Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

2-3 lbs cooked chicken breasts, shredded finely
1 1/2 cups celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
9 ounces hot sauce (use up to 12 ounces if you like it really spicy)
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces ranch dressing
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Saute celery and onion in a pan with a little oil.

2. Add cooked chicken and hot sauce.

3. Add cream cheese cutting into cubes.

4. Add ranch dressing.

5. Remove from heat, add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

6. Turn into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining cup of shredded cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

7. Serve with frito scoops.

Vege Tacos

Ingredients

• 1/2 head cabbage
• 2 avocados
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 20 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage into thin slices. Mash the avocados and add the seasoning salt, garlic salt, and lime juice. Add avocado mixture to the cabbage and mix until cabbage is covered completely. Refrigerate for two hours.

2. Cover bottom of small skillet with oil and heat on medium-high. Once oil is hot, place a corn tortilla and as it starts to bubble, flip over. After the second side bubbles, fold in half into the shape of a taco. If oil is hot enough, it will only take 30-45 seconds for each side to brown. As you shake off grease, place tongs inside of taco to spread it a bit. Drain on paper towels.

3. To complete the taco, add shredded cheese and a litle bit of hot sauce -- or come up with your own toppings. My husband likes for me to heat a can of chicken and mix with taco seasoning.

Corn Cakes with Salsa sauce

Ingredients

For salsa
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile in adobo
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

For corn cakes
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup corn kernel
oil, for skillet
sour cream (to garnish)

Directions

1. Toss together all the salsa ingredients, taste for seasoning. Allow to sit while you prepare the corn cakes, then taste again before serving, adjust seasoning if necessary.

2. To make the corn cakes, Mix together the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cheddar. Add the buttermilk, butter and corn, gently fold together. Do not overmix.

3. Heat a large skillet, coat with a film of oil. Drop batter by the tablespoon onto the hot skillet. Cook until bubbles break on the tops of the cakes, then flip them over. Cook a few minutes more, or until the bottoms brown and one tests done.

4. Keep warm in a low oven until they are all cooked.

5. To serve, place three or four cakes on a plate, dollop some sour cream, and top with salsa.

Chocolate Layer Cake

Yield: 4 servings, 1 eight-inch cake

Cake:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Mousse Base:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

Mousse, Cake Assembly, and Glaze:
2/3 cup cherry jam
2 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon chai-spiced tea leaves or Lapsang souchong smoked black tea leaves (from 1 tea bag)
5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Buy Chocolate

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place 8x2-inch heart-shaped cake ring on sheet of foil. Wrap foil up sides of ring. Brush foil and inside of ring with 1 tablespoon butter; dust with flour. Place on baking sheet. You could also use a buttered and floured 8-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until thick and billowy and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Sift half of dry ingredients over; fold in gently. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Transfer 1/4 cup batter to small bowl; fold in 3 tablespoons butter. Gently fold butter mixture into batter; do not overmix or batter will deflate. Transfer batter to ring.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake with foil to rack; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

For Mousse Base:
Bring whipping cream and cinnamon sticks just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; let steep 1 hour at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate cinnamon cream overnight.

For Mousse, Cake Assembly, and Glaze:
Blend jam and kirsch in small bowl. Cut around sides of cake; lift off ring. Using metal spatula, loosen cake from foil and transfer to rack. Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Using tart pan bottom, transfer top cake layer to work surface; turn cut side up. Spread half of jam on cut side of both cake layers.

Strain cinnamon cream into large bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Stir finely chopped chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Quickly fold warm chocolate into whipped cream (chocolate must be warm to blend smoothly). Immediately drop mousse by dollops over bottom cake layer; spread to within 3/4 inch of edge. Gently press second layer, jam side down, atop mousse. Smooth sides of cake with offset spatula. Chill assembled cake on rack while preparing glaze.

Bring cream, 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and tea to boil in small saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; steep 5 minutes. Strain into another small saucepan; return to boil.

Remove from heat. Add coarsely chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until thickened, but still pourable, about 30 minutes. Place rack with cake over baking sheet. Slowly pour glaze over cake to cover, using spatula if necessary to spread evenly. Chill until glaze is firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Place cake on platter and serve.

Real Potato Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS
18 small red new potatoes
6 cups chicken broth
3 leeks, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place potatoes into a large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Meanwhile, saute leeks in butter until translucent.
2. When potatoes are done, skin them while they are still hot and cut them into bite sized pieces. Place potatoes into a stock pot with chicken broth and leeks. season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until simmering, then remove from heat and stir in milk. Serve immediately.