Recipes: Making the Grade

Directions
1) In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir often, cooking 4 minutes. Add diced red pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cocoa powder, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute to combine spices, stirring continuously. Add the ground beef and cook 10 minutes until no longer pink. Break beef up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kidney beans and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes more.

2) Serve topped with sour cream, cheddar on Monterey Jack cheese, sliced jalapeño and/or fried tortilla strips (cut corn tortillas into thin strips, fry in 1-inch of oil for 1-2 minutes and season with a little salt).

Serves 8-10

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce evenly over the bottom set aside.

2) In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the jumbo macaroni shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water set aside. In the same pot cook macaroni noodles in lightly salted boiling water until tender drain, rinse and set aside.

3) While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring continuously for 2 minutes, making sure it is free of lumps. Add milk slowly, continuing to whisk. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook mixture for 10 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and salt. Fold the smaller cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese mixture. Spoon about 2 tbsp of macaroni and cheese mixture into cooked jumbo shells and place stuffed shells over tomato sauce in the prepared baking dish.

4) For the topping, in a small bowl mix together crushed Ritz crackers and the melted butter until all the crumbs are moistened sprinkle evenly over stuffed shells.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue to bake for 10 minutes more.

Serves 8-10

Directions
1) Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken for 4 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in carrots, mushrooms and onions, cooking an additional 4-5 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 375°F. 4) Remove wings from refrigerator and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in marinade for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove foil cover and bake wings for an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Serves 6

Directions
1) For the chicken fingers, preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Cut each chicken breast into 4 or 5 lengthwise strips. Place eggs in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine Parmesan, panko, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika. Dip chicken pieces in eggs, letting any excess drip off, then dredge in Parmesan-panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle chicken strips with melted butter and bake 8 minutes. Flip the strips and bake for another 8 minutes, until cooked through and crisp on the outside.

2) For the honey mustard dip, in a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise Dijon and honey until combined.

3) For the Parmesan dip, in a small bowl, whisk Parmesan, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder and a pinch of salt until combined.

4) For the ketchup dip, in a small bowl, combine ketchup, honey and Worcestershire sauce. All dips can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6

2) In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, salt and pepper until combined. Add 2 handfuls of very cold water to the bowl and mix until combined. Shape the beef mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and drain on paper towel.

3) For the sauce, in a large saucepan, combine pineapple chunks (with syrup), chili sauce, red peppers, soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar. Place cornstarch in a small dish, stir in 1 cup of water until smooth and add to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, continuously stirring until sauce thickens. Gently stir meatballs into sauce, cooking until heated through.

Serves 8-10

2) While the tomatoes are roasting, in a large soup pot, heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, cooking until softened, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Over high heat, add the roasted tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

3) Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and puree the soup (using a hand held or countertop blender) until smooth. Stir in 2 tbsp butter and chopped basil.

4) For the croutons, spread margarine on both sides of bread slices. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and place 2 slices in the pan. Top each with 1 slice of cheese and place remaining bread slices on the cheese. Cook for 2 minutes, until underside is golden brown, flip and cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove from pan, cooling a few minutes before slicing. Cut into 1-inch squares and sprinkle a small handful on each bowl of soup.

Serves 10-12