DINNER - 27 Easy Recipes (8 page)

CABBAGE ROLLS

Cabbage was never my favorite vegetable until my dear friend, Doris Stevens, prepared this  delicious dish for my hustand and I one evening. I did not anticipate that I would like it so much, but was delightfully surprised!

Ingredients

12 whole cabbage leaves

1 lb ground beef (ground round) or ground turkey

¾ C. cooked rice

½ C. onion, finely chopped

1 large egg

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

½ C. milk

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

3 T. sugar

2 T. vinegar

½ C. water

2 T. cornstarch

¼ C. cold water

Procedure

Drop cabbage leaves into boiling salted water; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well.

For filling, combine ground beef, rice, onion, egg, and salt, pepper, and milk.

Mix well and divide into 12 portions.

Place a portion into the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around filling; fasten with toothpick

Place in a lightly buttered baking dish.

For sauce, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water and pour over cabbage rolls. NOTE:  Do not add cornstarch/water mixture at this point.

Bake covered in a preheated 350° oven 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove rolls and discard toothpick.s

Place pan with juices over medium heat or transfer the juices to a saucepan and place over heat; stir cornstarch and water mixture into the sauce; bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

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Nutrition Facts

CALIFORNIA CASSEROLE

This spicy casserole can be prepared a day ahead and popped in the oven when you get home. I call this my Mexican Lasagna. Prepare a crisp green salad and dinner is ready!

Ingredients

1 lb ground round

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. chili powder (or adjust the amount to taste)

1½ C. tomato sauce

¼ tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 can (4 oz) Ortega® chopped green chilies

6 corn tortillas (6”)

Cooking oil

1 C. small-curd cottage cheese

1 large egg

½ lb Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

½ to ¾ C. cheddar cheese, grated

1/3 C. green onions, chopped

1 C. sour cream

Procedure

Brown meat in large, heavy frying pan.

When meat is almost browned, add garlic and onion and sauté until onions are sof.t

Sprinkle chili powder over meat/onion/garlic mixture and stir well.

Add tomato sauce, sugar, salt and diced green chilies.

Simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.

While sauce cooks, quickly fry tortillas in hot oil - one at a time - turning once, DO NOT BROWN.

Drain on paper towels and cut into quarters.

Beat cottage cheese and eggs together and set aside.

Butter bottom of baking dish - build layers.

First layer
:  1/3 of meat/tomato mixture evenly across bottom of dish.

Second layer
: 1/2 Monterey Jack cheese.

Third layer
: 1/2 cottage cheese/egg mixture.

Fourth layer
: l/2 the cooked tortillas.

Repeat each layer
– plus the final layer of meat (9 layers in all).

Top
with grated cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350º F for 30 minutes - or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

Serve with chopped green inions, sour cream and olives.

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

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Nutrition Facts

CHICKEN TORTILLA PIZZA

Tasty Mexican-style cheese and chicken pizza on large flour tortillas is a nice change from Italian-style pizza. The crust is much lighter and the flavor definitely Tex-Mex.

Ingredients

1 T. vegetable oil

¾ lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless and sliced

1 package Ortega® Taco Seasoning Mix

1 to 3 T. cayenne pepper (adjust to taste – it is HOT!)

5 T. Ortega® Medium Taco Sauce

2 large flour tortillas (12”)

8 oz Ortega® Refried Beans

¼ C. Ortega® Medium Taco Sauce

¼ C. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

¼ C. cheddar cheese, grated

1 small onion, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 C. lettuce, shredded

2 whole avocados, seeded, peeled, and mashed

1 whole tomato, diced

Procedure

Heat oil in large skillet;

Add chicken, taco seasoning mix and cayenne pepper to oil and cook until well-mixed and browned.

Stir in first amount of taco sauce and remove from the heat.

Place flour tortillas on two pizza baking pans; spread half of refried beans on each tortilla, be sure to cover the entire tortilla. Beans will spread more easily if they are warm.

Split the chicken mixture in half and spread over the beans, and sprinkle with remaining taco sauce.

Top with grated Monterey Jack cheese, and grated Cheddar cheese on top.

Bake in a 375°F; oven until the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Remove and cut into wedges.

Toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced onions, mashed avocados, and diced tomato.

Serve with side dish of Spanish rice and ice cold Mexican beer.

Servings: 2 – 4 (Depends on appetites)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

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Nutrition Facts