Flank Steak with Confetti Salsa

You can never have too many grill recipes unless it's a cold wet summer like it's been here this year. I figure it'll be 85 in late October.

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, minced
1 avocado, chopped
1 c diced fresh mango
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 c cilantro
salt and pepper
2.5 lb flank steak

Combine red pepper, onion, garlic, avocado, mango and lime juice in a small bowl. Add cilantro.

Rub steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness. Remove from grill and tent with foil for 10 minutes before slicing thin across the grain. Serve with salsa, rice, and chips.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Another chicken casserole. . .yippee. I know they are not exciting but they are cheap and the fam likes 'em.

1 1b. chicken
12 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/4 c sour cream
10 oz frozen peas
3 Tbsp sherry

Cook and dice chicken. Combine chicken, spaghetti, soup, parmesan, and sour cream. Stir in frozen peas. Spread into 13x9 and drizzle with sherry. Top with more parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

Lots of color and veggies and each girl CLEANED HER PLATE. They loved this. Packed with fiber and vitamins, this dish is good hot for dinner and as a cold pasta salad for lunch the next day.

1 lb pasta (penne, rotini, shells)
1 1/2 c broccoli
olive oil
1 pkg. turkey smoked sausage
1 c coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
dash salt

Cook pasta is salted water, adding broccoli in the last few minutes of cook time. Drain and return to the pot. In a skillet, heat olive oil to steaming. Slice sausage on diagonal in 1 inch pieces and add to the skillet. Cook til well browned and heated through. Add sausage to the pasta mix, scraping the pan to get all the oil. Add red peppers. Toss well to combine and heat thru. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

It's time to eat healthy again! After all the rich food and drink of the past 6 weeks, I am ready to eat like a rabbit. This is a great quick soup that is low in fat too. Perfect with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

8oz turkey or vegetarian sausage
9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
28 oz crushed tomatoes
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchinis chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
4 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups water

Microwave sausage and crumble. In a large soup pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add zucchini, onion, and pepper. Saute until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Smoky Orange Chicken

This is a really simple way to prepare chicken and it smells awesome. I am always looking for sauces and marinades that are lower in sodium and ARE NOT BBQ SAUCE! This fit the bill. This recipe makes enough for 3 meals so I often freeze them for a busy night.

10 chicken breasts
1 jar of orange marmalade
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp liquid smoke

Combine orange marmalade, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Season chicken with pepper and a teeny pinch of salt. Brown chicken in a large skillet in batches til brown on both sides but raw in the middle. Place all the chicken in the skillet and top with sauce. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Tis the season for cookies! I do not have the patience to make batch after batch of cookies so I tend to make bars cookies. This is a simple and quick recipe when you have to bring a dozen cookies somewhere.

1 c peanut butter
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 c flour
2 c chocolate chips

Cream peanut butter, butter, sugars, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour. Stir in 3/4 c chips. Spread in 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chips.

Sausage Stars

Tis the season for appetizers! This one is really tasty but I haven't eaten them since Christmas 1997. You see, I was 8 weeks pregnant that Christmas and I made these for a Christmas party. The smell and the raw sausage was too much for my tender tummy. That "pregnancy" is now a 10 year old girl who LOVES to cook so we're going to make these next week. Hopefully she'll love them!

1 pound bulk sausage
1 1/2 c cheddar
1 1/2 c monterey jack
1 c ranch dressing
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1 pkg. won ton wrappers

Brown and drain sausage. Combine all ingredients except won tons. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Press won tons into cups. Spray again. Bake for 5 minutes at 350. Remove from tins, fill and bake 5-7 minutes. Serve HOT!