Burrito Pie

3 flour tortillas
1 (15-oz.) can refried beans
2 1/2 c. shredded cheese
Salsa (optional)


Grease a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate.  Spread a layer of beans in the bottom of the pan.  Top with salsa, and a layer of cheese.  Spread beans on one side of one tortilla.  Place on top of cheese with the beans facing up.  Top with salsa and more cheese.  Repeat layers once.  Top with a tortilla and the remaining cheese.


Bake at 350° F. for 25-30 minutes.


Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired.


This can easily be prepared the day before it is baked.  Add ground beef if desired.

Orchard Whirlwind Milkshake

1 nectarine or peach, cored and chopped

1 c. vanilla ice cream

milk

Whirl in blender until smooth.  Serves 1 or 2.

This is very handy!

I will want to keep this link in my favorites.  :)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Unsure what to do with all the zucchini from your garden/your neighbors' gardens/your friends' gardens/your enemies' gardens?  Try this moist and delicious cake! 

½ c. butter
½ c. oil
1¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
½ c. buttermilk or sour milk
2½ c. flour
¼ c. cocoa powder
½ t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. cloves
2 c. grated zucchini
½ c. chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter, oil, and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk and beat well. Sift dry ingredients; beat into butter mixture. Stir in zucchini. Pour into 9”x13” pan and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes. (This makes a tender, moist cake that needs no frosting because of the chocolate chips.)

Pre-baking

Post-baking

Hint of Mint Double Chocolate Cookies

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3 drops mint extract
2-ish c. flour
cocoa powder to taste (approximately 1/4 c. or so)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
chocolate chips (probably a cup or so)

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and flavorings and beat well.  Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Add chocolate chips to taste.  (Taste dough to make certain it is yummy.)  Drop by teaspoon onto papered cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly underbaked.  Cool approximately 1 minute before transferring to a plate to cool.  While cookies are warm, enjoy one--or two--with a glass of milk.  Take the rest with you to the fireworks display on July 4th to win instant friends.  ;)

Apologies for the approximations.  K and H developed this recipe from a regular chocolate chip cookies recipe, so we added the cocoa powder until it looked right.  And H never measures chocolate chips--whatever looks good is what I add.  So have fun with it and let us know how it turns out!  ~H & K

Blueberry-Pecan Biscuits

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. raw sugar, plus more for topping
4 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. blueberries
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2/3 c. sour milk

Preheat oven to 450°F.  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Gently add blueberries and pecans.  Add milk all at once, gently stirring until dough follows fork around bowl.  Be very gentle with the dough to avoid crushing berries.  Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheet; sprinkle top with raw sugar.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Serve with yogurt or eggs.

Total prep time: approximately 1 hour.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

vegetarian chili beans
lettuce, washed and torn to small pieces
tomatoes, washed and chopped
cucumbers, washed and chopped
minced onion
shredded cheeese, any variety
salsa
tortilla chips
sour cream

Combine or layer in any order on serving plates or in one large bowl.  All ingredients may be substituted or omitted as desired.

This is a delicious no-cook meal which even my meat-loving Dad enjoyed!