Red Velvet Birthday Cake

Good friends getting together over lunch at Chelsea's Kitchen with Red Velvet Cake - It was so rich we shared it. But Zona Lorig and Joan Robinson and myself agreed it was worth it until I found out it may have 1700 calories!!!! must be the tons of frosting they used.
Celebrating Birthdays can be so decadent!

Red Velvet Cake
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

    * 1/2 cup shortening
    * 1 1/2 cups sugar
    * 2 eggs
    * 2 tablespoons cocoa
    * 1 1/2 oz red food coloring
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 1/2 cups flour
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla
    * 1 cup buttermilk
    * 1 teaspoon soda
    * 1 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation:
Cream shortening; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Make paste of cocoa and food coloring; add to creamed mixture. Add salt, flour and vanilla alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Sprinkle soda over vinegar; pour vinegar over batter. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake in 3 8-inch pans or 2 9-inch pans for 30 minutes at 350°.

History:
Although the details are sketchy at best, red velvet cake is not as Southern as many like to think. The story, which began circulating some time in the 1940s, claimed that Manhattan's elegant Waldorf-Astoria granted a diner's request for the recipe, then a short time later sent her a bill in the amount of $100. The angry woman, apparently with revenge in mind, then began circulating the recipe along with the story. Another "baked" legend with the same storyline is the $250 Chocolate Chip Cookie, also known as the Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Muffins

Ingredients for Filling: 


4 oz. fat-free cream cheese 

2 1/2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract



Ingredients for Muffins:
2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

1/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups, or spray it with nonstick spray.



To make the filling, in a medium bowl, combine cream cheese with Splenda, and stir until smooth. Add egg substitute and vanilla extract, and stir until uniform.



To make the muffins, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.

 In medium-large bowl, combine remaining muffin ingredients, and whisk until uniform. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until just mixed and smooth. (Batter will be thick.) 

Evenly distribute half of the muffin batter among the cups of the muffin pan, and smooth out the surfaces. 



Use a spoon to form an indentation in the surface of each cup of batter, large enough to hold about 2 tsp. filling. Evenly distribute the filling among the indentations. 

Evenly distribute remaining batter among the cups, and smooth out the surfaces.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 16 - 18 minutes. 



MAKES 12 SERVINGS
Thanks to HungryGirl.com for recipe and stats

Serving Size: 1 muffin (1/12th of recipe)
 Calories: 120 
Fat: 0.5g
 Sodium: 240mg
 Carbs: 23.5g 
Fiber: 3.5g
 Sugars: 5.5g 
Protein.
HG Alternative: If made with an equal amount of granulated white sugar in place of the Splenda, each muffin will have 145 calories, 30.5g carbs, and 13.5 sugar.

Salmon Croquettes

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has several great salmon recipes. My favorite is Salmon Tostada on page 32 from historic El Tovar at the Grand Canyon.

This recipe calls for canned salmon but we had leftover from the grill and it worked very well.


Salmon Croquettes
Ingredients:
1 can (1 pound) salmon, drained and flaked
1 cup corn kernels, canned or cooked
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash ground black pepper
3/4 cups soft bread crumbs 

Direction:
Combine flaked salmon with corn kernels, beaten eggs, ketchup, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 12 patties. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet; fry salmon croquettes for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until croquettes are golden brown.
Serves 6. If desired, serve with cucumber sauce or cheese sauce.

Pesto and White Bean dip

Easy delicious dips are wonderful for last minute guests. Tastes & Treasures cookbook has several recipes for dips and appetizers.  Here's a good one too.

Pesto and White Bean dip

Ingredients:
2 cans white beans
1/2 cup pesto
squeeze of fresh lemon
salt
pepper to taste

Directions:
Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor. Top with chopped fresh basil.
Serve with pita chips, crackers, and sliced vegetables.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Here's a treat using some delicious wild blueberries.  This recipe makes a blueberry compote with a simple shortbread-like base and a delicious graham crumb crumble topping. Another freezer-friendly recipe to make in advance of your seasonal festivities.

For the shortbread base, combine:

3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour

Press into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add the blueberry compote and crumble topping.

Blueberry Compote Filling

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)1/2 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 rounded tablespoons corn starch

Bring the berries and sugar to a gentle boil. Mix the corn starch with the water and add slowly to the boiling berry mixture stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 additional minutes stirring constantly.

Graham Crumble Topping
In a large bowl toss together:
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

Using your hands, rub thoroughly through the dry ingredients:

1/2 cups butter, cut in small cubes

Press the crumble mixture together in handfuls so that it holds together and break off chunks of crumble all over the top of the prepared blueberry compote filling. Press down very lightly and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares or bars. Freezes well.

