ArcaMax Recipes for October 30, 2009




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Appetizer
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Super Nachos

1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 pound lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 15-oz. can refried beans
1 15-oz. can black olives, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 8-oz. jar pickled jalapeno pepper slices
One half head of lettuce shredded
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
8 oz. sour cream
Fresh Guacamole (recipe follows)

Brown lean ground beef in pan.  Add taco seasoning and water per 
directions on taco seasoning mix.  Cover and cook according to 
directions.  Push taco meat to one side of pan.  Add refried beans 
other side of pan and spread out over the bottom of the pan opposite 
the taco meat.  Cover pan and warm on low heat until refried beans 
are warm. Cover very large casserole dish with layer of tortilla 
chips.  Place a few spoonfuls of taco meat and refried beans over 
chips.  Add one quarter of each cup of cheese over meat and beans.  
Sprinkle on a few black olive and jalapeno pepper slices and black 
beans.  Add more chips and repeat process two or three more times 
with cheese as last ingredient reserving some of the black beans, 
olives and jalapeno pepper slices to sprinkle on the top of the 
nachos.  Place casserole dish in 300 degree oven and heat until 
cheese melts throughout.  Remove from oven and add shredded lettuce, 
tomatoes, onions and remaining black beans, olives and jalapeno 
pickle slices.  Add a few scoops of sour cream and Fresh Guacamole 
and serve.

Fresh Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small sweet onion chopped
One quarter cup chopped parsley or cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced  

Peel avocados and remove pits, reserving one pit.  Mash avocado meat 
in bowl.  Add lime juice and mix.  Add remaining ingredients, mix 
well, add avocado pit then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes 
before using.  Adding the avocado pit helps to prevent the Guacamole 
from turning brown.

The Skinny:  Use low fat cheese, low fat tortilla chips, the leanest 
ground beef you can find and low fat sour cream. 
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Main Course
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Chili with Beans 

1 pound mixed dry beans 
1 pound lean ground beef 
1 pound stew meat, cut into small chunks 
1 large sweet onion, quartered 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 6-oz. can tomato paste 
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes 
4 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 12-oz can lager beer, you may use water or tomato juice instead 
One quarter cup Scotch Whiskey (optional but highly recommended, both
for the chili and the cook)
Hot sauce to taste 
Salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a large stock pot and cover with water. Allow beans to 
soak for several hours. Meanwhile brown ground beef, stew meat, onion 
and garlic in a large skillet. Drain excess fat and set aside. Rinse 
and drain water from soaked beans and place in a large pot and cover 
with 6 cups of water. Cook over low to medium heat for about 1 hour. 
Place meat mixture in a crock pot with cooked beans. Add tomato 
paste, diced tomatoes, chili powder, beer, Scotch and hot sauce to 
the pot and simmer for several hours before serving. You can adjust 
the heat in the recipe with both the chili powder and the hot sauce. 
Some chili powders come with added ground hot pepper that can really 
spice up this dish. Other options are to use regular chili powder and 
supplement it with some ground hot pepper or to float a few whole hot 
peppers in the chili as it cooks. 

The Skinny: Use the leanest beef you can find.   I usually serve the 
chili with a few condiment dishes of grated cheese, sour cream, 
sliced jalapeno peppers and chopped onions.
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Dessert
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Tropical Fruit Macaroons

2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cup dried pineapple, chopped
3 egg whites
Two thirds cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
One quarter tsp. ground ginger
One quarter cup Macadamia nuts, chopped

Combine sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks 
form. Slowly add sugar mixture and continue beating. Add coconut, 
dried cherries, dried pineapple and nuts and mix well. Drop 
tablespoons of mixture on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 - 20 
minutes at 325 degrees.  

The Skinny:  Not much you can do to change these ingredients even if 
you wanted to.  The coconut has some fat as do the nuts but just eat 
one or two of the macaroons and you should be fine.
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Grocery List
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1 large bag of tortilla chips
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 15-oz. can refried beans
1 15-oz. can black olives, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 8-oz. jar pickled jalapeno pepper slices
One half head of lettuce shredded
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
3 sweet onions, one small 
8 oz. sour cream
2 ripe avocados
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
One quarter cup chopped parsley or cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 pound mixed dry beans 
1 pound stew meat, cut into small chunks 
1 6-oz. can tomato paste 
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes 
4 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 12-oz can lager beer, you may use water or tomato juice instead 
One quarter cup Scotch Whiskey (optional)
Hot sauce to taste 
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cup dried pineapple, chopped
3 egg whites
Two thirds cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
One quarter tsp. ground ginger
One quarter cup Macadamia nuts, chopped












(c) 2009 ArcaMax Publishing