Mexican Goulash

You can make the recipe as hot or mild as your taste buds require by the taco sauces you use.

1 pound cubed chicken (you can also use ground meat..chicken, beef or pork)
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup diced green pepper (any color will work)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, veined and diced
3 tablespoons butter or oil
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy pan, add peppers and onion sautee until they start to color and soften.   Remove from pan, add remaining butter and sautee chicken until it starts to get some color.  Add peppers and onion back to pan and sprinkle with chili powder.  Cook until chili starts to release its flavor.  You'll be able to smell it.

Add the following to the meat mixture:

1 ea.  14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes w/juice

1 ea.  14 oz, can black beans rinsed and drained

1 ea.  16 oz. jar taco sauce (you can also use 1 pkg, taco seasoning + 1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce)

1 cup frozen or canned corn drained

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

As mixture absorbs the juices add either chicken or beef broth to keep it from drying out too much.  I ended up using about 1-1/2 cups.

Bring mixture to a boil and give it a stir once in a while.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until macaroni is tender. 

Optional:  I added 3 oz. of cream cheese and about 3 oz of grated pepper jack cheese.  Turn off heat and let the cheeses melt stirring.

Eat and enjoy.  

Pumpkin Cream Pudding by Valerie

We give this recipe a 5 star rating, Valerie's Recipe

After making at least a million baked custard pumpkin pies for the holiday season...NO MORE.  We are huge fans of Vanilla Cream, Banana Cream and Chocolate Cream Pies..  We are going to add Pumpkin Cream to the list.  

I used home made pumpkin puree for this recipe so the colors aren't as bright and what comes out of the can.  I am also using Valerie's Directions, though I feel that they make the process sound WAY too complicated. It comes together quickly, just remember that it's very important to keep stirring the mixture as it heats up, mixture will burn easily on the bottom of the pan if you don't.  There is a stage of thickening where the mixture will look lumpy, hang in there it will smooth out.

Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (do not use pumpkin pie mix), about 1 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 to 12 ginger snap cookies
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine three cups of the milk, the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and ginger. Whisk to combine and then set over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup milk.
Whisk half of the hot milk-pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture until smooth, then gradually whisk the egg-milk-pumpkin mixture back into the saucepan. Continue to cook, now over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
To assemble, layer the cookies and pudding mixture in a serving dish or parfait glasses. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold (at least 2 hours).
Recipe courtesy of Valerie Bertinelli