Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

2 c (12oz) semi sweet chocolate chips, divided

½ c butter or margarine, cut into pieces

3 lg eggs

1¼ c all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp baking soda

½c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease 13x9 in baking pan.  Melt 1 c of the morsels and all of the butter in a large, heavy duty sauce pan over low heat; stir until smooth.  Remove from heat. Stir in eggs.  Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla and baking soda.  Stir in remaining 1 c chocolate chips and nuts.  Spread into prepared baking pan.  Bake for 18-22 min or until wooden toothpick comes out slightly sticky when inserted into the center. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Deliciously Healthy Taco Salad

 

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

½ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

½ c salsa, divided

1 tbsp lime juice

1½ c shredded lettuce

1 lg avocado, chopped

1 sm chopped tomato

¼ c red onion strips

baked tortilla strips

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.  Drain well and return to pan.  Mix in salsa, lime juice, beans, chili powder, salt, and pepper; heat through.  Divide lettuce among serving bowls.  Add meat mixture, and top with avocado, tomato, onion, and tortilla strips.  Serves 4.

Adrienne's helpful hint: Use a pizza cutter to cut tortillas into strips, and use the broiler setting on your oven to crisp them quickly.

Mrs. Sweet's Chocolate Cake

 1 box devil's food cake mix
8 oz sour cream

½ c canola oil
½ c water
4 eggs

sm box chocolate pudding mix
¼ c Kahlua or coffee (not hot)
1 tsp cinnamon

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
confectioners (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a standard bundt pan and set aside. Combine cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon.  Add sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and Kahlua.  Blend mixture until smooth and thick.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 min or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  Cool 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan.  Sprinkle with sugar, and cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

9" pie crust (I use the frozen rolled Pillsbury pie crusts.)

1 cup light corn syrup

3 large eggs

2 tbsp stick butter, melted

1½ tsp vanilla

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup pecan halves

½ cup chopped pecans

1 cup chocolate chips

Place oven rack in lowest third of the oven, and preheat to 350°F or 180°C. Unroll thawed pie crust and place it in a 9" pie plate, I've found that the glass works best. Trim edge to ½" around plate, and fold the excess under. Flute or crimp the edges. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, flour and salt. Stir in pecans (both the halves and the chopped) and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared crust. Bake 50 minutes at 350°F/180°C or until crust and pecans are browned. If the crust darkens too quickly, cover edges with foil. Cool completely on a wire rack.