Chicken Salsa Tacos

Ingredients:

frozen boneless chicken breasts (at least 1 per person)

1 medium to large jar of salsa - the chunky kind (I buy the big Pace salsa at Sam's)

Directions:

Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot.  Cover the chicken really well with jar of salsa.  Cook all day on low.  Just before serving, use two forks to shred the chicken while in the sauce.  Serve it with your favorite fixings for tacos or burritos.  You can also use it for a taco salad.

- Lydia

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 - 10 oz package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half cream
3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch and water.  Bring to boil and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick.  Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to removes eeds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half and half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time.  Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate.  Pour half of batter over crust.  Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top.  Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set.  Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan.  Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

- Danika

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chocolate-raspberry-cheesecake/detail.aspx

Banana Bread

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp water
2 cups bananas, mashed
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Melt butter on the stove or in microwave.  Mix butter and sugar until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add bananas and vanilla.  Fold in flour mixture and nuts.  Blend until flour is moist.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.  Bake 1 hour or until center of loaf is firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

- Julie

Chicken Pasta Pesto Salad

Ingredients:
lettuce - spring mix and romaine
grilled chicken
8 oz. medium sized pasta shells
1 - 10 oz. carton grape tomatoes
2.25 oz bag pine nuts (found in the baking aisle in most grocery stores)
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in quarters
4 oz. pesto
vinaigrette dressing

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with pesto. Combine lettuce, chicken, pasta, tomatoes, pine nuts, and olives in large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette dressing.  This serves about 10 people.

Thoughts - This is a knock off of my favorite salad from Cafe Express.  They serve the salad with grilled chicken.  When I made the salad I was in a rush and just purchased a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, cut it up, and tossed it in the salad.  It tasted great!  I've also made my own pesto in the past but, since I was in a hurry for recipe group I just purchased the Buitoni pesto at the store, which worked just fine as well.  The only thing to me that didn't quite taste the same as the Cafe Express version was the dressing.  This time around I used Briana's French Vinaigrette.  The Cafe Express vinaigrette is a creamy looking dressing so I was looking for something similar at the grocery store. The Briana's dressing tasted good and I would recommend it if you're making the salad but, I'll update the recipe if I ever come up with a dressing that is a more perfect match.

- Cristina