Patti's Southwest Salad

1 large head of lettuce chopped place in bottom of a large crystal bowl

Next layer over lettuce in bowl:
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1 can drained yellow corn
small orange, yellow, sweet red peppers sliced in circles and lined
circled round the bowl
1 pkg jarred  bacon pieces
sliced cherry tomatoes
salad style tortilla strips

Serve with a  Lite Salsa Ranch Dressing

Patti's Beef and Green Calico Beans Fall Casserole

2 lbs very lean ground beef, fry and drained running hot water over the beef
thru a colander, set aside.  A combination of ground lean turkey and ground lean beef
may be used as a replacement.

1 lb. bacon chopped and fried.  Drain well on paper towels.

1 large onion chopped
4  16 oz cans drained green beans rinsed
3 16oz cans drained yellow beans rinsed
1 64 oz can of baked beans (do not drain)
2  16oz cans drained Northern beans rinsed
2 16oz cans hot chili beans do not drain
2 16oz cans drained kidney beans rinsed
2 16oz cans drained butter beans rinsed

Sauce ingredients:
1 16oz can diced tomatoes do not drain
1 1/2 cup catsup
4 T. brown sugar
2 Tab. dry mustard
5 teas. apple cider vinegar
2 teas. sea salt

2 very large sweet green peppers chopped large


Spray a large crockpot with non-stick spray.  Combine beef, bacon, and sauce ingredients in very
large bowl.  Add all the beans and stir lightly.  Pour into very large crock pot.  Heat on high 2 hrs till
bubbly, adding the chopped green peppers the last 45 minutes.  Cook till bubbly.  Pour into
individual bowls and serve with tortilla chips.  Pairs well with a salad on the side.

I rinse the beans to remove extra salt and try to buy low sodium beans.  Use any combination of
different types of beans.  I adjust the sweetness as needed.  2 seeded chopped jalapenas could
be added for a sweet/hot flavor along with using the hot chili beans.  The green and yellow beans seem a little
different but are an excellent choice, low calorie added to the mix of beans.  Very hearty dish for a cool

nite...can be served as a chili with cheese, lettuce, and lite sour cream topping.

Fresh Dilled Sweet Buttered Carrots

3 lbs fresh peeled baby carrots
few teaspoons brown sugar
lite butter spread
fresh minced dill

Steam or boil carrots till crisp tender  Drain. Place on burner low heat, add few teas. of  brown sugar. 
Add couple of tab. of lite butter, Add few teas. of brown sugar and small handful of fresh minced dill.

Dill is amazing on fresh vegetables such as carrots, and also absolutely delicious in chicken soup.  Fresh dill for those not familiar with using it has a very sweet aromatic flavor.  Being of Czech descent our family has used this herb many yrs. as it is traditional.  Czechs also use dill in preparing special dill gravies.

Pork Roast Roasted w/Columbia Restaurant Seasoning

Top Loin Pork Roast  5 lbs or plus
sliced garlic cloves
Columbia Seasoning (can be purchased on-line from famous
Columbia Cuban Restaurant in Sand Key, Florida


Place roast fat side up on wood prep board.  Cut tiny slits all thru roast inches apart.  Place tiny slices
of garlic into slits ontop and down sides of roast.  Cover sprinkling with Columbia seasoning covering all of roast top and bottom.  Place in roasting pan and bake 350 degrees till center is slightly white, pink gone and still juicy. 

The seasoning is delicious from this Cuban restaurant and can be purchased on-line.  The Columbia Restaurant is amazing noted for their Cuban sandwiches made with this incredible spiced pork.  They
also serve sliced pork such as the recipe I created here.  The ambiance is incredible at this restaurant.

Balsamic Dressed Roasted Asparagas

2 lbs fresh asparagas or 2 lg packages
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil
sea salt
fresh lemon

On two baking pans sprinkle with olive oil.  Spread spears onto two large baking pans.  Sprinkle
with balsamic vinegar litely.  Roast 350 degrees  20 min. till litely brown.  Squeeze fresh lemon and
sprinkle with sea salt.  Delicious....my concoction...

Healthy Vegetable Mexican Omelet

In pan slightly brown 1 lb of turkey breakfast sausage, I prefer Jennie-O, very good!!!  Drain off grease and set aside.

