Kathleen Fischer's Black Bean & White Corn Salad

This was a big hit at the Historical League meeting in February and I have found lots of variations of it. Kathleen made it easy and pretty.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Salad:
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
1 diced red pepper
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Best if made the day before.
8-10 servings as a side dish

For another variation try Tastes and Treasures Black Bean and White Corn Salad with Ancho Cilantro Vinaigrette page 183

Golf and Meatballs

Reunions are fun and this group of graduates from Michigan Technological University get together once a year in Palm Springs to celebrate over golf and food (and a few beers). The Sweet and Sour Meatballs from Tastes and Treasures was an easy dish to send with the crockpot doing the cooking while they were on the links. Rumor has it the bowl was empty with the sauerkraut being a favorite. Gotta love those Canadians. 

  

SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS page 165 

 Ingredients: 2 cups undrained sauerkraut 1 16oz can whole cranberry sauce 1¼ cups chili sauce 1¼ cups water 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 pounds frozen cooked meatballs 

 Method: 1. Combine sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, chili sauce water and brown sugar in a slow cooker and mix well. 2. Add the meatballs and cook on low for 2-3 hours or longer. (I think they cooked for 6 hours)

Cobe Frobes guest speaker at meeting

Meeting the author after reading a good book is always a treat and Cobe Frobes was a wealth of knowledge when she spoke at the Historical League February meeting. She entertained us with fascinating stories of old Arizona she learned while researching her book "Streets of Forest Highlands" in Flagstaff.

Bessie Kidd Best is a favorite. Born in Flagstaff, she went to the Normal School (now NAU) to become a teacher. She was hired in Williams, AZ, fell in love, married and was soon fired because "married women don't need jobs". She went on to serve 40 years on the Board of Education being instrumental in the growth of AZ school systems.

Cobe has been a fan of Tastes and Treasures cookbook since the beginning. Thanks to her, we corrected the misprint in reference to Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the architect of El Tovar Hotel.

Cobe and Bruce, her husband, travel a lot doing geneology research. Recently they were in the Woolworth library in Connecticut working with the librarian. Tobe promptly sold her a copy of Tastes and Treasures cookbook. Sharing the history of Arizona is one of her passions and we are grateful to have such a lovely promoter.

Herbed Chicken Tortellini Salad

This is the recipe for the tortellini salad that I brought on Monday. Pretty easy! I doubled it, bought the tortellini at Safeway, it came in a 20 oz package, but they have it in the smaller size as well. The only changes that I made were I made it the night before and didn’t want the spinach to get soggy so I poured half of the dressing over the tortellini, veggies and diced cheese and let them marinate overnight and tossed the spinach and parmesan in just before serving with some of the remaining dressing. One cup seems like a lot of dressing for the regular size salad. I don’t think I used that much for the doubled recipe. Whatever I’m sure you can tell. The dressing I used was a Caesar from AJ’s, Silver Palate “Julees”, and another Caesar from Trader Joe’s in the refrigerated section mixed together. Either would be OK but the one from Trader Joe’s has a little more body and I liked them together. Also because I was already at AJ’s I bought the good grated parmesan reggiano instead of the cheaper one I use from Safeway. It is really good and I think it affects the flavor.

Bon Appetit!
Bonnie

Fresh spinach and tortellini combine for a salad to remember. Serve with breadsticks and glasses of ice cold tea with a splash of lemonade

Herb Chicken Tortellini Salad
1 (9-ounce) package BUITONI® Herb Chicken Tortellini, prepared according to pkg. directions, chilled
1 (10-ounce) package ready-to-use spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup diced mozzarella cheese, (4 ounces)
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 cup sliced ripe olives, drained
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup Caesar salad dressing
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella cheese, artichokes, olives and roasted peppers in medium bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Makes 6 servings.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Can't get enough of these delightful hors d'oeuvres with their unique flavor. The new "mini" crockpot came in handy to keep them warm during the White Elephant gift exchange. Lots of laughs and good food to munch on. Austin models the most popular White Elephant gift. It was traded many times. 

  

Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce page 165 

Ingredients:

2 cups undrained sauerkraut 1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce (2 cups) 1 1/4 cups chili sauce 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 pounds frozen cooked meatballs (do not thaw) 

Method:

Combine the sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, chili sauce, water and brown sugar in a slow cooker and mix well. Add the frozen meatballs and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours or longer. 

You may bake in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

Serves 8

Hassayampa Hotel serves Gail and Charles

Come with an appetite for this good breakfast. Gail and Charles Lucky enjoyed the delightful meal as well as the history at the Hassayampa Hotel in Prescott. Looks like Lemon Souffle pancakes from page 52 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook and crispy bacon.

Lemon Souffle Pancakes pg 52

10 egg whites
10 egg yolks
¾ cup all purpose flour
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 ½ lemons
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine the egg yolks with the flour, ricotta cheese, butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and mix well. Fold in the egg whites gently, leaving small portions of egg white intact.
Preheat a griddle or skillet to medium-hot and brush with a small amount of vegetable oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the batter at a time onto the heated griddle and cook until bubbles appear. Turn the pancakes and cook until brown. Remove the pancakes to serving plates as they brown, allowing three pancakes for each serving. Serve with fresh raspberries and raspberry syrup.
Serves 6 (makes 18 pancakes)

Roasted Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin

I received this comment from Peggy Murphy and thought it would be a great dinner for the holidays or company-

"Just a note to tell you that one of the sales people, Shelly, at Schmitt Jewelers, told me today that she cooked the Roasted Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin and not only she, but her whole family loved it, loved it, loved it!"

Roasted Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin pg 157

2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 cup sherry
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

Place the tenderloins in a large sealable plastic bag. Mix the sherry, soy sauce, soup mix and brown sugar in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sherry mixture. Pour the remaining sherry mixture over the tenderloin and seal tightly. Turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the tenderloin from the plastic bag and arrange in a roasting pan. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes or to the desired degree of doneness. Let rest for 15 minutes and thinly slice. Heat the reserved sherry mixture and water in a small saucepan and drizzle over the tenderloin on a platter.
Serves 8