Mexican Beef Stew - south of the border favorite!

2 pounds beef stew meat

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup oil

1 (14 ½ oz.) can beef broth

1 (14 ½ oz.) stewed tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 crushed large garlic clove

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

3 large carrots

2 ears corn

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans and liquid

1. Combine flour, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Coat meat with flour mixture. Brown in oil in Dutch oven.
3. Add beef broth, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce. Garlic, oregano, salt and cumin.
4. Cut onion into 8 wedges and add to stew.
5. Heat to boiling
6. Reduce heat and boil gently 1 ½ hours or until meat is almost tender.
7. Cut carrots and corn into 1 inch pieces. Add carrots, corn and garbanzo beans to stew.
8. Boil gently covered 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
9. Serve with warm flour tortillas.

Santa Fe Pasta Salad

**originally by Nancy Dell’Aria but I’ve changed a few things.

1 box pasta cooked as the package directs and then cooled. (Pick whatever pasta your kids will eat. We eat Barilla whole wheat pastas)

Dressing – I've doubled it and cut the salt in ½. Salt the salad to your taste.
2/3 cup oil with two to four smashed (use the back of a knife to smash it) garlic cloves. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight to infuse the oil. OK -- or just buy garlic oil.
6 TB cider vinegar
3 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a jar and let sit.

Veggies -
2 cans beans you can use kidney, garbanzo, black or a combo of beans
2 large ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
½ cup cilantro

Extras
Chicken – I use a lot like 2 cups. The boys need their protein!
Cubbed Pepperjack cheese 6-8 oz is good.

I mix all the dry ingredients and put the dressing on right before its eaten. That way it doesn’t get soggy when it sits on the football field for hours in the cooler.