4 C cooking oil
Heat oil in a skillet. Set aside 1/2 of the Cheese. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Pour batter into a greased glass baking dish approx. 9"10", and drizzle hot olive oil from skillet over mixture in glass baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.
*this is a recipe I found in San Francisco many years ago while traveling...yum-mo!
Roasted Jalapeno Puree
Roast 15-20 jalapeno peppers @ 450. Toss with olive oil turning once until soft, about 18 minutes.
Puree in a food processor and drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt into the food processor as you pulse. Remove from food processor and place into a bowl add 1 C. of lite mayonnaise.
I like Smart Balance. Use as a sandwich spread, add some heat to grilled chicken, or any Mexican Meal...be creative! Left over puree freezes well!
* PLEASE NOTE: Whenever chopping or handling Jalapenos wear rubber gloves for protection as the natural oils from the peppers can cause eyes, hands and the mouth to burn (HOT). If you were to ever get this natural oil into your eyes etc. milk will reduce the burning sensation! I have a pair of rubber gloves I use only for chopping Jalapenos and labeled them "Jalapenos" with a sharpie marker.
Still Life with Cherries 2010 Conte
Cherry Smoothie
5 pitted fresh Cherries
1/2 C Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 C 1-2% milk
4-5 ice cubes
Whirl all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass...enjoy!
* Add 5-8 fresh blueberries with the cherries for a variation!
Eggplant 2011 Conte
Eggplant Hummus
1 med. eggplant
1 can 15 oz. garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic / 3/4 C. low fat plain yogurt
2 T. olive oil
juice of one lemon...about 3/4 C.
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
dash of chili powder
Bake eggplant @ 425 in a glass baking dish coated with some olive oil or cooking
spray.
Bake until soft and charred around 30- 40 minutes. Remove flesh from eggplant and place in food processor blend until light and airy. Add beans and garlic blend until smooth. Add yogurt along with other
ingredients....pulse to combine. Adjust seasoning. Chill to serve with fresh veggies, pretzels or pita chips.
Honey crisp Apples 2011
Conte
Baked Apples
4 med.-large apples
Wash and core apples
Place apples in a glass baking dish with 1- 2" of water
Fill the center of each apple with 2 T. Butter
Dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
Bake @ 350 for 45-60 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.
Vary apples with other fillings:
Raisins
Cranberry sauce or relish
Orange marmalade
Honey and chopped walnuts
Red cinnamon candies
Honey and Maple Syrup 2013 Conte
Honey-Mustard Turkey Breast
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 (4 pound) bone-in turkey breast
Combine syrup, honey, mustard, and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until glaze is thick, about 20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup.
Place turkey breast in roasting pan and pour remaining glaze over turkey. Bake @ 325 until cooked through, about 1 1/2- 2 hours. Slice turkey and serve with heated, reserved glaze. Let sit 15 minutes.
