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.