Cilantro Ranch

Submitted by Julie Twitchell


Have you seen a lot of Cafe Rio recipes out there? I know I have. This one came from Nicole Williams. It is super yummy and we served it at our Super Saturday yesterday.

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (I used buttermilk pkg)
1 Cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 Cup mayonnaise
2 tomatillos, remove husk, dice
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno

Mix all ingredients together in the blender and serve.

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Picante Chicken Chimichangas

Submitted by Hollilyn Waite

2 cups boiled and shredded Chicken (I cook 2 frozen chicken breasts in the oven for an hour)

1 1/2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

2/3 cups Salsa

1/2 tsp. Cumin

3/4 tsp. Oregano or Basil (I like Basil!)

6-8 Tortillas (Burrito Size)

Butter

Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, and oregano or basil.  Butter one side of each tortilla.  Place meat mixture in the other side, sprinkle with cheese, roll tortilla and place in 9x13 inch pan. 

 Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Cook's Note: Once I shred my chicken, if I have 3-4 cups of chicken, I just increase the salsa and spices accordingly.  I usually put about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in each tortilla, depending on how much shredded chicken I end up with.

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Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

These were delicious! My kids loved them until they saw it had zucchini in it. I think next time I will shred the zucchini finer and maybe they won't notice. I found this recipe at Barbara Bakes. Wow, she has some amazing recipes!

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup cinnamon chips (or substitute chocolate chips)
  Raw sugar, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon and set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine sour cream, melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add zucchini and cinnamon chips and stir until just combined.
4. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle raw sugar on top of batter if desired. 
5. Bake at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Also makes a great zucchini bread, I cooked mini loaves for 35 minutes.)

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Classic Banana Bread

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

This recipe came from a coworker years ago. I have tried other banana bread recipes over the years, but this one is my kids' favorite.

1/2 Cup butter at room temperature
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 large bananas, mashed
2 Cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Cup chopped nuts, optional

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then mashed bananas. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then add to banana mixture. Add nuts. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Fast and Easy Bread

Submitted by Heather Hinckley

1 T. Yeast
1 T. Sugar
1 C. Hot water (not boiling)
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
2 T rosemary
1 t. salt

1. Mix yeast sugar and hot water and let it proof.
2. Slowly add flour, rosemary and salt. Let rise in bowl until double in size, about 15 to 20 min.
3. Roll dough into one large round loaf or two small flour your hands, the dough is very light and can be sticky. Do not knead or handle too much when making into the loaf.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. When out of the oven melt butter all over the top and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy warm.

Cookers note: I usually use about 2 cups of flour. You can add other seasonings besides the rosemary. I have used minced garlic also and topped with Parmesan cheese instead of salt. I am also going to try to use cinnamon and top with sugar. My kids love this bread and it is quick to make and is quickly eaten up by my family of 5. So if you have bigger children or more adults you could double the recipe and split the loafs. I bake on a cookie sheet and serve on a bread board.

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