Layered Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. hamburger
3-4 10 oz. cans of red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas, small or medium size
1/2 head of lettuce
3-4 tomatoes
1/2 bunch green onions

to garnish:
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa

Brown ground beef in large saucepan. Add cans of sauce. Simmer on low.

Layer corn tortillas between damp paper towels. Microwave 30 seconds, check for tenderness. Continue at 30 second intervals until done.

Use tongs to place tortilla in sauce mix. Turn over to coat. Carefully place on plate on top of some lettuce (helps grip). Pour sauce mix over tortilla liberally. Add tomatoes and cheese. Coat another tortilla, place on top, add more sauce, and add lettuce, cheese, tomato, and onion. Can coat again with sauce if desired.

Garnish with sour cream and salsa.

Serves 4-6

Sweet & Sour Meatballs & Rice

1 lb. ground beef
1/3 C. fine dry bread crumbs
1/3 C. milk
2 Tbs. minced onion
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 C. sliced green pepper
1 1/2 C. instant rice
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs. oil
1 C. beef broth
1/3 C. vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
2 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

Combine beef, bread crumbs, milk, onion, egg, 1 tsp. salt and pepper; mix well and shape into 20 small meatballs. Saute meatballs and garlic in hot oil until well browned. Combine broth, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce and 1 tsp. salt. Add to meatballs. Stir until thickened. Move meatballs to side of pan. Add green peppers, 1 1/2 C. boiling water and rice. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Makes 6 cups or 5 servings.

Spinach Salad

2 Tbs. diced red onion
1/3 C. white sugar
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. & 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
2 eggs
5 oz. fresh spinach--chopped, washed and dried
1/2 head iceberg lettuce--rinsed, dried and chopped
1/4 lb. bacon--cooked and crumbled
3/4 C crushed croutons
1/2 red onion, sliced in rings

Boil eggs to make them hard boiled. In a different saucepan, combine the diced onion, sugar, black pepper, celery salt, mustard, vegetable oil, and vinegar. Whisk over high heat until all ingredients are well mixed and onions are translucent. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, spinach, iceberg lettuce, bacon, croutons and onion rings. Toss together.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat evenly.

Serves 4.

Spicy Tex Mex Salad

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar and Monterey cheese blend
1 (10 oz.) pkg chopped romaine lettuce
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 (16 oz.) bottle Catalina salad dressing
1 (16 oz.) pkg corn chips

In a large bowl, combine the pinto beans, black beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Add 3/4 bottle dressing and mix well. Add corn chips before serving.

This tastes great served with corn bread!

Boiled Tilapia Parmesan

1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. butter, softened
3 Tbs. mayonaisse
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiler pan or line a pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonaisse and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in  single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove for fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Korean BBQ Beef

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4") slices

1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.

Garlic Balsamic Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

If roasting in the oven, heat oven to 425. If grilling, prepare grill to medium heat. Wash asparagus and then remove the bottom couple of inches of each stalk. Just snap off the woody ends. It may seem wasteful, but you won't eat it, anyway.

In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, oil, vinegar and garlic. Drizzle over asparagus and toss to coat. If roasting, place in a single layer on a broiling pan. If grilling, reduc heat to low, lightly oil grill, and place asparagus perpendicular to the grate of the grill. Drizzle any remaining oil/vinegar mix over the asparagus. If using oven, roast for 10 minutes, turning once. If using grill, grill for 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and still slightly crisp, turning very frequently.