Cauliflowered potatoes

Pam Fischer writes, "I was going to have the leftovers tonight and was thinking about what to have with it.  Was going to do rice, but trying to eat less carbs, soooo I remembered seeing a way to make cauliflower into mashed “potatoes”.  It was AMAZING!!  I substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream to make it healthier."

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" Recipe

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper
snipped chives

Directions:
Break the cauliflower into flowerettes, cook in saucepan in 2 inches of water for 12 min, until really tender.  Pour off all fluid and pat as dry as possible with paper towel, then add other ingredients and mash.  YUMMY!!
Servings: 4 Prep Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
Options: Add Skinny Cow cheese wedges.
Top with shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese.

Angel Hair Pasta

 
This delicious recipe was shared by Pam Fischer. She got it from Michelle Dudash - Healthy Dish  printed in the AZ republic.

Angel Hair Pasta with Wild Salmon, Corn and Basil 

Ingredients:

4 oz whole grain angel hair pasta- about a quarter width in your hand (this is a LOT for 2- I would half it)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup cooked corn kernels (about one cob) seasoned (or use frozen sweet corn)
2 cooked artichoke hearts (bottled or fresh) chopped bite size
10 basil leaves, cut in thin strips (I will triple this next time)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
6 oz seasoned and cooked wild salmon, flaked into bite size pieces- I broil mine with a tsp of pesto spread across it for 12 min
1 cup reserved pasta water

Directions:
Cook corn in pot for 5 min and set aside.  In that water cook pasta and reserve a cup of pasta water before draining pasta.
Empty pot and add oil to same pot and heat over med high heat.  Then add onion and garlic. Cook gently until translucent- 4 min.
Add corn to reheat.  Add cooked pasta, artichokes, basil, lemon juice, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper to taste. Combine and gently stir in salmon.  Moisten with a splash of the pasta cooking liquid if needed.  Drizzle with additional olive oil as desired.
                                                                         Makes 2 servings (Pam's comment, "HAH - we ate off this for DAYS!!")

Christmas Soup

                                                         
                                                                 
Such a colorful soup, it deserves the name Christmas Soup but it is wonderful all year long. "Witchy" Pam Fischer brought this soup for a neighborhood pot luck on Halloween night. It hit the spot.

Christmas Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

2 cups onion, chopped

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup water

16 oz can navy beans, drained 

4 cups vegetable broth

14 ½ oz canned diced tomatoes, no salt added

4 oz artichoke hearts, quartered, drained

9 oz fresh tortellini (gorgonzola), uncooked

¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated

Directions:

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  All chopped onion, bell pepper, seasoning and garlic.  Sauté 5 minutes or until tender.  Add spinach and next 5 ingredients (thru artichokes); bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes.  Add tortellini. Cook until thoroughly heated.
Sprinkle with cheese.  Serve with warm, crusty bread.

Serves 6

Pam commented, "I cannot find gorgonzola tortellini, so I have used a four cheese tortellini from Fry’s. This soup is low salt so you may want to adjust to your tastes." 

Bridal Shower Confections

Decadent chocolate covered strawberries and dessert trays with mini cream puffs and chocolate eclairs were spectacular.

The bride has a degree in fashion design and has created costumes for the theatre so centerpieces of shoes and hats seemed very appropriate.

Who would have thought that alternating red and green grapes on a skewer would look so attractive? Mother-of-the-groom, Pam Fischer, shows us her creations.

Yogurt was the filling in the paper cups served with a strawberry and Meyer Lemon cookie, served by Historical League member and co-hostess Kay Holcombe. Yummmm. They were like a mini version of the yogurt parfait served at Hassayampa Inn in Prescott. Recipe on page 52 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.