Monday, August 31, 2015

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna and Basil
Following the recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 175, Bonnie Newhoff created this delicious salad for our Historical League meeting.

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad Ingredients:2 cups fusilli or penne
6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed
Salt to taste
2 large tomatoes chopped, or small grape tomatoes
Sliced kalamata olvies
2 cups fresh basil leaves, stacked and thinly sliced
1 (7-ounce) can oil-pack tuna, drained and flaked
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced or chopped
Capers, drained and rinsed

Directions for the viniaigrette:
Whisk the vinegar, basil, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Add the olive oil gradually, whisking constantly until the olive oil is incorporated.

Directions for the salad:
Cook the pasta using the package directions and drain. Toss the hot pasta with a small amount of the vinaigrette in a bowl. Blanch the green beans in a small amount of boiling salted water in a saucepan until tender-crisp and drain. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and drain.

Layer the pasta, tomatoes, olives, basil, green beans and tuna in a large salad bowl, drizzling each layer with some of the vinaigrette. Toss lightly and top with the hard-cooked eggs and capers.

Serves 4.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Crab Cakes made lighter


Often high in fat and calories, this recipe from Hungry Girl keeps the flavor but eliminates the guilt.

Crab Cakes  
Ingredients:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
Dash each salt and black pepper
8 oz. (about 1 cup) canned lump crab meat, drained
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. finely chopped celery
1 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese
3 tbsp. egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute
1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise (or another creamy mild Dijon mustard)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
Optional: additional Dijonnaise (for dipping), lemon wedges (for squirting)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a medium-large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add crabmeat, onion, celery, and garlic. Mix until uniform.

In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add egg whites/substitute, mayo, Dijonnaise, lemon juice, and butter. Whisk until smooth and uniform.

Using a rubber spatula, fold cream cheese mixture into crab meat mixture.

Evenly form mixture into 4 balls, and place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Flatten each one into a patty about 1-inch thick.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Carefully flip patties. Bake until firm, lightly browned, and cooked through, about 8 more minutes.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 large crab cake (1/4th of recipe)
Calories: 119
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 368mg
Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 14g

Monday, August 24, 2015

Easy Roast Chicken

Easy Roast Chicken for those last minute meals. More delicious chicken recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Ingredients: 

1 whole range chicken broken down into 8 pieces, bone-in
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic minced
4 shallots
Handful of parsley
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Separate the Chicken into pieces, toss in the marinade and roast at 425 for 30 minutes. Then take out of the oven, flip and give it another 10 minutes in the oven.

Thanks to myfridgefood.com for the detailed recipe

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Marshall Trimble shares AZ history


Honored in 2014 as an Arizona Historymaker, Marshall Trimble continues to share stories, songs, poems and history of Arizona. This Free event is just another of his many performances.



Saturday, August 15, 2015

Reba Wells Grandrud at Sharlot Hall Museum

Dr. Reba W. Grandrud, the recipient of the 2013 Sharlot Hall Award, was on hand to present the 2014 award to Sylvia Neely. Always ready to promote and preserve the history of the Southwest, the Historical League is glad to have Reba as a member.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Summer time and Caprese Salad

Feel like singing . . .  "Summer time and the Caprese Salad is easy."
Guess what I made from the garden?

Ingredients:
Tomatoes from the vine
Fresh Mozarella cheese
Fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Slice, season with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with oil and vinegar. Serve. Yummm.

Lots of other great salads in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Fascinating photographic history of Adams Hotel

Check out this large panel photographic journey of the Adams Hotel. Pictures say a thousand words.
These are displayed at the Library at AHS Museum at Papago Park.









Friday, August 7, 2015

Make Ahead Oatmeal with Pumpkin pie


Nice way to start the day with your breakfast all ready for you.
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Flax Oat Surprise
Ingredients: 

One 5.3-oz. container (about 1/2 cup) fat-free plain Greek yogurt 

1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin 

2 tbsp. unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

2 tbsp. old-fashioned oats

1 tbsp. ground flax meal 

2 no-calorie sweetener packets 

1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract 

1/4 ounce (1 tbsp.) sliced almonds 



Directions:
In a medium bowl or jar, combine all ingredients except almonds. Mix thoroughly. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until oats are soft. 

Top with almonds. 


Thanks to Hungry Girl for the recipe and stats.

MAKES 1 SERVING
Entire recipe: 240 calories, 7g fat, 87mg sodium, 24g carbs, 6g fiber, 8.5g sugars, 21g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6*

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Healthy? no. Easy and delicious? yes. Not everything can be "good for you."

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix
2 (3 1/2 ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding mix
4 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate frosting

Directions:

Make cake according to package instructions.
Mix pudding mix with milk.
Whisk until lumps are gone, about 2 minutes. Pudding should be pourable but not thin.
While cake is still warm, poke holes in cake using a wooden spoon.
Pour pudding over cake and gently press pudding into cake.
Cool cake in the refrigerator.
Remove foil from frosting.
Microwave for 10-15 seconds and stir.
Frosting should be pourable but not bubbly.
Pour over cake and spread gently.

Thanks to food.com for the recipe.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Foodfantaholics reviews Tastes and Treasures cookbook

Although this review of Tastes & Treasures was written in 2009, I just found it on Pinterest. Elise Feiner Foodfantaholics - Thanks for the lovely comments.


Tastes and Treasures by Historical League, Inc.


Arizona, the 48th state, admitted to the Union on Valentine’s Day, 1912. It is quickly surpassing Nevada, as the number one state in growth, and why not??

The weather is wonderful, hot summers, mild winters, forests, mountain ranges, home to the Grand Canyon, Indian Reservations, and The Phoenix Zoo, and the beautiful Sedona, with it’s art colonies, Arizona has much to offer.

