Rusty's Cilantro Lime Rice

I love to make this to have with the creamy chicken enchiladas recipe.

1 C. uncooked rice

1 tsp. margarine

1 clove garlic, minced...I leave this out

1 tsp. grated lime peel

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 C. chicken broth

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Combine rice, margarine, garlic, lime peel, pepper and broth in 2-3 quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil; stir once or twice.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  Stir in cilantro.

Servings:  6

To make this recipe better, do the following:

Add in Herdez salsa verde sauce at the same time the cilantro was stirred in.  For this recipe 2-3 Tbsp. were added.

I also added some lime juice at the beginning and the end.

Taco Pasta Salad

3-4 chicken breasts baked with taco seasoning or season salt

Dressing:

2 C. mayo
Fiesta Ranch Dressing Packet
1/2 C. buttermilk

Tri-colored pasta (round/curly) - cooked
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 red pepper diced
1 green pepper diced
sliced black olives
2 chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
1 can corn (drained and rinsed)

Toss all of the above, set on platter, and line with Tostitos scoops and top with more tomatoes, and cheese.

SALSA - Jana Harris

2- 24oz. cans of whole tomatoes
7oz. can diced green chilies
1 diced green pepper
1 diced red onion
1 Tbsp. course ground black pepper
California style blend garlic salt

Blender:

1 whole can and half of everything else. Put onions on very top. pulse. Add seasoning with whisk last.

Halibut with Cilantro and Lime Sauce

3/4 C. reduced calorie mayonnaise
1/2 C. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 med. tomato, seeded and diced
4 (6oz) halibut steaks, 3/4 inch thick
2 sm. scallions, diced
Corn oil cooking spray

Combine mayonnaise, cilantro and lime juice. Transfer 1/2 C. and set aside. Stir in tomato. Brush fish steaks with mixture. Heat over medium-high heat, cook turning once 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily Top with remaining sauce and top with scallions...or don't. :)

7-Layer Bean Dip (maybe 8 layers, maybe 9...)

1st layer - Bean Dip
2nd layer - Guacamole or cut up avocado
3rd layer - Sour cream
4th layer - Green onions...I would skip this layer and would LOVE it if everyone else did too.
5th layer - Tomatoes
6th layer - Black olives
7th layer - Cheddar Cheese
8th layer - Browned Ground Beef
9th layer - Green chiles, chopped, drained
10th layer - Pace Picante Sauce
11th layer - I think you get the idea...

Ingredients:

2 cans bean dip (mildor hot)
2 cans guacamole (or a couple ripe avocados)
1 bundle of green onion, chopped...if you have to
2 tomatoes, chopped(drained)
1 can black olives
8 oz. package cheddar cheese
16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. taco mix
1 extra lg. bag of tortilla chips

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Use the medium sized flour tortillas. I like to buy the package of 24 to make 2- pans. Each 9x12 pan can hold about 10 enchiladas.

You will need to double the recipe to make both 9x13 pans.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 medium container of sour cream

Mix the two together and add one can of diced green chilis.

I use about 3lbs of chicken to make both pans. Cook the chicken in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes on high in a glass cooking pan. I like to use seasonall and pepper on the chicken before I cook it. After the chicken is done, cut it into squares.

I look to put a small amount of the cream mixture on the bottom of the pan so the tortillas don't stick. Spread a couple of tablespoons of the sauce, some chicken and grated cheese, roll them up with the open side down. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and top with grated cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If you make them ahead of time and put in the fridge, then add another 15 minutes to the cooking time.