Culinary Creations

If singing leaves you a little hungry, try these unique dishes.

Tortilla Lasagna (a family favorite!)

Ingredients:

1 TBsp vege oil
1 pkg (about 1.25 lb) ground turkey or chicken
1 cup chopped onion
1 ½ cups chopped green and/or red bell peppers
1 small can (4-5 oz) diced green chiles
1 pkg (1.25 oz) Taco seasoning mix
2 cups (16 oz) Thick & Smooth Taco sauce
1 pkg (10) soft taco-size flour tortillas
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly greese 13/9 baking dish.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey or chicken, stirring occasionally, and cook 5-6 minutes until no longer pink; drain. Stir in onion, peppers, chiles and seasoning mix. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly tender.

Spread ½ cup taco sauce over bottom of baking dish. Cover with 5 tortillas. Spread with half of the meat mixture and ½ cup taco sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

 Serve with chopped lettuce and fresh tomatoes if available.

 Tulsa Black Bean Salsa

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 oz can white shoe peg corn
6 TBsp fresh lime juice
6 TBsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 C. red or Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. peeled and chopped tomato
Chopped jalapeno pepper to taste (optional)

Combine everything except tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add tomatoes just before serving: you may want to drop in a little more lime juice. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish on Bibb lettuce.

To wrap up a meal, here's my "Apple Pie Recipe", tasted and critiqued by experts -- Sweet Adelines, of course, and my webmistress herself.  After a long evening of practicing your new arrangements, you and your fellow singers may need a break, and a snack!  Apple pie is the perfect conclusion for an evening of harmony.

If you would like to try a slice of this pie "on approval", move to New Jersey and join my chorus!

This recipe makes a 10-inch pie. If you're going to mess up your kitchen, you might as well go for the big one!

Apple filling - Measure the following ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt

10 cups thinly sliced pared apples (I combine Granny Smiths with Yellow Delicious or Jonagolds, achieving tart and sweet and great texture all at once.)
Mix all dry ingredients in separate bowl, then spoon over prepared apple slices and stir to coat all slices. Set aside and prepare crust.

Crust ( 2 layers): Measure 2 2/3 cups flour and 1 tsp. salt into bowl. Cut in 1 cup Crisco shortening using pastry cutter or 2 knives. When consistency is 
that of small peas, sprinkle in very cold water (7-8 TBsp), one tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. To ensure great pastry, use cold water and avoid overhandling the dough throughout the entire preparation.  Place half of dough on sheet of waxed paper, cover with additional sheet and roll into a flat circle somewhat larger than the pie plate edges. Flip the rolled dough (still attached to the bottom waxed paper) and loosen gently with knife so pastry falls into pie plate. 

Pack tightly and mound apple slice mixture into crust-lined pie plate. Prepare another circular sheet of pastry as before. Using fluting wheel or knife, make rows of slits in the pastry for steam vents. Then flip that sheet of pastry over and onto the mounded apples and remove the waxed paper gently with a knife. Seal edges of upper and lower pastries, making decorative thumbprints as you go along. Cover edges of pastry with strips of aluminum foil, loosely wrapped around to prevent excessive browning. (The aluminum should be removed after 40 minutes of baking.) Place in center of preheated oven with drip pan on rack below. Bake 50 minutes at 425 degrees F or until crust begins to brown and juice bubbles through the slits.