For the perfect comfort food to cover your next Taco Tuesday or just about any day of the week, we have a hearty Tex-Mex taco lasagna that is cheesy, delicious, and perfect for a crowd. Besides being flavorful for days, it is also a great way to stretch a pound of ground beef! Inside, you’ll find a taco-spiced beef and black bean sauce, flour tortillas, creamed corn, and a generous amount of sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. The list of pros for this casserole from delish.com/cooking goes on and on. 

For you folks who don’t want to fool around with a grill or smoker but who still love the taste of tender, dry rubbed ribs, how about this idea for oven baked pork ribs done in heavy-duty foil packets that you make and seal around the ribs? It is really simple to prepare. I thought I must have read it wrong when I saw the oven temperature of “250 degrees,” but no; the book really says “250 degrees for 2- to 2-1/2 hours.” They add, “When the meat pulls away from the bone, they are ready!” This recipe comes from Palmetto Creek Farms in their book titled From Field to Feast. 

Simple, bright, and delicious, this spring salad recipe comes to you from a website called Love and Lemons. It is a perfect light meal or side dish filled with fresh veggies, herbs, and a zippy vinaigrette. The amounts listed will serve four. 

From The Jones-Morris Family Treasury, here is a Carrot, Nut and Raisin Cake recipe from Betty Ann Vakauza that will make your family sing and dance and beg for more. A recipe (from Southern Living) for a superb cream cheese frosting follows Betty Ann’s cake recipe.  

HOW TO MAKE TACO LASAGNA 
From delish.com 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for greasing 
1 medium yellow onion, chopped, plus more for serving 
1 bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 pound (85% lean) ground beef 
Kosher salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 
2 tablespoons chili powder 
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon ground cumin 
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained 
1 (15-ounce) jar medium salsa (about 1-1/2 cup) 
1/4-cup water 
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas, divided 
8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded, divided 
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded, divided 
1 (14.75-ounce) can creamed corn, divided 
Sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving. 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with oil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. 2) Add beef, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat. 3) Add chili powder, flour, and cumin to skillet and cook, stirring, until meat is coated and fragrant, about 1 minute. 4) Add beans, salsa, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet, until beans and salsa are combined and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 5) Spread a small amount of beef mixture on bottom of prepared dish. Top with 2 tortillas. Sprinkle with one-quarter of cheddar and one-quarter of Pepper Jack cheese. Top with half of creamed corn and half of remaining beef mixture. Top with 2 more tortillas, one-quarter of cheddar and one-quarter of Pepper Jack, then remaining creamed corn and beef mixture. Finish off with the remaining 2 tortillas, cheddar, and Pepper Jack. 6) Bake the lasagnauntil cheeses have melted and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand about 10 minutes. 6) Drizzle with sour cream. Top with onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, and serve. 

PALMETTO CREEK FARMS, AVON PARK, DRY-RUBBED BABY BACK RIBS Recipe from Field to Feast 

INGREDIENTS: 
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 
1/4 cup paprika 
1/4 cup ancho chili powder (dark Mexican chili powder) 
4 teaspoons coarse salt 
4 teaspoons smoked paprika 
4 teaspoons cumin 
4 teaspoons cayenne 
4 (2-pound) slabs loin back ribs, membrane removed (ask your butcher to do this for you) 

For the rub: 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Mix brown sugar, paprika, ancho chili powder, salt, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl, making sure to break up chunks of brown sugar. 2) Put ribs bone side up on sheet pan. Season each slab with rub on both sides. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, loosely covered. 3) Heat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut four (12- by 12-inch) square sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. 4) Put a slab of ribs, meat side up, on a sheet of foil. Fold ends to make loose packet around each slab; seal. Put packets on sheet pan. 5) Bake 2- to 2-1/2 hours. Check ribs for doneness by gently pulling on bones. When they begin to pull away from meat, they are ready to serve. 

BRIGHT SPRING SALAD 
Recipe from: loveandlemons.com 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 bunch asparagus, tender parts, chopped into 1-inch pieces 
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 
A few handfuls salad greens 
2 radishes, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 
1/2 avocado, pitted and diced 
1/4 cup chopped toasted pistachios 
1/2 cup roasted chickpeas 
Fresh herbs, for garnish (basil, mint and/or chives) 
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

DRESSING: 
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, or a mix of basil and mint leaves 
1 small garlic clove 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as desired 
1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Blanch the asparagus: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Blanch the asparagus for about 1 minute, or until tender but still bright green. Transfer blanched asparagus to the ice water for one minute, then drain. Allow the asparagus to dry and transfer it back to the bowl and add the peas. 2) Make the dressing: In a food processor, pulse together the basil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Season to taste, adding more oil as desired. 3) Add half of the dressing to the bowl with the asparagus and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 4) Assemble the salad: Arrange the salad greens on a platter, then layer the asparagus/pea mixture, the radishes, feta, avocado, pistachios, chickpeas, and herbs on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve. 

BETTY ANN VAKAUZA’S CARROT, NUT AND RAISIN CAKE 
Recipe from The Jones-Morris Family Treasury 

INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS: 
1-1/3 cups butter, softened 
2 cups sugar 
Cream together the butter and sugar, and add: 
4 eggs 
Mix all together, then combine and add: 
2 cups flour 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
Mix all together, then add: 
3 cups grated carrots 
2/3 cups nuts 
2/3 cups raisins 
Mix well. Then pour batter into 13-inch greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until well browned and center springs back to the touch. Frost with cream cheese frosting; see below. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 
Recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites 

INGREDIENTS: 
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
3 cups sifted powdered sugar 
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

DIRECTIONS: 
Beat butter and softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Then frost your cake! Yield: 4 cups frosting.