Arizona now has one more thing to add to her crowning achievements…"Tastes and Treasures.”

I happened to be wandering around the internet and came across the site for the Historical League of Arizona where they were featuring their new cookbook, “Tastes and Treasures.” I was very interested in the cookbook because it was the 2007 regional winner of the Tabasco Awards given by the McIlhenny Co. for the most outstanding Community Cookbook. That automatically piqued by interested because I love to collect Community Cookbooks. Usually, the books that win these awards are the best of the best, and this book proved to be no exception. I immediately looked at the book and knew that FRP (Favorite Recipes Press) had to have a hand in this book. The book just had “the look.” FRP produces most of the Junior League Cookbooks in the United States. I was fortunate enough to have taken their Cookbook University Course, in Nashville (unfortunately, I found out about them after I published my cookbook.) The do a wonderful job with the organizations that they work with, and every cookbook is a work of art.

Tastes and Treasures was designed to be a “storytelling cookbook of the Arizona Historical Society.” As with most community cookbooks, the recipes reflect a particular group of people or segment of the population. In this cookbook, divided into four main sections, “Northern Arizona Treasures”, “Central Arizona Treasures”, “Southern Arizona Treasures”, and Lunch at the Museum.” Within those sections are recipes from Inns, Hotels, Restaurants,
Arizona Companies and the museum itself. While there is a very heavy Hispanic and Indian Population in Arizona, I thought that the book maintained an excellent balance of recipes, not favoring one type of cuisine over another, and giving the purchaser a wonderful array of recipes to choose from, to say I was more than pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

Contents:

Acknowledgment
Early Arizona Hospitality
Let’s Make History
Welcome to Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park
Meet the Historical League
About the Book

Table of Contents:

Northern Arizona Treasures:
Cameron Trading Post – Cameron
The Cottage Place Restaurant – Flagstaff
El Tovar – Grand Canyon
Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge – Oak Creek
Hassayampa Inn – Prescott
La Posada Hotel – Winslow

Central Arizona Treasures:
Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa – Paradise Valley
El Chorro Lodge – Paradise Valley
Four Peaks Brewing Company – Tempe
Hermosa Inn – Paradise Valley

Southern Arizona Treasures:
Arizona Inn – Tucson
The Copper Queen Hotel – Bisbee
Rancho de La Osa – Sasabe

What is a Historymaker?

Lunch at the Museum

Cookbook Development Committee
Historic Property Contributors
Recipe Contributors and Testers
Index
Order Information

The beautiful photographs of the recipes in the book, balanced by the incredible history lessons, for me make it exactly what I look for in a cookbook. I want to be able to read it like a novel, yet be intrigued enough to try the recipes. I think my favorite part of the book was the chapter entitled The Historymakers. The Historymakers Gala and Recognition Program is a program that honors men and women who have succeeded in many different fields, such as arts, athletics, education, and still maintain their ties to Arizona. Some very recognizable names appear here; Erma Bombeck, Bil Keane, Barry Goldwater, just to name a few. They (or their families) have also contributed recipes to the book…what a treasure chest of recipes are included.

Some of the recipes included in the book are Mesquite Grilled Filet Mignon with Garlic Butter, Lemon Soufflé Pancakes, El Chorro Lodge Famous Sticky Buns, Pork Chop with Chorizo Black Bean Stuffing, Chruscikis, just to name a few.

If you are a cookbook collector, or a history buff, make sure you purchase this book, you won't be disappointed.

Recipe from the Book: I always choose one recipe from each book I review.

The recipe I chose from Taste and Treasures was the Southwestern Breakfast from the Arizona Inn Breakfast Menu. I selected it because the picture of the recipe intrigued me, it was so colorful, it almost look like all the colors of the Southwest, bright with yellows, reds, and greens…it literally look good enough to eat!


Southwestern Breakfast

4 blue corn tortilla, heated
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas, heated
1 ½ cups refried beans, heated
Tomatillo Sauce (see below)
8 eggs
1-½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 chorizo links
4 lime slices
4 Serrano chiles

Place one blue corn tortilla, one flour tortilla, and one-fourth of the refried beans next to each other on one of four serving plates. Ladle the tomatillo sauce over the tortillas. Fry the eggs in the skillet to the desired degree of doneness and place one fried egg on top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with the cheese, scallions and tomatoes. Cook the sausage inks in a skillet until cooked through. Place a sausage link, lime slice and Serrano chile on each plate.
Serves 4

Tomatillo Sauce

12 small tomatillos
1 white onion, chopped
1-tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the husks from the tomatillos and chop coarsely. Sauté the onion in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft but not brown. Add the tomatillos, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic and water. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Process in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

http://foodfanataholics.blogspot.com/2009/01/tastes-and-treasures-by-historical.html

Book Title: Tastes and Treasures
Author: Historical League, Inc.
Category: Community Cookbooks
ISBN: 0-9768363-0-0
Publisher: Favorite Recipes Press (FRP)
Publishers Address: P.O. Box 305142
Nashville, Tennessee 37230
Website: http://www.frpbooks.com/
Published: 2007
Edition: 1st
Description: Hard Cover
Illustrations: No
Photographs: Black and White Historical Photo, Color Photos of Recipes
Price $24.95
Reviewed by: Elise Feiner
Date of Review: January 11, 2009

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Zucchini Chips

When you plant zucchini and get SO MUCH CROP, try this delicious recipe.

Cut a zucchini into thin slices and toss in
1 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt
pepper

Sprinkle with paprika
Bake at 450°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Using paprika not only to flavor this healthy snack, but also to boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite, and lower your blood pressure.

http://www.paleoforever.com/awesome-paleo-zucchini-chips-r…/
Thanks to Budget101 for this recipe.