Cooking in a Flash

By now, the days are longer, the skiing is great and I for one hate to be indoors. Make a few meals ahead and as it arrives, enjoy the spring doing whatever you’d rather be doing than cooking!
Chili Pie
2 cans chili w/beans
8 oz. Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
1 sleeve Saltine® crackers
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 t. cumin
2 t. paprika
6 slices American cheese (or your favorite)

Cook the sausages and then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Heat the chili —but do not boil. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and the cooked sausages. Crumble the crackers and fold them into the chili. Pour this mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese slices. Heat for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese melts and the chili is hot. Serves six.
Blender Borscht
1 (15 0z.) can sliced beets w/juices
1 cup sour cream
1 cup beef consommé
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. sugar
1 t. dill
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve cold or heat slowly. Serves three.
Crab Bisque
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can condensed green pea soup
1 (12 oz.) container beer
1 cup 1/2-&-1/2 or cream
1/2 t. dill
1/2-3/4 lb. lump crabmeat

Combine all the ingredients except for the crabmeat. Heat this slowly over low heat —do not boil. Turn off the heat and then add the crab and allow it to sit briefly before serving. Serves four. *I use a dash of Old Bay® seasoning on each serving. And scallops or shrimp can also be used.

Chicken Quesadillas
1 can chickpeas, drained & mashed
1 cup sour cream, divided
1/2 cup salsa, divided
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 sm. flour tortillas
2 t. vegetable oil
1/2-chicken breast, cubed or shredded
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green (or red) pepper
1 T. fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the chickpeas, two tablespoons of the sour cream, two tablespoons of the salsa and the garlic in a bowl and then set it aside. Brush one side of each tortilla with oil and then arrange four (oiled side down) on a baking sheet. Spread a quarter-cup of the chickpea mixture on each one. Combine the chicken, onions, green pepper and cilantro and then spread this on the chickpea mixture. Cover each layered tortilla with other four (oiled side up). Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them rest for five minutes before cutting them into wedges. Serve with the remaining salsa and sour cream. Serves four to five.
Rasta Pasta
1 lb. spiral pasta, cooked & drained
1 lb. hamburger or ground turkey

1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup diced green peppers
3/4 cup diced red peppers
2 cups spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup salsa
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. pepper
1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack)*
Parsley for decoration

Cook the burger, onions, garlic and peppers in a large skillet for about five minutes or until no longer pink — drain the fat. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salsa and spices. Heat to bubbling and then reduce the heat to simmer — cover and cook for five minutes (stir a few times). Remove from the heat. Spray a 13-inch by nine-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread half of the cooked pasta in the bottom of the pan, add half of the sauce, layer the cottage cheese next, and then the remaining pasta and then the sauce last. Cover the top with the shredded cheese. (You can refrigerate this and cook it later!) Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until it is heated through. (*One package of mixed shredded cheese is great to speed it up!) Serves six.