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BARBECUE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
 

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 cup barbecue sauce
3 cups Wisconsin Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded
3/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
10 flour tortillas (9-inch diameter)
2 cups salsa
2 cups guacamole
1 cup sour cream
20 cilantro sprigs

 Directions: Combine chicken, barbecue sauce, cheese, scallions, and seasonings. Spread chicken mixture over half of each tortilla, spreading to edge. Fold plain half over filling; press down firmly. Cook tortillas in dry skillet until crisp and lightly browned, turning once. For each portion, cut quesadilla into six wedges. Place on serving plate, points toward center. Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro. Number of Servings:  10

© Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

    Strawberry Bruschetta
“This is a delicious variation of the popular tomato based appetizer. The strawberries are warm and sweet and the sugar is caramelized and crunchy! Your guests will love it!”
   
24 slices French baguette
    1 tablespoon butter, softened
    2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
    1/4 cup white sugar, or as needed

 Directions
1. Preheat your oven’s broiler. Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2.  Place bread under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, just until lightly toasted. Spoon some chopped strawberries onto each piece of toast, then sprinkle sugar over the strawberries.
3. Place under the broiler again until sugar is caramelized, three to five minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.
Recipe from Allrecipes.com.

 
Strawberry-Pecan Quickbread   

2  eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 t  ground cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
10 oz sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 c oil
 

Directions:     Beat eggs, sugar and oil until well combined. Add flour, cinnamon,  baking soda and salt. Beat until well blended (batter should be thick). Stir in undrained berries and the nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

 
Norwegian Cold Rhubarb Soup with Mint

Ingredients:
4 sticks of rhubarb
1/2 of a vanilla bean
1 pt of water
6 oz sugar
5 sprigs of mint
1 lemon

Directions: Take the leaves off the stems of the mint sprigs. Peel the rhubarb and cut it into thin slices. Put  the rhubarb peel in a saucepan with the water, sugar, stick of vanilla, the juice of the  lemon and the mint stems, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Sieve the liquid  and add the rhubarb slices. Bring it to the boil, take off the heat and leave to cool. Cut  the mint leaves into thin strips. Serve the soup ice cold with the chopped mint leaves on  top. Serves 8 people.

Rhubarb and Ginger Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb fresh rhubarb cut into 1” chunks
1/2 c  butter
1/3 c  sugar plus extra for sprinkling
2  eggs
1/2 c  flour
1 tsp  ground ginger

 
    For the topping:
3 oz  butter
4 oz  flour
2 oz  sugar
powdered sugar to finish

Directions
Preheat the oven to  350°. Prepare the rhubarb by trimming off the leafy  tops and the pale pink root slivers at the base of each stalk. Rinse and chop into 1” chunks.
Cream the butter and sugar together and when light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a  time beating well. Fold in the flour and the ground ginger. Spoon the mixture into a  greased and floured 8”cake pan. Cover with the prepared rhubarb and sprinkle with sugar.
Make the topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and stirring in the sugar. Spoon over the rhubarb. Bake for 45 min. until firm and  springy to the touch. Allow to cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 Chicken or Turkey Red Grape Salad

 A simple and delicious salad that will help you use up your leftovers. Simply omit celery root if unavailable. Makes six servings.

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package mostaccioli pasta
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon minced celery root
2 cups halved seedless red grapes
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 cup chopped celery
1 head romaine lettuce leaves, torn into bite size pieces

 Directions

 1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and run under cold water to cool. Drain again, and transfer to a large bowl.
 2.  In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream and celery root. Stir this into the noodles to coat. Fold in the grapes, turkey and celery. Chill until serving.
3. To serve, place a bed of romaine lettuce onto serving plates. Top with the turkey pasta salad.

 It’s always nice to have a couple of simple appetizer recipes to fix for Holiday guests or as a take-along for someone else’s party.

 Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels

Use these rolled-up snacks as afternoon or evening finger food for yourself and friends. To feed a crowd, double or triple the recipe. Cooking time: 10 minutes plus chilling. Prep time: 15 minutes

 Ingredients

 1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup canned chickpeas(Garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon plain fat-free yogurt
 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
 2 teaspoons water
 Pinch salt
 1 spinach-flavored flour tortilla (8 inches; salad plate size)
 1 cup mixed salad greens

 Preparation

 1. Preheat broiler. Broil pepper pieces, skin side up, 4 inches from heat, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2. Combine chickpeas, yogurt, sesame oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, and salt in food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Spread mixture evenly over one side of the tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border all around. Top with salad greens and roasted peppers. Roll up jelly-roll fashion.
4. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, no more than 4 hours. The roll will get softer and easier to slice as it sits in the refrigerator before serving. The longer it's in, the softer it gets. If left too long, they will get soggy. Unwrap and slice crosswise into 8 pieces (1 inch wide) to serve.