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has some unique salads.  Historymaker Eddie Basha gave us Tabouli Salad found on page 130.  

Kale is the popular new vegetable so try something new like this Quinoa and Shredded Kale Salad recipe.

Quinoa and Shredded Kale Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (prepared according to package directions)
1 cup red or green grapes cut in half
1 1/2 cup shredded kale
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, grapes, kale, feta, and almonds. Mix until well combined.
Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss to fully coat.
Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, top with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Breakfast for a Crowd

It's always nice to prepare breakfast for company. This one is easy to make with little fuss in the kitchen. Also try John Wayne eggs on page 194 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook and Breakfast Casserole on page 195.

Breakfast for a Crowd

Ingredients:
12 thin slices of deli ham (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup salsa
12 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Arrange 1 slice of ham in each cup, molding it to the shape of the cup. The ham may rise out of the edges of the cup. Spread 1 teaspoon of salsa in the bottom of each cup.

3. Break 1 egg into each ham-lined cup. Top with another teaspoon of salsa, and 2 teaspoons shredded cheddar cheese.

4. Bake until the cheese melts and the eggs are set, about 20 minutes.

TIP: Replace the salsa in this recipe with finely chopped fresh vegetables of your choice - sauted onions, peppers, tomatoes, or mushroom.

Nutritional info
108 calories, 9 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 224 mg cholesterol, 269 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Easy Pesto Appetizer

Great recipes are often the easiest. This simple appetizer was toasted crostini topped with Classico Tomato Pesto. Add a slice of Monterey Jack cheese and fresh basil leaf. Nice presentation.

Thanks to Sue Hinton of Port Huron, Michigan for this appetizer. We enjoyed biking all around Harbor Springs last summer, then relaxing with good food and great friends.

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has many wonderful appetizer recipes too.

Centennial Aprons Sale $10

Mary Parker purchased several Centennial aprons at the December Historical League meeting. We originally had Junior and Adult sizes but only a few Junior sizes are left. We have about 12 Adult sizes left. They are a wonderful tribute to Arizona's Centennial now on sale for $10.

Mary is holding a photo of Historymakers Polly Rosenbaum and Governor Rose Mofford. Good friends their entire life, they called themselves "The Two Girls from Globe."

Denita Sewell Presents 1920s Fashions

Fashion Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum, Denita Sewell was our guest speaker at the January Historical League meeting. To a packed audience, she presented the Elegance and Grandeur of 1920's fashions.

Coco Channel was a favorite designer during that time. A unique lady who owned her own business, never married but had numerous affairs, and created apparel for the "Modern World".  Interesting that she grew up and learned to sew in an orphanage beginning at age 6. One of the favorite things I like about Coco is that she helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.

Dee Steen presented Denita with a copy of Arizona Recollections and Reflections as a Thank You.

Dee Steen presents Denita with a copy of the Historical Leagues Centennial book.

Cherry Corn Muffins

Cherry Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen unsweetened pitted dark sweet cherries
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
One 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn
3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
2/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place cherries in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until completely thawed. Do not drain.

Transfer cherries and any excess liquid to a blender or large food processor. Add 1 tbsp. sugar. Pulse briefly, just until cherries reach a roughly chopped consistency. (Do not puree.) Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cream-style corn, egg substitute, and yogurt. Mix thoroughly.

Add contents of the medium bowl to the large one, and stir well. Add cherry mixture and gently stir. Set aside.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute batter among the 12 cups -- cups will be FULL to the brims.

Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 - 30 minutes. (FYI: These muffins rise significantly when baked!)

Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool (on a cooling rack, if you've got one). Enjoy!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

PER SERVING (1/12th of recipe, 1 muffin): 158 calories, 0.5g fat, 267mg sodium, 33g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 15g sugars, 5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4
Thanks to Hungrygirl.com for recipe and stats

Thank you to CHP chairs

Standing are CHP Chairs Nancy Evans, Bonnie Newhoff and Mary Parker with Nina Fillipi absent.

After reporting that the Children's Holiday Party brought in over $12,000, the chairs were presented with gifts from President Pam Ryan and Barbara Cardinal (seated). The 30th Annual event was as delightful as ever for children and adults. With amazing raffle prizes and silent auction items, Mr. and Mrs. Santa photos, games, crafts and amazing entertainment along with a delicious lunch at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, we look forward to the event in 2013.

Mini Cheesecakes

My girlfriend in Michigan gave me this recipe years ago. So easy and fun to take it to special events. Thanks Jody!

