Shelby’s Hot Taco Dip

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 lg can of Bean Dip

1 c sour cream

1 envelope of taco mix

1/2 c green onions, chopped

1 8 oz pkg shredded cheddar/jack cheese (more if desired)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a mixing bowl.

Transfer to an 8×8 glass casserole dish. Top w/cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted & hot in center (about 30 min).

Serve w/corn chips.

Easily doubled for a lg fiesta.

Spicy Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken (with a kick)

2 chicken breasts  cubed

1 tbsp cooking sherry* 

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

¼ cup oil

1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it, a little goes a long way)

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)1/2 cup cashews, unsalted

toasted sesame seeds

lightly or unsalted cashews. 

sauce:

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

4 tsp sugar

2 tsp white vinegar

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce with the cooking sherry* in medium sized bowl. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, put chicken pieces in soy/sherry mixture. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 4 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp vinegar. Set aside. Slice the green onions, and measure out the red pepper flakes and minced garlic. 

Drain chicken in strainer to get the marinade off as much a possible. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add red pepper flakes to oil,stir a couple times. Add chicken all at once, let sit for a minute or two till golden,then turn chicken. Add garlic to chicken. Cook chicken till golden on all sides and cooked through. drain oil if there is still an excessive amount. Add cashews. Move wok off hot stove and immediately pour in sauce while constantly turning chicken over to cover everything in sauce. Sauce should thicken quite a bit, if you want it thicker put it back on medium heat for about 5-10 seconds, and stir, stir, stir. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and add sliced green onions. Serve over Rice. ENJOY!

Beef Casserole with Potato and Cheese Dumplings

For the beef casserole:

1 kg chuck steak diced

1 brown onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

3 bay leaves

Dried sage and thyme

3 carrots peeled and chunked

Red wine

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 spoonful of brown sugar

Olive oil

Plain flour

Salt and pepper

Toss the beef in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper and some of the dried herbs and brown. In the same pot add the onions and garlic and bay leaves and fry. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add a big cup of red wine and deglaze. Add carrots and beef, salt and pepper and dried herbs and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a preheated over and cook at 150C for 1.5 hours.

To make the dumplings:

2 large Desiree potatoes boiled and peeled and mashed

2 tbs chopped parsley

3/4 cup cheddar

3/4 cup Parmesan

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

3/4 cups milk

60 gms butter

Combine these ingredients. Roll into lemon sized balls and place over the casserole. Cook for 20 minutes or until dumplings are done. Place under the grill for an extra 10 minutes for a golden crunchy top.

Sausage Bites

Ingredients

1 lb. hot sausage (pork or turkey)

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

2 packages crescent rolls

Dash salt & ground black pepper

Directions 

In a saute pan, brown sausage; drain. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Blend in cream cheese until the cream cheese is melted.

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and place on a baking sheet. With your fingers, gently press the seams together to seal them. Spread the sausage mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border along the edges.

Unroll the remaining package of crescent rolls and place on top of the sausage mixture. Press the edges together to seal. Gently press the seams together.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until crescent roll dough is golden brown.

Cut into small squares and serve. (A pizza cutter makes really quick and easy work of the cutting.)