Saute  a combination of fresh assorted chopped veggies (chopped broccoli, onion, sw. peppers, etc.... saute in omelet pan sprayed with Pam.  To keep out dryness spray veggies with the cooking spray.  I use the butter flavor.  Set aside.
.
Whisk in a bowl 1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites and one Tablespoon of water...never add milk to eggs for an omelet. ruins the omelet....whisk in a bowl add pepper if desired.  I don't use salt. Pour in an omelet pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Set burner on low rotate pan circular motion popping bubbles in eggs, add sauted veggies and handful of cooked turkey sausage.  Top with handful of low fat shredded Mexican cheese.  Cover and let cook stove top for a few minutes checking very closely till cheese melts.  Flip omelet in half on side and then onto dish.  Top with salsa if desired and no fat sour cream. 

Serve w/healthy whole grain low carb tortillas or choice of whole grain muffin or toast.  I served this omelet
with toasted

English muffin and raspberry jalapena jam.

. 

Healthy Ricotta Penne en Casserole

2 boxes of Multi-Grain Penne, or preferred penne (sm. mostaccoli)
1 1/2 pkgs. hot Italian turkey sausage (must use hot), remove from casing if desired
4 jars 28 oz Prego Healthy Heart Marinara Sauce
2 onions chopped, saute with non-stick spray
2 cups fresh broccoli chopped tiny pieces
1 lg box sliced mushrooms litely sauteed
2 sweet red or grn pepper chopped large litely saute in non-stick spray or micro 40 seconds
lg. fat-free ricotta cheese
1 8 oz. pkgs of shredded Parmesan cheese
Litely fry sausage removed from casing in olive oil or cooking spray.   Cool and slice in small pieces.

Set aside. Boil water in large dutch oven and cook pasta a la dente. Meantime while pasta is cooking, chop broccoli, sw. peppers, 2 onions.  Litely spray with cooking spray very lg deep baking pan or 2 casserole pans. In a very large bowl litely toss pasta, sausage, 2 1/2 jars marinara sauce, veggies.  Place half of the pasta into the extra lg deep baking pan or two pans as a layer.  Drop by spoonfuls 1/2 container of the ricotta cheese to ea. pan of penne.  Repeat layer ricotta on top.  Pour 1/2 sauce over top of casserole. Cover with Parmesan cheese. Bake 400 degrees 45 min  till Parmesan and ricotta melts and check till hot and bubbly through. Cut into large squares or scoop large spoonfuls to plates. Serve last jar of marinara sauce heated on the side to top individual servings if desired. Parmesan and crushed red pepper, giardiniera on the side.....

Credit for this recipe is due to my friend/school chum Artie Quarto's original recipe. I have devised a health conscious multi-grain version with veggies and turkey sausage. Thank you again Artie! Please see Artie's
 blog for his original recipe....he is one excellent chef!!!!

FRESH HEALTHY PINTO BEANS FROM DRY BEANS:

2 lbs dry pinto beans cover in bowl of water for 4 hrs with 2 teas baking soda

Prepare boiling water in lg pot such as a dutch oven on top of stove. 

Blk pepper to taste a good teaspoon

Salt  2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add beans and simmer.  When partially cooked beginning to soften after approx 1 hour add:

2 sm. cans of tomato sauce

3 cloves of garlic or = of garlic powder

½  small bunch of cilantro chopped fine

1 large onion chopped

1 can of mild green chilies chopped

Simmer on low on stove top will soft and slightly mushy.  Season to taste again with salt. 

Add:   a couple of small diced fresh tomatoes at the end before serving. 

Then  when serving sprinkle with crumbled queso (white) crumbly Mexican cheese if desired. 
Also can top or add sliced chopped jalapenas, or another shredded cheese.

Can also add cooked chorizo crumbled to beans when adding tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro, etc.

You can serve and layer as a dip with salsa and avocado, top with shredded lettuce.

Use as a filling with shredded cheese for bean tacos or whatever…..

Thank you to my friend Alicia for her own recipe she brings from her original homeland in Mexico.

Whole Grain Oats Adult Peanut Butter Monster Cookies

2 sticks butter
1 teas. salt
6 eggs
3 cups brown sugar
1 teas. vanilla
1 Rab cinnamon
4 teas. baking soda
24 oz peanut butter smooth
10 cups whole old fashioned oats
1 large chocolate chip
1 box raisins

Mix butter, salt, eggs, baking soda, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon.  Whip and add peanut butter. Fold
in oats and lastly stir folding in choc. chips and raisins.

Bake 350 approx 8 min keep checking.  Bake on wax paper lined baking sheets.  Be sure to change
wax paper ea. batch baked.  Should be slightly soft and not brown but baked cookie holding
together.  Cool on racks and they will remain soft.  If you like heat in microwave to warm a minute
or so, scrumptious....

This is my very own recipe I composed putting together from various recipes to get the results I desired.