• • 2 lbs. ground beef
• • 1 pkg. Carrol Shelby chili mix
• • 1 can chili beans
• • 1/2 box lasagna noodles
• • 1 (16 oz.) pkg. American cheese

Directions:

Prepare noodles according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Prepare chili according to package, substituting chili beans for tomato sauce. Chili should have a creamy, not watery juice. Lightly oil or coat with juice the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and start layering like traditional lasagna.

Noodles, chili then cheese. Make sure you end up with cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese melts. You may substitute your own favorite chili recipe if you wish.

• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 1 small Onion,diced — about 1/2 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
• 1 pound Lean ground beef
• 1 large Egg
• 1 can (4 oz) mild green chilies drained and chopped
• 1 3/4 cups Fresh bread crumbs — about 4 slices bread
• 1/3 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1/3 cup Shredded mild Cheddar Cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 6 Corn tortillas — half 10 oz. Pkg. — cut into wedges
• 1 Zesty Tomato Salsa
• Lettuce leaves — optional
• Tomato wedges — optional

—–ZESTY TOMATO SALSA—–

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• 1 Red pepper, cored — seeded
• And diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 Green bell pepper, cored
• Seeded and diced (about 2 Cups)
• 1 medium Onion — diced (about 3/4 cup
• 1 large Clove garlic — crushed
• 2 large Ripe tomatoes — diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon Hot red pepper sauce

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In 12″ skillet,over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil;add onion and chili powder;cook about 10 minutes,stirring frequently,until onion is tender and coated with chili powder.

Remove onion to large bowl;wipe skillet clean. To bowl with onion,add beef,egg,chilies,bread crumbs,1 tbsp. of each of cheeses and salt;using hands or wooden spoon,blend well. Shape mixture into 1 1/4″ balls.

In skillet over medium-high heat,heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil;add meat mixture;cook 15 minutes,turning frequently,until well browned on all sides and cooked through. Meanwhile, place tortilla chips in single layer on jelly-roll pan;bake 10 minutes until crisp and golden. Prepare Zesty Tomato Salsa.

To serve:Spoon meatballs into center of large serving platter;sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

Arrange tomato wedges and lettuce around meatballs if desired. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa. Makes 4 servings.

ZESTY TOMATO SALSA:

In a 2 qt. saucepan over medium high heat,heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil; add 1 each red and green bell pepper,cored,seeded and diced (about 2 cups),1 medium size onion,diced (about 3/4 cup) and 1 large clove garlic, crushed.

Cook about 10 minutes,stirring frequently,until tender. Stir in 2 large fresh, ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups) and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper sauce;cook 1 minute longer until heated through. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 16 each Dried red chili pods
• 1 each Hot Water
• 2 each Cloves garlic
• 1 each Salt to taste

Directions:

Open each dried red chili pod. Wash well inside and out and remove blemishes. Remove stems, seeds and veins from the pods. For hotter chili leave some veins.

Rinse with cold water and soak in hot water for one hour or until soft. Place the pods in an electric blender (or food processor) and add enough water to almost cover them, leaving about two inches head space.

Blend until smooth and skins disappear, about 2-3 minutes. If sauce seems to be too thick, add more water and blend for another 1 minute or until skins disappear. Add 2 cloves garlic and process until well blended. Salt to taste.

• 10 each Green chilies roast&peel
• 10 ounces Longhorn or Jack cheese

—–BATTER—–

• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cup Cornmeal
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 each Eggs — slightly beaten

Directions:

Cut cheese into slices 1/2″ thick and the length of the chili. Make a small slit in chili just big enough to insert cheese(you can also poke in some slivers of onion at this point).

Dip in batter and fry in hot oil or lard until golder brown. Drain and serve. May be garnished with green chili sauce if desired. To make batter, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal.

Blend milk with egg;then combine milk and egg mixture with dry ingredients. Add more milk if necessary for smooth batter. Using a spoon, dip stuffed chilies in batter.

• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 eggs
• 4 ounces green chili peppers — chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk baking mix
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon black olives — * chopped
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes — ** see note

Directions:

* Optional but highly recommended ** If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drain, pat dry, and chop. If using the dry ones, rehydrate in a little hot water for a few minutes, drain, pat dry and chop.

The directions specify use of a food processor; a blender will work but processing times must be increased.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1-1/2 quart souffle dish or baking dish.

2. Fit the shredding disk into the work bowl. Shred cheese. Remove from the bowl and set aside. Fit the steel knife blade into the bowl. Combine eggs, chiles, baking mix and milk in bowl. Process until mixed well, 6-8 seconds. If chiles are whole, process mixture until chiles are chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 15 seconds.

3. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Add shredded cheese and stir gently to mix well. Bake about 1 hour or until souffle is puffed and dry on top.

• 4 large fresh pasilla chilis
• 3 cups grated cheese — used cheddar

SAUCE

• 1 sm. can tomato sauce — or
• 5 fresh tomatoes — chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped scallions — (green onions)
• 1 large clove garlic — finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fines chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons Charlie’s seasoning — heaping
• 3 eggs
• flour — to dip

Directions:

1. (this is the new and easy part) I found out you don’t have to peel pasilla chilis! Just put them into boiling water for about15 min.. Take out, slit open one side, take out the seeds. Don’t bother about the membranes, they are not that hot. Rinse under cold water and set aside. (no need to peel)

2. In skillet, saute the onions and garlic until almost brown. Add the cilantro, chopped tomatoes or canned tomato sauce, and Charlie’s seasoning. Cook on med. heat until flavors are blended. Set aside.

3.Grate the cheese and stuff into the chilis.

