Tortilla Wraps

My kids love these for dinner!

This is not really a recipe, more like a "how to" meal idea. Tonight we had Chicken Wraps dipped in ranch dressing and chips. You can really make these however you would like using whatever toppings you like as well. Tonight I made them with chicken. Cut up chicken breasts into thin strips, season with salt & pepper and garlic then brown them in frying pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Assemble on large tortilla, add meat of choice, cheese of choice, lettuce, tomato slices, onions, whichever veggies you like. Roll tortilla tight and place in hot frying pan sprayed with cooking spray. Rotate and brown the tortilla just enough that it is golden and crispy. You want the tortilla warm but the inside ingredients cool.

Cut in half and dip in dressing of choice and serve with salad, fries or chips.

There are also several different tortillas to choose from, mix it up and try spinach, whole wheat, sun-dried tomato etc. Can use deli turkey, deli ham, deli chicken, cooked chicken pieces or even tuna. Cheese slices can be used as well as grated cheeses. Whatever you prefer. Toppings can be really varied, depending on what you like: lettuce, baby spinach, tomato, onion, avocado slices, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, alalfa sprouts, throw on some black beans and corn with some salsa to spice it up. The possibilities are endless!

Examples:

Caesar Salad Wrap: Romaine lettuce, chicken pieces, fresh grated parmesan cheese, tomato slices, dip in Caesar dressing.

BLT Wrap: bacon, lettuce tomato in tomato tortilla dipped in ranch dressing.

Tuna Wrap: prepared tuna with cheese, lettuce, tomato slices, with lime juice squeezed on top before rolling in whole wheat tortilla. Serve with dill pickle on the side.

Veggie Wrap: choice of tortilla, any veggies you like, choice of dressing.

Chicken Salad Wrap: make chicken salad recipe then add avocado slices, mushrooms slices, tomato slices and alalfa sprouts.

Wilton Buttercream Icing

1 c. solid white vegetable shortening
1 tsp. Wilton Flavor (Vanilla, Almond or Butter)
2 tbsp. milk or water (3 tbsp. if using icing sugar in Canada, there is more cornstarch in their icing sugar)
1 lb. pure cane confectioner's sugar (approximately 4 cups)
1 tbsp. Wilton Meringue Powder
A pinch of salt (optional)

Cream shortening, flavor and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Makes about 3 cups.

This makes stiff consistency buttercream icing. For medium consistency, add one tsp. water to each cup of stiff. (One additional tbsp. of water when you are using the full recipe.) For thin consistency, add two tsp. water for each cup of stiff consistency. (Two tbsp. of additional water for the full recipe.)

Stiff: used for flowers with upright petals
Medium: used for stars, figure piping, borders and flowers with petals that lie flat.
Thin: used for writing, making vines, leaves and icing a cake. Add 1/2 tsp. piping gel per cup of icing when used for writing, stems and leaves.

Chocolate Buttercream: Add 3/4 c. cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, and an additional 1-2 tbsp. water to recipe. Mix until well blended.

Wilton Royal Icing

3 tbsp. meringue powder
4 c. confectioner's sugar
6 tbsp. warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peak (7-10 minutes at low speed with at heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes with a hand-held mixer).

* Keep all utensils completely grease free and use metal or glass bowl for proper icing consistency.
** For stiffer icing, use 1 tbsp. less water.
*** When using large countertop mixer, or for stiffer icing, use 1 tbsp. less water.

Makes about 3 cups icing.

Bean Dip

From the kitchen of DC

This is a lot like 7 layer bean dip but served hot. It is really yummy!

16 oz. refried beans (I used more and made in 9 x 13)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (I used more, about 1 c.)
1 can olives, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 green onion, chopped (I used a small white onion chopped, I didn't have green)
fresh cilantro, chopped

Spread refried beans on pie plate. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic. Spread on beans. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Top with tomatoes, olives, onion and cilantro. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Marshmallow Fondant

This recipe is a really good tasting fondant. I got it off of Cakes Made Easy. It's a really great website that will send you tips on cake decorating that are really helpful! The original recipe calls for 4 c. powdered sugar but I kept adding powdered sugar until it wasn't sticky and ended up using 8 c.

1/4 c. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
16 oz. (453 g.) white mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavor
1 tsp. butter flavor
2 tbsp. water
8 c. powdered sugar

Melt marshmallows in greased microwave-safe bowl. Cream together in mixer shortening, vanilla and butter flavoring and water. Add in melted marshmallow mixture and mix together on low speed until combined. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Bump up speed to medium using dough hook to knead the fondant like bread. If too stick keep adding powdered sugar.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

From the kitchen of PJ

1 package frozen broccoli or equivalent fresh broccoli
1/2 onion or 1 1/2 tbsp. dried onion
1-2 potatoes, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 c. water
Cover in large pot and cook until tender. Do not drain.

