Recipes by Jeanette

Here are a couple of simple casseroles with a Southwest flavour, a yummy pie, and a drink that's great for cooling off on a hot summer day.

Chickenless King Ranch Casserole

King Ranch Chicken is a Texas classic. My recipe is a quick and easy version of the original, minus the chicken. If you want to fowl it up, replace the tofu with pre-cooked chicken. Two of the following recipes call for canned green chilies (also called New Mexico chilies, Hatch or Anaheim peppers, which are popular in Texas and California cuisine. And in New Mexico, I presume. I don't know how readily available they are in the rest of the world, though.

Ingredients:
1 package (12 to 16 oz) firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced Rotel tomatoes (or plain canned tomatoes)
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
12 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch strips
Chili powder
Sliced black olives

Mix soup, tomatoes and chilies. Spray 13 inch by 9 inch baking disk with cooking spray.

Layer half of tortilla strips, then half of tofu and half of soup mixture in dish. Cover with half of each kind of cheese. Sprinkle with chili powder. Repeat layers. Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour. Remove from oven and garnish with a handful of sliced olives.

"Now, only two things are better
Than milkshakes and malts
And one is dancin like the dickens
To the West Texas Waltz"
(Butch Hancock, West Texas Waltz)

Chili Relleno Casserole

Ingredients:
2 4oz cans chopped green chilies, drained
1lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1lb cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Mix chilies and cheeses in bowl. Set aside. Beat egg whites just until soft peaks form.

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into yolk mix.

Liberally apply butter to a 12 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Fill pan with cheese mixture. Pour egg mixture over cheese. With a fork, gently ooze the mixture throughout the cheese. Smooth the top a little.

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove and place tomato slices, overlapped, on top. Return to oven and make for 30 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

For a little extra flavour, sprinkle top with chili powder or lemon pepper after adding tomatoes.

"Everybody's comin' home for lunch these days.
Last night there were skinheads on my lawn."
(Camper Van Beethoven, Take the Skinheads Bowling)

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

The following recipe has actually gotten me a couple of marriage proposals. I guess it proves the old adage about the best way to a man's heart being through his stomach. And I always thought that was only true if your knife had a nice long blade.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
6oz chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate to semi-sweet)
Unbaked pie shell (see below)

Beat eggs. Blend in sugar, flour, butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until firm on top. Refrigerate for several hours.

For the pie shell:
1 1/3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp cold milk

Using a fork, mix flour and salt in bowl. Put oil and milk in measuring cup (don't mix). Pour oil and milk into flour and salt. Stir with fork until mixed. Dough should look moist, but not sticky.

Press dough into smooth ball and flatten slightly. Place between two sheets of waxed paper and roll dough gently towards edges of paper. (Tip: dampen your work surface slightly to prevent slipping.) Carefully remove top paper. Lift bottom paper and pastry and place paper-side-up in an 8 inch or 9 inch pie pan. Peel off paper and fit pastry into dish. Lovingly build up a beautiful fluted edge all round, just like Martha Stewart would do.

(Screw Martha. Mine always look a bit crap, really. But they taste nice)

For unbaked pie shell (as used above), use as is. For a baked pie shell, prick dough with fork. Bake in 475 degree Fahrenheit oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

"We've eaten and eaten until it hurts,
Given a whole new meaning to just desserts."
(The Lucksmiths, The Art of Cooking for Two)

Apricot Margaritas

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups fresh halved, pitted, unpeeled apricots (or one 16oz can unpeeled apricot halves, drained)
1/2 cup tequila (at least a 1/2 cup!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup apricot nectar
20 to 24 ice cubes (about 3 cups)
Lime juice
Coarse salt

Combine apricot halves, tequila, sugar, 1/4 cup lime juice and apricot nectar in a blender; blend until smooth. Add ice cubes, a few at a time, and blend until slushy

Rub rims of glasses with lime juice and invert into a shallow dish of coarse salt. Shake off excess salt. Fill glasses. Drink. Make more.

"Cigarettes and chocolate milk
These are just a couple of my cravings
Everything it seems I like's a little bit stronger
A little bit thicker, a little bit harmful for me"
(Rufus Wainwright, Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk)