Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Appetizing and Attractive - don't we want all foods to look like this? AND you can make early in the day  (just keep in a bowl of water so they don't turn brown). Thanks to Tara in Maple Grove, Minn. for serving such a lovely dish.

Tastes & Treasures has a recipe for Herbed Roasted Vegetables on page 24 from The Cottage Place in Flagstaff, AZ. Great to serve with these potatoes.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 pounds babyYukon Gold or mini-mixed baby potatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (divided)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice the bottom off each potato and cut crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom. (You can place the potato on a large spoon so the edges of the spoon prevent you from slicing completely through the potato.)

Place the potatoes in a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary and toss well, working the salt mixture in between the slices. Arrange the potatoes on a sheet pan cut side up.

Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes, until they are tender and golden and crisp on top

Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Holiday time and our daughter-in-law made this delicious soup. Takes time but so-o-o worth it.
Tastes & Treasures cookbook has a similar recipe on page 106 that includes Pumpkin. Thanks to Arizona Inn in Tucson for contributing this historic recipe to the Historical League.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 (3 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste 

8 strips bacon, chopped 

1 large onion, chopped 

6 stalks celery, chopped

6 carrots, chopped 

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons curry powder 

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

salt and ground black pepper to taste 

1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored, and cubed

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup apple cider 

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) 

1 1/2 cups sour cream

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place squash in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; mix to coat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash into a single layer on a baking pan. Roast the squash in the preheated oven, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized; 30 to 40 minutes.
Place the bacon in a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
Place the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and salt and pepper in the Dutch oven; cook in reserved bacon drippings until the carrots and celery are soft. Mix in the apples and cooked squash and cook another 5 minutes. Stir the garlic into the mixture and cook another 1 minute. Pour the apple cider over the mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; allow to reduce to about half its original volume. Stir in the chicken stock; simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in small batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender. If using a blender, don't fill the blender more than half-way. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so the steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while blending. Stir the nutmeg into the soup. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and some of the bacon pieces to serve.
Makes 12 cups
Thanks to allrecipes.com 

Sweet and Lightyly Salty Caramel Sauce

Caramel Salted Bread Pudding

Lighter Salted Caramel Sauce

This season’s hot flavor is salted caramel.
A drizzle of salted caramel sauce tops Hot Chocolate with Chocolate Chip Marshmallows. It’s the perfect introduction to the bittersweet chocolate taste that follows. Salted caramel is also one of the favorite flavors of Dan Kish, head chef of Panera Bread®.

 “Caramel is basically burnt sugar with cream,” he says. “That’s what you want in a caramel sauce product.”

Adventurous home cooks may want to try cooking up their own salted caramel sauce, but Dan cautions that, “Patience is a requirement.” For a perfect sauce, you’ll have to bring the sugar to a certain temperature and then keep it there so as to not burn it. “You’ve got to stand there and stir it…and watch it…and stir it,” he says. “In other words, it’s a bit of a project.”

This version replaces the usual heavy cream with skim milk, so we added cornstarch as a thickening agent.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup fat-free milk

1½ cups sugar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pinch salt or sea salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Directions:
Place the cornstarch in a small heavy saucepan. Add the milk and stir the mixture until smooth. Cook it over medium heat, whisking constantly, until boiling and slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted, 2 minutes. (Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring, otherwise the sugar can crystalize.) Bring the sugar mixture to a boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is thickened and light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let the sugar burn. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to swirl it until the mixture is slightly cooled, 2 minutes longer. Add the lemon juice, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt or sea salt. Let the caramel sauce cool slightly. (It will thicken as it cools.) Serve the sauce or let it cool completely and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring it to room temperature before using.
Makes 12 servings
 

NUTRITIONAL INFO (per 2-tablespoon serving): 107 calories, 1 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 12 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Thanks to Panera Bread for recipe

Crazy for Caramel
Even after you’ve enjoyed a drizzle atop a few cups of homemade hot cocoa, you’ll have plenty of leftover caramel sauce to experiment with. Get some inspiration here or come up with your own ideas.
Use it to make gourmet s’mores.
Serve it over grilled pineapple slices.
Fill the center of a dessert plate with a thin layer of it; then add a slice of dessert such as cheesecake or poached pears.
Mash it into extra-ripe bananas and serve with granola and vanilla yogurt.
Use it to sweeten your hot oatmeal.
Pour it over bread pudding or a piece of pie.
Swap it for syrup on pancakes, waffles, or crepes.
Fold it into your favorite buttercream frosting.
Pipe it into the center of a cupcake.
Use it to sweeten a cup of hot tea.
Spread it on toast.
Blend it into a vanilla milkshake.
Dip marshmallows in it and then roll them in toasted coconut.
Drizzle it on frozen yogurt or ice cream.
Dip fresh apple slices in a warmed cup of it.

Historymaker Bil Keane statue

Honored as a Historymaker in 1992, Bil Keane contributed much to Arizona. A beautiful statue of his famous cartoon "Giddy-Up Daddy"
was recently installed at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale as another tribute to this generous Arizonan. Many of his fellow Historymakers contributed to this installation including The Bombecks (Erma was a Historymaker in 1993 ), Audrie and Joe Garagiola (Joe honored in 2008) and The Long family (John F. Long honored in 2001). The Railroad Park is a popular place for children and families, complete with train rides, train museum and carousel.

Volunteers are the best

And some of the best volunteers for Tastes & Treasures cookbook and Arizona Recollections and Reflections this year were working again at a Historical League event this fall. Thanks to Carolyn Mendoza, Nina Fillippi and Zona Lorig for all you do for the Historical League.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

The best burritos I’ve ever made. Also, the only burritos I’ve ever made. But quite possibly the best I’ve tasted! These burritos have a kick of heat to them (that you can control yourself) and a light sweetness thanks to the butternut squash. The filling is so good I found myself eating it on its own. Use it to sprinkle on salads or as a dip for crackers in addition to making burritos. You could also try using sweet potato or pumpkin as a way to change up the butternut filling.
Yield: 4 burritos or 3.5 cups of filling

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, & roasted
1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
2 ears corn, shucked and cut off cob
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
3/4 cup Daiya cheese
4 tortilla wraps (large or x-large)
Toppings of choice: (avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream, spinach/lettuce, cilantro, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.
2. Cook brown rice according to directions on package
3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.
4.  Add chopped red pepper, black beans, corn and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.
5. When b’nut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add Daiya cheese and heat another couple minutes.
6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.

Thanks to OhSheGows for recipe

Magical Chocolate Pudding

It sounds most unusual but tastes delicious. The kids will love it. Who would have thought . . .
Tastes & Treasures Cookbook has Strawberry Spinach Salad but this takes healthy to another level.

Magical Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:
1 medium banana, frozen (it makes the pudding more creamy when frozen)
Flesh from 1/2 medium or 1 small avocado
1/3 cup strawberries, hulls removed
1/3 cup kale, chopped
2 dates
2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder (raw if desired)

Directions:
Put everything in a food processor, and process. Serve immediately or allow to chill in the refrigerator first.

Thanks to bitesizedthoughts.com for recipe