Add:
4-5 tsp. or cubes chicken bouillon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Thicken with 1 c. flour and water

Add:
4 c. milk
1 15-oz jar Cheese Whiz

Bring to boil long enough to cook flour stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve in bread bowls or sliced baguette bread.

Chicken Rolls

From the kitchen of JH

Filling:
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. dried onion
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Rolls:
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing (dry)
2 pkgs. crescent rolls (i.e. Pillsbury that come in a tube)
1/4 c. butter, melted

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup, add only 1/2 can milk

Soften cream cheese and add chicken, onion and parsley, mix well into a filling. Roll out crescent roll dough and divide filling onto dough, about 1 tbsp. per roll. Roll dough around chicken filling and pinch sides together. I kind of roll it so it is round, then dip into butter and roll in dry stuffing mix. You can crush the stuffing so it is fine but we like it really crunchy so I leave it whole. I pick up the stuffing and press it into the ball so it gets completely covered.

Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 325F for 30 minutes. Serve with sauce. We also serve with Savory Rice and green vegetable.

Savory Rice

2c. rice
1 tbsp. dry onion
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. onion soup mix
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 tsp. powdered bouillon)
1/4 c. butter

Add 4 c. water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes until water is gone, stirring occasionally.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the BEST pumpkin cookies...and SO easy! It says to use just pumpkin, but I have found using pumpkin pie filling seems to make them bake a little better.

1 box spice cake
1 15-oz can pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling
1 bag chocolate chips

Combine together pumpkin and spice cake mix. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon on baking sheet and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until toothpick come out clean.

Bean Casserole

I got this recipe from my cousin MK, I made it last night for a baby shower. I split it in half for my family to have some and the other half to take to the shower. While one half was in the oven baking we started eating the other half uncooked just at room temperature and it was SO GOOD! I think I like it better that way! The flavor was totally different un-baked as it is hot. We just had it with tortilla chips, but I was thinking it would be good in a tortilla as a wrap too. In this picture I had used one onion diced instead of the green onion. I also added about 1 tsp. garlic salt. It's good either way.

6 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
1 can white corn, drained
1 small can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar salsa verde (green salsa)
3 green onions diced small
1 cup shredded monterey cheese (I used more)

Drain and rinse beans, drain corn. Mix all ingredients together and put in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Serve HOT with tortilla chips.

Dressy Green Beans

2 cans green beans (I like to use french cut)
1/2 onion, diced
1 c. ham, very thinly sliced and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. slivered almonds

In fry pan, saute onions and ham in butter. In sauce pan, bring green beans to boil then drain. Add ham and onions to green beans stir. Add slivered almonds and serve hot.

Minestone Soup

From the kitchen of PJ

2 tbsp. dried onion
3 tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. basil
pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. shell macaroni
6-8 c. water

In large pot, simmer carrots and zucchini until tender. Add rest of ingredients except macaroni and bring to boil. Add noodles and reduce heat, simmer until macaroni is cooked. Serve with garlic bread or bread sticks.

Craisen Spinach Salad

1 lb. baby spinach
1 lb. red leaf lettuce or romaine
3/4 c. craisens
1/2-1 c. sliced almonds
1 red onion, diced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
strawberries, sliced the long way
grapes, cut in half

Add all ingredients in large bowl. Add raspberry vinegarette dressing right before serving and toss well.

Raspberry Vinegarette Dressing

1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2-1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. accent or msg
2 tbsp. strawberry or raspberry jam

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

Mix together in dutch oven OR you can use a large saute pan with lid:
2 quarts canned peaches
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. tapioca

1 yellow cake mix, sprinkled on top
1 c. brown sugar
1/2-1 stick butter, cut into pats, placed over cake mix

Do not stir cake mix into peach mixture, but take butter knife and "cut in" the dry mix into wet just so when baked it is not one large layer of crust on top. Bake covered at 350F for 1 hour.

Zucchini Cake

Cream together:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar

Beat in:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour milk (1/2 c. milk with 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice)

Sift together and add to creamed mixture:
2 1/2 c. flour
4 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves

Stir in:
2 c. grated zucchini
3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Pour into 9 x 13 pan. (Do not grease) Sprinkle on 1 c. chocolate chips. Bake at 325F for 40-45 minutes. Cool. Serve with dollop of Cool Whip.

Pork Chops With Mushroom Gravy

6 pork tenderloins
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper

Brown tenderloins on high in skillet or frying pan with a lid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After they are nice and brown (about 4-5 minutes on each side). Remove tenderloins and place on plate. In same pan, add about 1/2 c. water. Using a spatula, scrape sides and bottom of pan to remove all browned drippings from pork. Add 2 cans cream of mushroom soup and 1 can water. Mix with drippings well. Replace tenderloins to pan, cover with lid and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes. Serve pork with mashed potatoes using mushroom sauce as gravy and green vegetable.