Hot Dog in Bun

Unique and fun presentation of the old Hot Dog. Kids love it and can be very creative.

Ingredients:
Hot dogs
Pillsbury Crescent rolls
Chocolate sprinkles for eyes, nose
Imagination

Directions:
Follow the photos and bake according to directions on Pillsbury rolls container.

Lemony Lemon Brownies

It's that time of year - Lemons are ripe and plentiful in Phoenix now. Nothing like the sweet-tart taste of lemons in a dessert. We also like other lemon recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook, especially Very Lemon Loaf.

Lemony Lemon Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, large
2 Tbsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt

Tart Lemon Glaze:
4 Tbsp lemon juice
8 tsp lemon zest
1 cup icing sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.
Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.
Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.
Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.
Cut into bars and serve.

Mining in Arizona

Guest Speaker for March meeting
John Lacy, a Tucson mineral lawyer and legal historian, will talk about the History of Mining in Arizona and how the changing mining and public land laws (or lack thereof) shaped the efforts of early prospectors and also led to some of the state’s more famous courtroom disputes.
John is a practicing lawyer with the firm of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy and is also an ad-junct professor of law and mining and geological engineering at the University of Arizona. He is a former president of the Arizona Historical Society and currently serves as the president of the Arizona History Convention.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad
Lots of variations for this yummy salad. I prefer to use low-fat yogurt and low-fat sour cream instead of all that mayonnaise. It does tastes deliciious!
A similar recipe is Cashew Pea Salad on page 150 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook. 

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions: Mix all together and enjoy.

Zucchini Bites

Can't wait to try these. Must remember to make this in the summer when the zucchini is so plentiful. The recipe for Herb-Roasted Vegetables in Tastes & Treasures cookbook on page 24 is similar but uses carrots and red onion. Thanks to historic The Cottage Place Restaurant in Flagstaff for sharing their Her-Roasted Vegetable recipe.

Zucchini Parmesan Bites

Ingredients:
4 medium, fresh zucchini, sliced in half
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary & thyme, minced
smidge of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F, lightly brush both sizes of the zucchini with olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix cheese and herbs together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the zucchini along with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 minutes and place under the broiler for the last 3-5 minutes until cheese is crispy and browned.

Comments on other ways to enhance this delicious recipe.
My Dad takes his zucchinis.....scoops them out into a frying pan, dices up onions, green or red peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes...adds a few spices and lets it simmer for part of the day. Then he scoops these delicious fried veggies back into the "zucchini boats" put a little Parmesan cheese and bakes them for a bit! He will sometimes add sausages to the mix too!

These are really good with some sliced roma tomato on there too.

Helpful Hint: After you cut them in half, shave a little off the skin side that is sitting on your baking dish. That way they won't turn on there side and dump off all the seasoning and cheese.

Renee Donnelly's Roast Beef Salad

Thanks to Renee Donnelly for bringing this delicious salad to the February Historical League meeting.

It is a recipe from the Winter Lunch section in Tastes and Treasures, page 167.

Roast Beef Salad

Blue Cheese Dressing
 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese  
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro  
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard  
1 garlic clove, crushed 
1/2 teaspoon sugar  
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
1 1/2 pounds chilled roast beef, julienned
12 small fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 avocado, sliced

For the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar, cheese, parsley, Dijon mustard, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and seal tightly. Shake to combine. Chill in the refrigerator. Substitute Gorgonzola cheese for the blue cheese for a milder flavor.

For the salad, toss the roast beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes and avocado in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and mix until coated. You may serve on a bed of lettuce. 
 Serves 6

Navajo Fry Bread

Cameron Trading Post is featured in the first chapter in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. Page 14 has this delicious recipe. It is much easier than I thought and a big hit with the family. 

Candice from Maryland writes, "I used a recipe from Pioneer Woman. Not authentic (I think powdered milk is more authentic) but easy, ingredients on hand, and delicious! Super fun for toddler hands too. We ate so much we had to take a family walk."

Lots of great topping suggestions too - Lettuce, tomato, ground beef, pinto beans, sour cream, avocado, cheese, green chiles . . .

Navajo Fry Bread
Ingredients:

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder (slightly Rounded Teaspoons)
• 3/4 cups Milk
• Water As Needed To Get Dough To Come Together
• Vegetable Shortening Or Lard For Frying

Directions:
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

When you're ready to make the fry bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.
When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.
Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.
Serve warm!