4.Beat the egg white until stiff……add the yolks to the whites, fold in with about 5 tablespoons of flour.

5.Holding the chilis together, dip into the batter and then place chilis into a skillet with about a full quarter inch of hot oil. (I used Canola). You don’t need the oil deep. Turn down the stove a little and brown on both sides. Cook until browned and lay the chilis over the heated sauce.

6.Serve with sliced avacados over the chilis…..Mexican cheese sprinkled over the top and sliced radishes.

• 12 each Poblano chilies — large fresh
• Chihuahua cheese — cubed
• 1 each Garlic clove, large — halved
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Whipping cream
• 1/2 pound Monterey jack or
• Onion, sm yel — coarse chop
• 6 each Eggs
• 3 tablespoons Sour cream

Directions:

Make the Crema Fresca ahead of time: mix Cream and Sour Cream together. Cover and let stand at room temp. until thickened, 8 hours or overnight. Chill until ready to use. Char the Chili Peppers over a gas flame until blackened on all sides. Wrap them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam. Peel and core the Chilies.

Remove seeds, rinse and pat dry. Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously Butter a 9″ pie pan (preferably porcelain or stoneware with 2″ sides). Open up Chili Peppers and arrange around sides of pan skin side down, point toward center of pan, extending about 1/2″ above rim.

Cover bottom of pan with Chilies. Finely grate cheese with Onion and garlic in a processor using on/off pulses, about 30 seconds. Add Eggs and Salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides, about 15 seconds. Mix in the Crema Fresca (the Mexican equivalent of creme fraiche).

Pour this filling over the Chilies. Curl the edges of the Chilies over the filling. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cover Chili edges with fOil to prevent burning, if necessary. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or at room temperature.

• 2 tablespoons Peanut oil
• 1 2-oz. package dried pasilla Chilies, stemmed, seeded
• Torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup Whole blanched almonds Chopped
• 4 Chicken breast halves
• 6 cups Chicken stock or canned Low-salt broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 4 Plum tomatoes, cored Quartered
• 1/2 Onion — quartered
• 4 Cloves garlic — peeled
• 2 tablespoons Firmly packed golden brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Coarse salt
• Peanut oil (for deep frying)
• 16 Corn tortillas
• 2 1/2 cups Grated Montery Jack Cheese
• 1 cup Creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 Avocado, peeled, seeded Sliced
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over high heat. Add chilies and almonds. Saute until chilies darken and almonds are golden, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chilies and almonds to bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to same pot and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add stock; simmer until chicken is cooked through, aobut 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to another bowl using slotted spoon; cool. Reserve stock in pot.

Toast cumin seeds in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat until aromatic, about 1 minute. Mince cumin seeds. Add cumin, chili mixture, tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, sugar and salt to stock. Simmer until all ingredients are very soft, about 45 minutes.

Working in batches, puree stock mixture in blender. Return to pot. Boil until reduced to 4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill chicken and sauce separately.)
Remove skin from chicken and discard. Cut meat from bones and shred. Transfer to bowl and combine with 1/2 cup sauce. Set filling aside.

Oil two 13X9-inch glass baking dishes. Pour oil into deep skillet to depth of 1/2 inch and heat to 375-degree F. Fry tortillas 1 at a time until softened, about 5 seconds per side. Using metal sapatula, transfer to paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped onion. Place 1/3 cup chicken down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Place seam side down in baking dishes. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover.) Preheat oven to 350-degree F. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Top with creme fraiche, avodado and clinatro.

• 8 Chicken breast halves — skinned and boned
• Salt and freshly ground — black pepper
• 4 tablespoons Butter or margarine — divided
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 1 large Onion — thinly sliced and
• into rings
• 2 pounds Anaheim chilies — peeled and
• divided or 4
• Cans (4 oz each) green — chilies, drained
• 1 cup Milk — divided
• 2 tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Sour cream
• 1 4 oz cup grated Cheddar — cheese

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp butter and oil. Add chicken and cook over medium high heat until light brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook onion in skillet until soft, but not brown. Cut all but 3 chilies into strips. Add strips to onion and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside. Place 3 whole chilies, 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 tsp salt in blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

Add sour cream and blend a few seconds more. Set aside. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter in small saucepan. Blend in flour. Add 3/4 cup milk and cook, stirring until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream mixture. Arrange half the chicken breasts in a casserole. Top with half the onion chilies mixture. Spread with half the sauce. Repeat layers. Bake, covered, @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve over beds of fluffy Arroz Blanco. Makes 6 servings.

ARROZ BLANCO:

Melt 2 Tbsp butter or margarine in 2 to 3 quart saucepan.

Add 1 cup uncooked rice and cook over moderate heat until golden, stirring often. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions and 2 cloves minced garlic; cook until onions are soft but not brown. Add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 tsp cumin seed. Bring to a boil; stir once or twice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is adsorbed. Salt to taste.

• 1 ¼ pounds venison, cut into half-inch dice.
• ¾ lb of ground venison.
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes.
• 10 oz can of red kidney beans, drained.
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced.
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.
• 1 large onion, chopped.
• 1 small hot green chili pepper, minced.
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
• 3 tablespoons of masa harina.
• 2 ½ tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
• 2 ½ tablespoons of ground chili powder.
• 2 tablespoons of ground cumin.
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Ground black pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Stir in the onion, garlic and chili.

Saute over a medium-to-high heat until the onion is just tender (takes 4-5 mins).

Add the diced and the ground venison and keep cooking for about another 5 minutes, stirring, until the ground venison is no longer red.

Add all the remaining ingredients except the kidney beans and the masa harina.

Bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times.

Stir in the beans and masa harina and heat through.

Serve.