LAYERED TACO DIP


2 (16-oz.) cans refried beans
1-2 c. sour cream
garlic powder, to taste
 1 jar salsa (your favorite)
6 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut in small pieces
1/2-1 c. black olives, sliced
1-2 c. sharp grated cheddar
2 green onion, sliced finely


Mix the beans and garlic powder to taste. Add the Velveeta and spread into a
casserole dish that allows the bean mixture to be about 1/2-1" deep. Bake for 20-25
minutes until mixture is hot.


Remove from oven and top with cheese. Return to oven
until melted. Remove, then top with the sour cream, salsa, olives and top with green
onions. Serve with tortilla chips.


Note: This recipe is so simple, but the warm layers mixed with the cool ones are so
good together. When I serve this with my homemade tortilla chips, my guests just
swoon over the flavors. If I have more than 8 people to serve, I double this recipe.



HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS
corn tortillas, any amount 
garlic salt (I use Lawry's coarsely ground 

with parsley)

powdered lime juice, optional (Truelime crystallized lime)
vegetable oil (enough for 2-3" in  frying pan) 



Cut tortillas into strips or wedges and set aside. Have a deep roaster pan available and
roll of paper towels to drain chips as they are removed from the oil. As you add more
hot chips to the pan, you can transfer the cooler ones to another container.


Heat oil in 

a deep pan (I use my wok). Drop one tortilla into the oil to determine the heat of the

oil. You want the chip to start sizzling when it hits the oil. Carefully add the chips, 

one at a time, so they don't clump. 

Do not crowd pan as this will lower the oil temp 

and prolong the frying process. Do not leave the stove while frying-these chips go 

quickly from light brown to overdone and it is difficult to remove them all quickly if 

there are too many in the pan. (I use wire scoop on a long wooden handle I found at 

an Asian store-the large holes allows for quick draining)

Salt the chips to taste as they 

are removed from the oil. Add the lime juice powder to taste, if desired. Place fresh 

paper towels between batches. After a batch or two, you will quickly be able to

anticipate when to remove chips from oil to obtain the crispness you prefer.

Note: Fresh hot chips BETTER than the restaurant can be done at home!! Make ahead 

and warm  in oven if you wish or serve room temp with salsa. I make huge batch 

because these are so popular. Leftovers can be frozen to prevent becoming stale since 

these have no preservatives. Lime juice powder found near spices/ baking ingredients.

Cheesy Taco Dip

Velvetta-1-2  lb.

Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chilies

Chili canned (your favorite)

Melt together 1 lb Velvetta & Rotel.  Add chili to taste & extra Velvetta, as desired, to obtain flavor & consistency you like.  Keep warm in crock pot.  Serve with corn chips.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Quick Spaghetti Sauce

Hi WEEC listeners,  
Today's segment is a repeat, but you can go to the Sept 21. 2011 segment to access the recipe.


Confectionately Yours,


Sue

Sour Cream Chicken Enchaladas

Hello WEEC listeners,
This recipe is the one referred to in today's radio segment.  I have served this so many times over the years.  It is a great make-ahead dish.


SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
 1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. onion, diced
 1/2 c. flour
5 c. chicken broth
10 flour tortillas
1 (4-oz.) can green chilies
 chicken soup base
3 c. Monterey Jack cheese,grated
cilantro,dried


Cook chicken until tender in 6 cups water and enough soup base to make a rich broth.  Allow to cool. 


Cut up chicken in small chunks. Save broth. 


Whisk flour and sour cream into 5 cups broth until smooth. Add chilies and heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside. 


Mix chicken, 2 cups cheese and onion together. 


Heat tortillas in microwave, a few at a time, to soften. Place a generous tablespoonful of mixture in
tortilla and roll up. 


Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. Place filled tortillas seam side down in dish.


Pour sauce over, making sure you cover all the tortilla. Top with cheese and any filling left over. Sprinkle cilantro on top. 


Bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Serve with rice. Yield: 10 enchiladas




Note: It's amazing that such simple ingredients yield such delicious results. You can make all of this ahead of time by filling tortillas and covering with plastic wrap. 


Make sauce and refrigerate until time to bake. Do not add sauce until just before baking. Do these freeze well? Yes, they do...but keep separate until baking time. Leftovers reheat well in microwave.


I have also created a wonderful soup with leftovers that uses leftover sauce, rice, chicken chunks & additional chicken broth.  Start with whatever sauce you have, add rice & chicken in amounts desired, & add enough broth to get to the consistency you wish. Top with dried cilantro or parsley & monterey jack cheese.

Ultimate Lemon Bar

Hi WEEC listeners,


Here is the recipe I mentioned on today's segment.   I freeze whole lemons & limes so that I always have them on hand.  Defrosting in the microwave yields usually 3-4 tablespoons per fruit.  You can also purchase frozen lemon juice which which is great to have on hand, too.

Confectionately  Yours,  

Sue

ULTIMATE LAYERED LEMON BARS


Crust
1/2 c. butter
 1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. confectioners sugar
1 c. all purpose flour


Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, then flour. Press dough into 8 x 8 pan.
Refrigerate crust 30 minutes. Prick crust with fork; then bake 30 minutes in a preheated 325° oven for 20-30 minutes or until brown.


Cream cheese filling
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
 1 tsp. lemon extract


Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and lemon extract. Spread evenly over crust. Top with lemon curd.


Lemon curd
4 egg yolks
1 T. cornstarch
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. butter, softened


Blend egg yolks with cornstarch. Place on low heat and whisk in water and lemon juice. Increase heat to med-low and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens enough to cover the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. 


Add lemon peel and butter; cool for 10 minutes. Spread lemon curd evenly over cream cheese layer. Bake 30-40 minutes or until edges begin to turn brown. 


Cool to room temp. Chill 1 hour before cutting. Dust top with confectioners sugar.


Note: These are the ultimate lemon bar. When recipes call for eggs, use large eggs unless otherwise noted. Large eggs are the standard in baking. 


Also 1 large egg usually = 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons), so you can successfully half a recipe that calls for 1 egg by beating the egg, measuring and removing half.