The Chilis Are Plentiful This Year

We had quite a storm this week. I spent the whole day weeding and picking up tree branches in the garden. All of our tomato and pepper plants had been knocked over. I spent several hours getting everything standing up again. There were about a ton of chilis to pick, mostly Anaheims and yellow banana peppers (the hot kind). Soon we'll have a lot of poblano peppers. We had chili rellenos tonight, the kind made with egg roll wrappers, and black-eyed pea salsa. Here are some chili recipes.

Chili Rellenos Egg Rolls
12 large green chilis, Anaheims or Poblanos, roasted
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips
12 egg roll wrappers
1 beaten egg
Slit chili down one side and remove the seeds. Stuff each chili with a strip of cheese. Roll up the chili in an eggroll wrapper, sealing it with a dab of beaten egg. Fry until golden brown. Serve with salsa.

Here's an easy casserole version.

Chili Relleno Casserole
1/2 c. butter
1 pound green chilis, roasted
1 lb. Jack cheese, grated
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick
Melt butter in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange chiles in a layer in bottom of dish. Cover with cheese. Blend together milk, eggs, salt and Bisquick; pour over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa.

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained
3 jalapeno chilis, chopped fine
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 large tomatoes, seeded, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients and chill for several hours before serving.

More Recipes from My Mom's Recipe Box
Here are some party recipes Mama used a lot.

Cheddar Ha'pennies
1/2 pound grated cheddar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
3 tbsp French onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients and form into a roll 1 inch in diameter. Warp in foil and chill for 30 minutes. Slice thinly, place the slices on ungreased baking trays, and bake for 10 minutes at 190° until lightly browned. These will become bitter if they are browned for too long. Ha'pennies may be prepared 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Makes 6 1/2 dozen.

Cheese Puffs
3/4 cup melted butter
1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Liberal Dash of Tabasco Sauce
Combine the melted butter, cheese, flour, salt, paprika, and Tabasco. Stir it all together with a fork until it forms a dough similar to pie crust. Form the mixture into small balls about the size of a marble. Arrange them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or so. Makes between 50 and 60 balls.

Broccoli with Vinegar Sauce
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into spears, steamed until barely tender
Vinegar Sauce - Make the day before
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 small jar chopped pimento, drained
1 hard boiled egg, diced
1 tablespoon salt
Blend together sauce ingredients. Pour over brocooli to serve.

Honey Salad Dressing
2/3 cup sugar
teaspoon dry mustard
teaspoon paprika
teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup strained honey
tablespoon lemon juice
teaspoon onion juice
1 cup canola oil

Blend all ingredients in blender. This is good with a mixed greens and fruit salad. I like to put berries or manderine oranges in a mixed green salad.

Here's a fairly easy cake, but it's not what you'd call low- fat. It takes three sticks of butter!

Vanilla Wafer Cake
6 eggs
2 sticks butter
1 (7 oz) pkg. coconut
1 (12 oz) box vanilla wafers
4 oz. chopped dates
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup sweet milk
1 cup pecans
Cream together eggs sugar and butter. Add milk, coconut, nuts and crushed vanilla wafers. Mix well. Bake in greased and floured cake pan (either tube or 13 x 9 -inch pan ) at 350° F. for 50 to 60 minutes or until done.
Frosting
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together all frosting ingredients.
Mix well spread over cake.