•     2 pounds lean ground beef
•      1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
•      1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
•      2 cups chopped onion
•      1/4 cup chili powder
•      3 teaspoons ground cumin
•      3 garlic cloves, minced
•      2 jalapeños, diced (discard seeds for less heat and don't touch your eyes!)
•      1 teaspoon salt
•      1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•      1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
•      1 cup (8 ounces) canned red kidneybeans, drained and rinsed
•      1 cup (8 ounces) canned light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
•      grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and saltine crackers (optional)

   1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet.
   2. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown.
   3. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
   4. Add all ingredients (including ground beef at the end) to a large sauce pot or a crock pot (you may wish to omit jalapeños if serving to children).
   5. Bring to boil.
   6. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
   7. Top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and serve with saltine crackers (optional).
   8. Enjoy!!!

This is a favorite of my great friend, Denise, so I wrote an easy recipe for her that she could prepare in no time.   Enjoy!!

SERVINGS: 8

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

8 ounce bag of frozen peas and carrots

2 large baking potatoes peeled and diced

2 Tablespoons dried basil

1 c. low fat sour cream

2 small soup cans of low fat cream of mushroom soup

2 cups of white cooking wine

2 cups low fat & low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

1 puffed pastry crust (uncooked and thawed according to package directions)

1 egg beaten

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Bring water to a boil in one pot and the broth with the white wine to a boil in a second pot.

2. Carefully add veggies to the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.

3. Carefully add chicken to boiling broth and wine and boil for 15 minutes.

4. Drain veggies and drain chicken (reserve 1/8 c. of the broth/wine mixture).

5. In a large bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, the broth/wine reserved, basil, chicken and veggies.

6. In a baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray, transfer the mixture to the dish and place pastry dough over the top, covering mixture completely.

7. Brush pastry with egg and bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

8. Serve piping hot and enjoy!

I love shrimp and so do most of my friends. When having movie night or just looking for something simple to prepare, this dish is a perfect choice!

Ingredients:

•      2 cups cooked long grain rice (boil in a bag is fine)
•      2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
•      1 pound medium shrimp buy peeled and deveined
•       1/4 c. diced onions
•      juice of 1 lemon (or 3 T. lemon juice)
•      1 tsp. fresh dill (1/2 tsp. if dried)
•       1 - 10.75 ounce can cream of celery soup
•       1 cup sour cream
•     3/4 cup shredded Parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to broil.
   1. Spray an 8x8" square baking dish with non-stick spray.
   2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
   3. Sauté onions until translucent (about 3-5 minutes) and reduce heat to medium.
   4. Add shrimp, dill and lemon juice to skillet and cook shrimp for 3 minutes (1 1/2 minutes each side) or until shrimp is opaque.
   5. Transfer contents of skillet to a large sauce pan and add the rice, soup and sour cream.
   6. Place saucepan over medium heat and stir just until heated through (about 5 min). Do not boil or this will overcook the shrimp!
   7. Scoop mixture into baking dish and top with Parmesean cheese.
   8. Broil 5 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until bubbly. Enjoy! 

4-6 servings

I was cooking dinner at my friend's, Denise, home, when we realized that one of our good friends joining us for dinner was allergic to seafood and was lactose intolerant!  So, I quickly came up with an alternative recipe and this is what I created.

Denise went to the store and bought chicken, mushrooms and vegetarian mozzarella so that three of us could have Seafood and Dill Risotto and Carrie could have this version of risotto.  She loved it and asked that I provide the recipe for it, so here it is!  Thank you for the request, Carrie!

It is so creamy and delicious, you would never know that this is dairy free.  The soy mozzarella is PERFECT for this!  Tasted just like regular mozzarella!

 TIP:  For a tad bit healthier recipe, use extra virgin olive oil in place of butter and low-fat, low sodium chicken broth.

• 2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed and boiled until no longer pink
•  2 cups (16 ounces) chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
•  1 cup sliced mushrooms
•  3 medium shallots, finely chopped
•  1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 cup Arborio rice
•  2 cups white wine
•  1/4 cup grated soy, vegetarian mozzarella (or 4 slices if it comes in slices, broken into small pieces

   1. In a large saucepan bring the broth and wine to a simmer and keep it hot (do not let it boil as it will reduce from the steam and you will not have enough liquid!).
   2. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and then add the shallots.
   3. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes; do not brown the shallots.
   4. Add the rice and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes (it will start to look less white and a bit translucent - do not brown).
   5. Increase the heat to medium and add the hot broth/wine mixture, half a cup or so at a time, stirring constantly, and continue to add broth/wine mixture a cup or so at a time until liquid is absorbed each time and none is left.
   6. Be sure to stir constantly
   7. To the cooked rice add the basil, mushrooms, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and cheese.
   8. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter and cheese melt and the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
   9. Add chicken and stir until heated through.
  10. Season with salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!