Tasty Taco Ring

Difficulty Level: *

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• Mexican seasoning
• 1 1/2 c. Mexican or Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 medium tomato, diced
  
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
   
2. Brown ground beef, mixing in Mexican seasoning to taste.
3. Unroll each crescent roll to a flat triangle. On a ceramic or metal flat baking pan, layout the crescents with the wide sides overlapping to form an inner circle and the points pointing out.
4. Spoon ground beef onto wide portions of dough, evenly filling around the circle. Sprinkle cheese on top of ground beef. Pull point ends over meat and cheese and tuck under wide side of dough. Criss cross points when tucking under going around the circle.
5. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crescents are golden brown.
6. Sprinkle diced onion and tomato pieces on top.

Tips:

• For a picture perfect finish, cut the tops of one each red, yellow and green peppers. Fill one each with salsa, sour cream and lettuce and place in the center of the taco ring to serve.

Serves 6-8.

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Sandwiches

Difficulty: **

This is a super supper sandwich!

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
4 boneless chicken breasts (about 4 oz. each)
8 slices sourdough bread ( or bread of your choice but should be pretty firmed textured bread)
Vegetable oil or EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 small cucumber, sliced
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1 carrot, cut into julienne strips
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 firm, ripe avocado, sliced

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, milk, 2 teaspoons of the dressing mix, and garlic. Mix well and set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables - cucumber,tomatoes, onioin, carrot, avocado and sprouts. Set aside.

3. Toast the sliced bread by your normal method - toaster oven, regular oven.

4. Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper. Pound with a rolling pin until 3/4 inch thick. Spray skillet with cooking spray or heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Combine remaining dressing mix and flour; mix well. Roll chicken in the mixture, shaking off excess. Place chicken in pan and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan.

5. To assemble sandwiches, spread cream cheese mixture onto each bread slice. Evenly layer the cucumber, tomato, onion, chicken, carrot, sprouts, and avocado on one slice and then place the other slice on the top. Cut sandwiches diagonally.

Homemade Applesauce

Difficulty: **

Ingredients
5 lbs. of your favorite apples (golden delicious work best)
1 1/2 cups sugar

Equipment: A Food Strainer

1. Quarter apples and put them in a 6-qt. kettle and cover near the top with water.
2. Put burner on high until boiling and then turn to medium to simmer.
3. Cook for approximately 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat when apples are quite soft and mushy. Drain off excess liquid.
4. Put through the food strainer to remove skins, seeds, and core.
5. Place strained apples back in 6-qt. pan and add 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Cook until sugar has dissolved.
6. Makes about 4 pints of applesauce.

**Tips: Can be placed in pint jars and frozen to preserve. Don't fill all the way to the top if freezing. If you don't have a food strainer, peel and core apples before cooking. Then run cooked, mushy apples through a food processer to liquify.