Gobbler Goodies

1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
28 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies
1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting
1 (12 1/2 ounce) bag candy corn

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows; stir over low heat until melted. Stir in cereal. Cool for 10 minutes.

With buttered hands, form cereal mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Twist apart sandwich cookies; spread frosting on the inside of cookies. Place 28 cookie halves under cereal balls to form the base for each turkey. Place three pieces of candy corn in a fan pattern on remaining cookie halves; press each half onto a cereal ball to form the tail. Attach remaining candy corn with frosting to form turkey’s head.

Yield: 28 servings

Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

3 eggs
1 (13 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (20 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl beat eggs. Add milk, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; mix well and pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Sprinkle nuts over the top, and drizzle butter over all. Bake for one hour.

Serve warm or cold with whipped topping.

Baja Fried Fish Tacos

1 cup dark beer
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boned and skinned white fish
Vegetable oil for frying fish
6 warm corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
Tomato salsa
Lime wedges

In a bowl, whisk beer, flour and salt, blending well.

Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into six oblong pieces. In a deep skillet, heat about one inch of oil to 360 degrees F. Coat fish pieces in beer batter and drain briefly. Slide fish into oil. Turn when golden. Cook another one or two minutes on the other side and remove. Drain on paper towels.

Mix the mayonnaise with a little water to thin and add the minced garlic.

To assemble the taco, add one piece of fish to each tortilla. Add a squeeze of lime juice, if desired. Top with cabbage, tomato salsa and/or mayonnaise dressing.

Southwest Chicken Salad Focaccia

2 cups cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup minced red onion
3/4 cup jalapeno ranch dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
4 focaccia rolls, split
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 thin slices pepper jack cheese
4 thin slices tomato
8 very thin slices yellow bell pepper
4 lettuce leaves

In small mixing bowl combine chicken, red onion, dressing, salt and pepper; set aside.

Toast or grill focaccia halves, brush with melted butter. Place a slice of cheese on each bottom half of focaccia.

Spoon one-fourth chicken mixture over bottom half. Layer a tomato slice, two bell pepper slices and a lettuce leaf. Place top of focaccia over and serve.

4 servings

Roasted Corn Tacos

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled and sliced into strips
2 ears corn, roasted, shucked and kernels removed
Salt to taste
4 ounces queso fresca, farmer’s cheese, or ricotta
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Fresh corn tortillas

Heat the oil in a large saut? pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add the roasted chile strips and continue cooking until onion is translucent, but not brown. Add the corn, season with salt, then mix well. Spoon the corn mixture onto warm corn tortillas and garnish with the cheese and chopped cilantro.

Santa Fe Stuffed Toast

8 (1-inch) slices French bread
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, sliced into 8 pieces
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 cup guacamole

Cut a pocket into each slice of bread horizontally; place a piece of cheese in pocket and press to close.

Combine the eggs, milk and chili powder in a bowl. Dip each slice of bread in mixture on both sides.

Heat butter in a large skillet on medium heat and cook the bread for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Serve the toast with the salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Serves 4.

Quick Pork Fajitas

Recipe and photograph used with permission from the National Pork Board.

1 pork tenderloin, about a pound, thinly sliced*
3 tablespoons fajita seasoning
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
4 to 6 flour tortillas, warmed

In shallow bowl, toss pork pieces with fajita seasoning. In large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry pork pieces with onion and green pepper until vegetables are just tender. Wrap portions in flour tortillas with salsa.

Serves 4.

*Placing pork tenderloin in freezer for about 20 minutes makes slicing easier.