Serves: 8 Per serving (1 piece): Calories 45, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 75 mg, carbohydrate 8.5 g, fiber 1.5 g, protein 1.5 g.

Beer Cheese Soup

 INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle light beer
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

 DIRECTIONS

1.  Melt the butter or margarine in a 4 1/2 quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce and cook until onions are just tender. Add the beer and raise the heat to high and boil for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Add the chicken broth and bring the soup back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer.
2.  Combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water and stir until smooth. Set aside.
3.  Add the half-and-half and shredded cheese to the soup. Stir constantly until the cheese melts. Then stir in the cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly until the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Serve garnished with bacon bits.

 This soup is excellent as a  vegetable soup, but if you like you can add small meatballs made of ground Italian sweet or hot sausage or sliced links of Italian sausage, or hamburger seasoned with Italian seasoning and plenty of black pepper. Sausage may be cooked in the broth to add flavor; brown hamburger and seasonings seperately before adding to soup.

Italian Minestrone Soup

 2 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lg. diced onion
2 c. diced potatoes
1 c. diced celery
1 c. sliced zucchini
1 c. green beans
2 c. shredded cabbage
4 c. beef or chicken broth
2 c. peeled tomatoes
1 can cannellini or northern beans
1/2 lb. sm. shell pasta
Chopped parsley & basil
Freshly ground black pepper

 Saute garlic and onion. Add potatoes, celery, carrots and stir a few minutes. Add broth and 2 cups of water, bring to boil then add peeled tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add zucchini, green beans and cabbage, bring to boil. Add parsley, basil and beans, let simmer until vegetables are almost ready. Bring to boil, add pepper and salt to taste. Add dried shell pasta. Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle grated cheese on each serving. Makes 6 servings.

 Bacon Quiche Tarts

 Flavored with vegetables, cheese and bacon, these memorable morsels  are bound to be requested at your house. The tarts are an impressive addition to brunch, but they’re quite easy to make.

 INGREDIENTS
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
5 teaspoons milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

 DIRECTIONS
1.   In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add the eggs, cheese, green pepper and onion; mix well.
2.   Separate dough into eight triangles; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the bacon into cups. Pour egg mixture over bacon; top with remaining bacon. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 Firm tofu can be substituted for the chicken.

 4 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
 1 jar green salsa (Embasa, Old El Paso etc.)
 1 small can diced green chilies
 1/2 cup yellow or green onion, chopped
 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, leaves only
 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
 2 tbsps ground cumin
1 package large corn torillas cut into 1 inch strips
 4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, jack or pepper jack, asadero, cotija, mozarella or a combination)
 1 small can sliced black olives
 Lime wedges and sour cream for serving

Preparation: In large bowl combine chicken, soup, salsa, chilies, onion, cilantro, garlic, and cumin. Mix well.
In a lightly oiled 9 x 13 pan, layer ingredients as for lasagna in this order:
Tortilla strips, chicken mixture, cheddar cheese THEN  tortilla strips, chicken mixture, olives  THEN  tortilla strips, jack cheese.
Bake covered with foil at 350 deg. for 45 min. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.

Maple Mashed Butternut Squash with Pecans

 2-3 butternut squash
1/4 cup butter
 1/4 cup real maple syrup
 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
 1/4 cup pecan halves

 Cut squash in half, scrape seeds and stringy flesh out of the centers. Spray squash halves with cooking spray or place in a lightly greased baking dish. Bake in a 375º oven for about 45-min. to 1 hour, until they are tender and done. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then scrape out flesh into a mixing bowl.
Using a mixer, puree the squash with the butter and maple syrup until smooth. Fold in the chopped pecans. Place in a greased casserole. Sprinkle the pecan halves on the top of the dish. This dish can be refrigerated for up to two days at this point. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes to warm through and lightly toast the pecan halves.

 Makes 8 servings.