1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 Manicotti shells, uncooked
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 4 oz. package shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
Brown meat; drain. Add onion; cook until tender. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, and seasonings. Fill manicotti shells; place in a 10 x 6 baking dish. Pour combined tomatoes, tomato sauce and water over manicotti. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. cover with foil; bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with mozzarella cheese; continue baking until cheese melts. Makes 4 servings.

1 tablespoon oil
4 pork chops (1 inch thick)
1-1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 package Knorr vegetable soup mix
2 red apples, cored and cut into wedges

In a large skillet, heat corn oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops. Brown, turning once, 10 minutes. Remove chops. Drain fat. Add cider, stirring to loosen brown particles. Stirring constantly, add soup mix; bring to boil. Reduce heat. return chops to pan. Partially cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add apples, simmer partially covered 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove chops, apples and vegetables to heated serving plate. Cover; keep warm. Boil pan liquid rapidly over high heat 5-10 minutes or until thick. Spoon over chops.

Lime Salsa:
1 large ripe red or yellow tomato, finely diced
8 medium-size tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup minced red or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 tablespoon lime juice

Refried beans:
4 ounces bacon, coarsely chopped
2 medium sized onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans; or 4 cups cooked (about 2 cups dried) black beans
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, or to taste
Pepper

Other ingredients:
4 cups cooked yellow or white corn kernels (from 4 large ears of corn); or 2 packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup shredded jalapeno jack cheese
Tortilla chips
Cilantro leaves

Prepare lime salsa: In a nonmetal bowl mix tomato, tomatillos, bell pepper, onion, lime peel and lime juice. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate up to four hours.

Prepare refried beans: In a wide, nonstick frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring often until it begins to brown and drippings form in pan. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and bacon is browned (about 7 minutes). Drain beans, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid from cans. Add beans, reserved liquid (use 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth if using home-cooked beans) and vinegar to pan. Coarsely mash beans with a spoon. Season to taste with pepper. Heat until steaming. Spoon beans onto a large, oven proof rimmed platter; spread out evenly to make an oval. Top beans evenly with corn, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven until hot in center (about 10 minutes). Remove bean mixture from oven. Tuck some tortilla chips around edge of platter; serve remaining chips alongside. Garnish with cilantro. To serve, spoon bean mixture onto plates; top with some of the lime salsa. To eat, scoop bean mixture onto chips; add more salsa to taste.

Per main dish serving: 423 calories (24 percent calories from fat).

8-10 flour tortillas
2 1 pound cans black beans (or pinto beans)
4 ounces canned green chilies
1-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1-2 cups bottled salsa

Heat tortillas on both sides in a dry cast-iron skillet until the tortillas get a speckled look to them (they may puff up with air, they will sink again). Mash beans and green chilies together to desired consistency (use a mixer, processor, or whatever). Spread 1/2 cup bottled salsa in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Divide bean mixture among all the tortillas, spread in a long stripe across the diameter. Sprinkle with grated cheese and salsa. Roll up (leave ends open) and place in baking pan. Sprinkle with extra cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Makes 4-5 servings.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cut chicken breasts in half. In large fry pan, place butter and olive oil and heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides for 10 minutes each. Remove chicken; add onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in flour and slowly add chicken stock. Continue stirring, add tomatoes and juice; bring to boil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return chicken to pan, add sherry and parsley. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until fork tender. Recipe from Blue Seal Boneless Chicken Breast package, 1988.

1 pound cooked leftover cold corned beef
2 medium-size cold boiled potatoes
1 medium-size onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
parsley sprigs

Coarsely grind corned beef. Grind potatoes. Combine corned beef, potatoes, onion, green pepper and black pepper in a large mixing bowl; mix thoroughly. Slowly heat butter in a heavy skillet until foamy. Turn hash mixture into skillet, pressing down firmly with spatula or pancake turner. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat about 15 minutes or until a brown crust forms on bottom. Turn with spatula so that some of the crust is brought to the top. Cook slowly, turning several times, until desired crust is formed, adding additional butter if necessary. With the back of a spoon, make 4 shallow indentations on top of hash. Break an egg into each hollow. Cover; cook 5 minutes or so until egg is firmness you desire. Garnish with parsley. Serve with catsup or chili sauce, if you wish. From Family Circle magazine, March, 1976.

2 cups olive oil
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1-pound flank steak
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups torn leaf lettuce
2 cups torn red-leaf lettuce
2 cups bok chop, chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup sliced radishes
4 green onions, cut into thin strips

Combine first five ingredients in container of electric blender; process until smooth. Place flank steak in a shallow dish or large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; pour 1 cup dressing over steak. Cover or seal and refrigerate three hours, turning steak occasionally. Chill remaining dressing. Remove steak from marinade, discard marinade. Cook, without grill lid, over hot coals 7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into steak registers 150 degrees. Remove from heat; let steak cool at least 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally into thin slices. Toss lettuce and bok chop together; place on large platter. Arrange steak and remaining vegetables over top. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with remaining dressing. Makes 4 servings. From Southern Living magazine, July, 1995.

1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup raw rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoons oil
2 8-oz. cans Hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water

Mix beef, rice, onions and seasonings. Form into small balls. Fry in hot oil, turning frequently, until light brown but not crusty on all sides. Add Hunts sauce and water. Mix well. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes. Makes four servings.

3/4 pound lean beef (top round or sirloin) cut into 1″ x 3″ pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup beef broth
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 pound snow peas
6 cups Bok choy, chopped (separate stems and leaves)

Slice meat thinly. Slicing is easier if it is partially frozen. Marinate meat in 1 tablespoon soy sauce while preparing the rest of the dish. Mix cornstarch and broth. Add remaining soy sauce, ginger and sherry. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add garlic and stems of greens. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add leaves and water. Cover and steam 2 minutes. Set vegetables aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil, heat and brown meat about 3-4 minutes. Add snow peas. Stir in vegetables and add broth mixture. Stir until broth thickens.

1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 16-oz. can tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can tomato juice
1 pound crabmeat
1 pound catfish filets

Make a roux of oil and flour, stirring carefully until brown. Add onion, celery and parsley, then cook until wilted. Add tomato sauce and tomato juice. Cook for about 1 hour. Add crabmeat and catfish and cook another hour, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and cook 10 minutes longer. Serve over cooked rice in soup bowls. Yield: 8 servings.