Fiesta Rice Salad

1 can (15 oz.) black beans
2 cups pre-cooked brown rice, cooled
1 medium red or yellow pepper (for abt. 1 cup chopped)
1 medium green bell pepper (abt. 1 cup chopped)
2 stalks celery (abt. 1 cup diced)
3-4 green onions (abt. 1/2 cup chopped)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional--I use much less)
3/4 cup mild Mexican Picante sauce or salsa
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional-I usually omit this)

Cooks Notes: The rice needs to be cold.  If you don't have cold rice, rinse the cooked rice under cold tap water until it is cool. Drain rice well and put in freezer whilst cutting vegetables.

Step 1:  Pour the beans into a colander and rinse well with cool tap water.  Set aside to drain.
Step 2:  Pour the rice into a medium bowl. Seed and chop both bell peppers into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Add celery.
Step 3:  Chop and add the onions, cilantro, and black beans.
Step 4:  Pour the Picante sauce and Italian dressing into a 2-cup glass measure.  Add the lime juice and cumin.  Stir well.  Pour the dressing mixture over the rice and vegetables.  Stir gently until the salad is mixed.  Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve. May serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 8   (For a main dish you can add chicken or pork tenderloin pieces, etc.)

Ultimate Spicy Beef Nachos

This recipe is from The Cook's Country Cookbook, by the same people that did the other cookbook Steph and I love. Seriously, everyone needs at least one cookbook from America's Test Kitchen.

REFRIED BEANS
1/2 cup canned refried beans
3 tablespoons shredded pepper jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped canned pickled jalapenos

SPICY BEEF
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium canned chipotle chile, chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

ASSEMBLY
1 (9 1/2 ounce) bac tortilla chips
4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
2 jalapeno chiles, sliced into thin rings

1. Adjust an oven rach to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
   
   
2. FOR THE BEANS: Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
   
   
3. FOR THE BEEF: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until simmering. Cook the onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking the meat into small bits with a wooden spoon and scraping the pan bottom to prevent scorching, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, sugar, chile, and adobo sauce and cook until the paste begins to darken, about 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is nearly dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and transfer the mixture to a plate lined with sever layers of paper towels. Use more paper towels to blot up excess greace.
   
   
4. TO ASSEMBLE: Spread half of the chips on a large serving platter or a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Dollop half of the bean mixture over the chips, then spread evenly. Scatter half of the beef mixture over the beans, top with 2 cups of the cheese and half of the jalapenos. Repeat with the remaining chips, beans, beef, 2 cups of cheese, and jalapenos. Bake until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with salsa and other desired garnishes.
   

This was a really good meal, but warning, it's SPICY! Since I'm on a kick to cut red meat out of our diets, I used ground turky breast instead of ground beef. It still tasted really good.

Santa Fe Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Tonight was one of those nights when you flip through all the recipes you have and try and find something that you can make for dinner because you need to go to the store. This one was really good and easy.

Serves: 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen or thawed
1 can corn, drained (we don't eat caned corn in my house, so I just used frozen)
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup salsa
flour tortillas
Cheese
Lettuce
Ranch dressing

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix corn, beans, and salsa together and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. When done shred chicken. Place in tortillas with cheese, lettuce and ranch dressing.

Yummy Easy Southwesty Soup

Yummy Easy Southwesty Soup
Jud had me get this recipe from his friends Mom. We all really like it.

2 13 oz. Cans Chicken Breast (2 cups cooked, cubed)
2 Cans White Northern Beans (or do 1 white, 1 black)
1 scant Cup mild or medium salsa
2 Cans 12 oz. chicken broth
3/4 to 1 Tablespoon cumin

2 cups colby jack cheese (cheddar works great too)

Garnish with crushed tortilla chips

Just drain and rinse the beans, and add everything but the cheese and chips. Warm about 1/2 hour on medium-low heat, simmering and stirring occasionally. Turn it down if it starts boiling. Add the cheese at the last, and stir until it is mixed in well. Or you can sprinkle it on top. Then top with chips. Makes 6 generous servings.

Steak Fajitas

This is a recipe that Mark and I have kind of made up. It's not perfected yet, infact sometimes the steak is a little tough, but I'm not sure if that's because I buy cheap steaks or what else it may be...

3-4 cheap beef steaks, cut into strips
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Fry the steak with the peppers until cooked through. Serve on tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa, tapitio (I don't know how to spell that), ranch, corn, or whatever you want to serve it with.

This is one of Mark's favorite meals. I hope others enjoy it too.

"Cafe Rio Pork"

This recipe was from a ward Relief Society cookbook, which in my opinion are some of the best ones out there, given to me by my sister-in-law Tanya. This is my new favorite recipe, I make it all the time, though I think I like it a lot better than Vaughn does.

1 pork loin roast (about 2.5-3 lbs.)
1 green can El Pato Sauce **
1 yellow can El Pato sauce **
1 small can tomato sauce
1 1-1/2 C. brown sugar - I don't like it too sweet, I use a scant 1 C.

Shredded cheddar cheese
1 can canned green enchilada sauce
1 can black beans
Tortillas - the uncooked ones from costco are the best, you have to fry them yourself, but so worth the extra effort!!

Put pork loin roast in crock pot with 2 c water, cook on high 8-10 hours.
Shred pork and drain any remaining water from crock pot. Place shredded pork back in crock pot with both kinds of El Pato, the tomato sauce, and brown sugar. Cook until heated through.
To serve enchilada style, layer on tortilla, rice Cafe Rio Pork, and black beans, then roll up the tortilla, pour green enchilada sause on top of the burrito, prinkle with shredded cheese and broil for a few min until cheese is melted.

**El Pato can be found in teh Mexican section, it is about the same size can as the tomato sause.
- This recipe was submited to the cook book by Pam Lynn

This is Stephanie, I just wanted to add a note. I had trouble finding the El Pato sauce, but here are the actual names:
The yellow one is called "Salsa de Chile Fresco" and on the other side it says "tomato sauce (mexian hot style)"
The green one is called "salsa de Jalopeno" and on the other side it says "Jalapeno Salsa"
Just thought it would help you find them! Thanks for posting this recipe Amy!

Campbell's Beef Taco Bake

Welcome to my new recipe blog! I realized that I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately, and that sometimes I have troubles finding recipes in the first place. So I decided for convenience of access, and to share them with the world, I would start a recipe blog! Anytime I try a new recipe, or make a family favorite, and we like it, I'll post it all the blog for all to enjoy! I got this recipe from Holli, and I already shared it with Amy, but this is what I'm making tonight, so it'll be the first one up!

If anyone would like to contribute to this blog (in other words be able to post recipes as well) please let me know!

Bake Time: 30 mins.
Oven Temperature: 350
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup milk
1 can black beans, drained
6 flour OR 8 corn tortillas
1 cup grated cheese
sliced olives

Directions: Brown hamburger and drain. Add soup, salsa, milk, and black beans. Cut tortillas into about 1 inch pieces. Add tortillas to mixture. Pour mixture into 9" x 13" pan. Top with cheese, and olives. Bake.