Lady Bug Caprese Salad

How adorable is this? and edible too!

Lady Bug Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
Cherry tomatoes (split back end)
Balsamic vinegar dots
Black olives
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mozzarella cheese

Arrange on plate and let the "Ohs and Ahs" begin.

Thanks to Greens First with Mary Tees-Corridon and Gigi Sotomayor for the idea.

Summer Chick Pea and Kale Salad

This is a great blend of flavors for a Summer Salad. Many interesting salads are also found in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. Enjoy the tastes.


Summer Chickpea Kale Salad with Feta, Olives and Basil
Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chickpeas* (2 - 19 oz. cans)

2-3 cups packed green curly kale, minced
]
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted & minced finely (about 20)

1/2 cup cubed feta cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced red onion (optional)

4 tbsp olive oil

 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt (or to taste)
black pepper to taste

1 pint cherry tomatoes

fresh basil leaves (6-8 leaves)

Directions:

Combine the beans, chopped kale, olives, feta, garlic & red onion and toss gently together. Stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Mix all gently to incorporate the dressing. Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them in just at the end, reserving a few to leave on top for color. Just before serving, tear a generous amount of fresh basil leaves and scatter over the top.

Kale tastes MUCH better raw when you 'massage' it first. Just work it with your fingers for a couple of minutes. The leaves will turn dark green and the flavor becomes very mild.

Historymaker Rose Mofford's artifacts at Sierra Bonita restaurant

With loads of personality, Governor Rose Mofford won the hearts of many Arizonans with her many roles in sports, business and government. It's no wonder she was honored as a Historymaker by the Historical League.

Donating some of her charm at Sierra Bonita restaurant at 7th Street and Glendale, the photographs tell the story.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna and Basil

Following the recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 175, Bonnie Newhoff created this delicious salad for our Historical League meeting.

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad Ingredients:2 cups fusilli or penne
6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed
Salt to taste
2 large tomatoes chopped, or small grape tomatoes
Sliced kalamata olvies
2 cups fresh basil leaves, stacked and thinly sliced
1 (7-ounce) can oil-pack tuna, drained and flaked
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced or chopped
Capers, drained and rinsed

Directions for the viniaigrette:
Whisk the vinegar, basil, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Add the olive oil gradually, whisking constantly until the olive oil is incorporated.

Directions for the salad:
Cook the pasta using the package directions and drain. Toss the hot pasta with a small amount of the vinaigrette in a bowl. Blanch the green beans in a small amount of boiling salted water in a saucepan until tender-crisp and drain. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and drain.

Layer the pasta, tomatoes, olives, basil, green beans and tuna in a large salad bowl, drizzling each layer with some of the vinaigrette. Toss lightly and top with the hard-cooked eggs and capers.

Serves 4.

Crab Cakes made lighter

Often high in fat and calories, this recipe from Hungry Girl keeps the flavor but eliminates the guilt.

Crab Cakes  
Ingredients:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
Dash each salt and black pepper
8 oz. (about 1 cup) canned lump crab meat, drained
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. finely chopped celery
1 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese
3 tbsp. egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute
1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise (or another creamy mild Dijon mustard)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
Optional: additional Dijonnaise (for dipping), lemon wedges (for squirting)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a medium-large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add crabmeat, onion, celery, and garlic. Mix until uniform.

In a medium bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth. Add egg whites/substitute, mayo, Dijonnaise, lemon juice, and butter. Whisk until smooth and uniform.

Using a rubber spatula, fold cream cheese mixture into crab meat mixture.

Evenly form mixture into 4 balls, and place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Flatten each one into a patty about 1-inch thick.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Carefully flip patties. Bake until firm, lightly browned, and cooked through, about 8 more minutes.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 large crab cake (1/4th of recipe)
Calories: 119
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 368mg
Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 14g

Easy Roast Chicken

Easy Roast Chicken for those last minute meals. More delicious chicken recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Ingredients: 
1 whole range chicken broken down into 8 pieces, bone-in
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic minced
4 shallots
Handful of parsley
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Separate the Chicken into pieces, toss in the marinade and roast at 425 for 30 minutes. Then take out of the oven, flip and give it another 10 minutes in the oven.

Thanks to myfridgefood.com for the detailed recipe

Marshall Trimble shares AZ history

Honored in 2014 as an Arizona Historymaker, Marshall Trimble continues to share stories, songs, poems and history of Arizona. This Free event is just another of his many performances.