Daley Jello Salad

NOTE: This is a food tradition on my husband's side of the family. Uncle Roger makes it the best. This is his "verbal" recipe written down. You can play with the flavors. Some of our favorites are raspberry flavored Jell-O with frozen raspberries mixed in; lime Jell-O with pineapple; and (our personal favorite) strawberry flavored Jell-O with fresh cut up strawberries (sliced bananas may also be added). Feel free to experiment and try out different combinations of your favorite fruit. 

INGREDIENTS: 
16 oz Original Cool Whip
24 oz Small Curd Cottage Cheese, 4% milk fat
6 oz Jell-O Gelatin Dessert, Strawberry flavored
2-3 cups of strawberries, sliced or 2-3 cups frozen raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a rubber scraper until there are no white spots remaining.
2. Add fruit and mix in. 
3. May serve immediately, which we like to do if there's frozen raspberries in it!

Serves: 8

Balsamic Vinaigrette

NOTE: This is delicious as a salad dressing or as a dip for Focaccia.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cub balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl whisk the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until mixed well.
2. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well blended.
3. Best to refrigerate after use.

Cheree's Dill Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sour cream (NOT low fat or non fat)
1 cup cottage cheese (small curd, 4% milk fat) 
1 1/2 teaspoons dill
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Blends Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt OR Celery Salt
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP chopped green onion (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients together with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
2. Chill 1 hour.

Michelle's White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2, 15 oz great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1, 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
12 oz - 1 lb cooked chicken
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb or 3 cups frozen corn
1 4oz diced green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whipping cream

OPTIONAL:
Shredded cheese
Corn chips
Chopped avacado

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute onion, garlic in hot oil until softened. 
2. Add beans, broth, corn, chilies, chicken and seasoning.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sour cream and 3/4 cup whipping cream.
5. Serve with shredded cheese, corn chips, and avocado.

Black Bean Quesadillas

*Adapted from www.budgetbytes.com. I usually triple this recipe for my family of 7, so we can have leftovers. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or 1 can of corn, rinsed and drained)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
¼ bunch fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheese
1 TBSP taco seasoning
5 burrito sized tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain the can of beans and rinse lightly. Place the beans in a large bowl along with the corn (no need to thaw). 
2. Rinse the cilantro, remove the leaves, and chop roughly. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the cilantro, onion, garlic, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the beans and corn. Lastly, mix up a batch of taco seasoning and add to the bowl. Stir everything until evenly mixed. 
3. Place a half cup of the filling on one side of each tortilla and fold over. Cook in a skillet on both sides over medium heat until brown and crispy and the cheesy filling has melted. 
4. To freeze the quesadillas, simply fill each one and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for one hour to solidify the quesadillas and then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat either microwave (for a soft quesadilla) or cook in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so that the filling has time to thaw and melt before the outside burns).