White Corn/Blackbean Salsa

Finally something on the lighter end of the spectrum. This healthy throw-together is great to eat with chips, serve on tacos, or shovel as salad. It yields an endless bowl.

The ingredients:

Roughly 1/4 c. chopped green onions
About the same amount or more of chopped cilantro
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
juice from 1 lime
1 chopped jalapeno
2 cans white (shoepeg) corn, drained
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
1 small can green chilies
Salt, pepper, seasoned salt

Combine together with a fork. Best tasting after it's been chilled.

The Thing w/Coconut

Everyone's got their own versions of brownies and bars. This thing is kind of a compilation of many of those variations with, as always, budget and mobile motivation in mind. I just so happened to have some almonds and coconut - so that's what you get. This recipe, specifically, is also a variation of some chess cake that's in my grandmother's cookbook - just with a larger pan. Either way, it's a good, quick fix. Make it how you like it.

The recipe:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick softened butter
1 beaten egg
1 8oz. bar softened cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract
1 lb. box powdered sugar
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of large jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with at least 1-inch sides on it). In one bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and beaten egg. After blending with fork or hands, press evenly into pan building the dough about an inch on sides of pan; be patient.




In another bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla or lemon flavor, powdered sugar and three eggs. This is where you can throw in a slew of pantry extras like coconut and sliced almonds like I did.


Pour into pan over the crust and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until top becomes golden.



Note how quickly they vanish.

Mexican Cornbread

Man, how often do you pick up a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix? Let me tell you --- not often enough! If you did, you'd realize that this 59 cent purchase could take you to places you've never been - places reminiscent of grandma's kitchen or perhaps San Antonio, Tx. That's right, we're having Tex-Mex again.

The best part about this dish, though, is that it essentially covers most of the food pyramid in one pie slice. Chomp on some field greens and you're set for the night. Likewise, cut more scanty slices, and it's an all-in-one appetizer that no one else would ever imagine bringing to the party. Oddly great for breakfast and loves to sit in the fridge for a while. Best $8 spent this month.


Mexican Cornbread:

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. Taco mix
1 box cornbread mix
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 jalapeno
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream style corn


In a heavy skillet, cook onion and meat together until onion is soft and meat is brown. Add taco mix and jalapeno. Set aside. In small bowl, mix cornbread mix according to directions on box, adding in the can of corn. Grease the sides of an 8X8 pan with a little oil. Pour half of the cornbread mix, then layer the meat. Cover with grated cheese and add the remaining cornbread mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.