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has a great cheesecake recipe on page 170. Try that one too.

Ingredients:

• 2 8-ounce packages of low-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Dash of lemon zest
• Mini Nilla Wafers (regular kind Not reduced fat)
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Preparation:

1. Soften cream cheese to room temperature. 
2. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth with an electric mixer.
3. Line up mini baking cups and place a mini Nilla Wafer face-up inside each one.
4. Scoop mixture onto wafer, filling cup 3/4 full.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
6. Refrigerate. Once chilled, scoop cherry pie filling atop each mini cheesecake. Chill again.

Options: Other pie fillings work well too. We love blueberry.

Very Lemon Bread from Rancho de la Osa

Rancho de la Osa gave us this wonderful recipe for Tastes & Treasures cookbook. The fascinating history of the Guest Ranch is told in the cookbook. It began as a Jesuit mission outpost in the late 1600s. If only those walls could talk . . .

The Very Lemon Bread was almost gone by the time I got to take a photo of Mariamne Moore with her tasty treat. Also volunteering at our cookbook booths, Mariamne has been a tremendous help in promoting Tastes & Treasures and the Historical League.

Our January Historical League meeting was packed and the luncheon was well received.

Very Lemon Bread

Bread Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

For the bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Mix the sugar, butter and lemon extract in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, beating until just blended after each addition. Fold in the lemon zest and pecans. Pour into greased and floured 5 X 8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

For the glaze, blend the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cracks int he warm bread that form while baking.

Makes 1 loaf. Decorate with slices of fresh lemons and blueberries. Yummm.

Note: Before adding glaze, it really helps to take a fork and make deep punctures from the top of the loaf pan. Then the glaze flows down through the entire loaf.

When using fresh lemons instead of lemon extract, you need to cut back slightly on the liquid (milk) used since fresh lemons are not as concentrated. We used 1/3 cup milk.

Steelhead Trout with Honey Glaze

We all know eating fish is healthy for us. There are fish several recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook and here is another one to enjoy. I served it for a company dinner and it was a big hit, even with those who usually don't eat fish.

Steelhead Trout with Honey Glaze

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves
2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP Soy sauce

Directions:
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in the ingredients.
Place the fish in the center of a rectangle of foil. Pour the glaze over the fish and fold the packet around the fish to allow it to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bake for 10 minutes + 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. So, a one inch thick fillet would bake for twenty minutes. 1.5″ would be 25 minutes.
The recipe makes enough glaze for a little over two pounds of fish.

It  could be done on the grill, but remember to not cook the fish over direct heat.
 On the grill it can be done in a foil packet as described.  Or a grill basket with top is very helpful. Spray the grill basket with Pam first. Place it skin side up, first. Once the fish has cooked, it falls apart, the skin sort of holds it together, making transfer a little bit easier.

Thanks to Home Ec 101 for this recipe.

Salmon Pate

Fresh parsley, dill weed, and cilantro are growing in the garden right now. Lemons are ripe for picking. We have left over salmon from grilling last night. Perfect time to make Salmon Pate from Tastes & Treasures cookbook page 166.

This recipe calls for cans of Smoked Salmon but I find that fresh grilled salmon is equally as good. The cilantro is an extra ingredient but my family loves the fresh taste.

Smoked Salmon Pate
Ingredients:
2 (7 ounce) cans smoked salmon, or 1 pound hot smoked salmon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine the salmon, butter, sour cream, lemon juice, dill weed, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Chill, covered, for 8 to 10 hours. Bring to room temperature and garnish with lemon slices. Serve with seasoned crackers. You may store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes 3 cups

Crunchy Coleslaw from Karen

Karen Swanson brought a delicious salad to the Historical League annual Christmas meeting. It was so refreshing and easy to make.

COLESLAW WITH RAMEN NOODLES

1 lb. bag shredded cabbage
1 bag Oriental Flavor Ramen Noodles

Mix:
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. oil
Ramen seasoning packet

Brown:
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 c. slivered almonds

Toss together 1/2 hour before serving with 4 chopped green onions.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

The Cottage Place in Flagstaff is wonderful for fine dining. They gave us several recipes for Tastes & Treasures cookbook including this one for Roasted Red Potatoes.

Finding a fabulous selection of mini potatoes at the local Farmers Market, I couldn't resist making this delicious dish. The rosemary grows great in our Arizona climate and it's flavor works so well with vegetables. Festive and flavorful - it is perfect for New Year's Day dinner.

Roasted Red Potatoes from Cottage Place Restaurant page 24 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. 

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the red potatoes, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Place in a baking pan. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 4