1950s Pool Party - July 2008

Diva: Colleen

Drinks: Aven
Divalicious Tiki Punch

1 oz white rum
1 ½ oz cherry schnapps
2 oz pineapple juice
1 ½ oz sweetened coconut milk

Mix well and pour over ice. Garnish with pineapple wedges and cherries.

For non-alcoholic version substitute cherry soda for the schnapps and ginger ale for the rum.

Appetizer: Stacey
Stacey's Ultimate Cheese Ball

16 ounces cream cheese
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 T chopped green bell pepper
2 T chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
generous dash cayenne pepper
generous dash salt
1 ½ c pecans, chopped

Blend well with an electric mixer the cream cheese and cheddar. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Turn out onto waxed paper and shape into a ball. Roll in chopped pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap and let ripen in fridge for 24 hours. Serve with assorted crisp crackers and vegetables. Enjoy!!

Salad: Bonnie
Tatziki

1 c yogurt (preferably Greek variety)
½ large cucumber pealed, seeded and finely diced,
1 large garlic clove finely diced
juice of ¼ a lemon,
oregano
mint
salt and pepper to taste.

Flavors will develop with time; is best to make at least half a day ahead.

Guacamole dressing

3 ripe avocados diced
1 large garlic clove chopped
¾ c olive oil
¼-½ c re-constituted raisins

Place all ingredients in a blender, mix, add water till desired consistency. Season with approximately ½ T cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.

Salad

heirloom and vine ripe tomatoes
butter and romaine lettuce
pepper crusted bacon or tempeh bacon.

Croutons

The croutons were made of pre-sliced sourdough bread. Mix olive oil with salt and pepper in shallow dish. Cut bread into slices approximately 1 inch across and brush with olive oil. Place in 400 degree oven for maybe 3 min. When slightly browned take out and cool. When able to handle rub croutons with garlic clove.

Soup: Erin
Chilled Moroccan Tomato Soup
Serves 4-6

2 med tomatoes, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 qt chilled tomato juice
¼ c chilled orange juice
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cinnamon
2-3 T fresh lemon juice
Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce to taste (rooster sauce—whatever you like to refer to it as—is my fav)

In a saucepan or large refrigerator container, combine the tomatoes, celery, scallions, tomato juice, and orange juice.

In a small skillet on low heat, warm the olive oil. Sauté the garlic, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon for just a minute, being careful not to scorch them. Stir the spice mixture into the soup, and add lemon juice and Tabasco to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

**Note: Best when made ahead of time. The flavors meld after sitting for a few hours or a day.

Side Dish: Sara
Dangerous Baked Beans:

4 c dried navy or white beans
½ pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces ( I had this on the side, but would change the flavor immensely if cooked with the beans)
2 onions, thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 T chopped fresh ginger
2/3 c brown sugar
1 c dark molasses
¼ c Dijon style mustard
1 T dry mustard
3 T prepared horseradish
2 c tomato sauce
1 T white pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 quarts stock

Soak beans overnight--covered by 3 inches of cold water. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325. In 5 ½ quart Dutch oven combine the (bacon), onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook over medium high heat until onions are wilted--about 10 minutes. Add the drained beans, brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, horseradish, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper. Sir to mix well. Add enough stock or water to just cover the beans. Cover the pot and place in oven. Cook for 4 hours, stirring every hour and check the stock level--add more if needed.

Remove lid and continue baking for 2 hours, or until beans are tender and the color of deep caramel. Cover and let the beans sit for 15 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.

Entrée: Mariah
Earth Shattering Kabobs

Annie's Italian dressing
Cherry Toms
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Zucchini
Peppers
Radishes
Beets (blanch them first)
Beef or Tempeh

Cube and chop these yummy foods pour dressing over and let then sit for a few hours.

Find someone who knows how to BBQ (: drizzle extra dressing over kabobs for an extra zip. Be aware that the operator of the BBQ is focused and not to0 excited or buzzed so that they can pay attention to their work and not accidentally break the Pyrex with all the extra dressing in it. When cooked to you liking ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!

Dessert: Tamara
Apple Brown Betty

2 c sliced apples
1c fresh bread crumbs
¾ c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 T butter
½ c water

Mix apples, all but 2 T of bread crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon. Add the melted butter and pour into a buttered baking dish. Pour the water over the whole mixture. Use remainder of crumbs and a little melted butter for top. Bake 45 min in a moderate oven at 350. Serve hot or cold with hard sauce.

Hard Sauce

4 T butter
1 c confectioner's sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon extract
1 tsp boiling water

Cream butter, add water and the sugar gradually. Stir until the sauce is creamy. Add vanilla and lemon extract. Set in refrigerator to harden serve cold.

WildCard: Ashley
Tiki Fruit Cups

Rum syrup
¼ c Bacardi 151
½ c water
½ sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp vanilla

Combine and boil. Pour over watermelon and honeydew

Lottery: Lovina
Served with bubble yum gum!

Summersault into Summer - June 2008

Diva: Mariah

Drinks: Aven and Mariah
For a refreshing summer cooler, put 4 cups of watermelon chunks (no seeds), 1 cup of ice, and the juice of half a lime into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Individual Bengal Spice Decaffeinated Sun Teas

Appetizer: Tamara
Oregano Pesto

¼ c pine nuts, toasted
2 c fresh oregano, firmly packed
1/3 c fresh parsley
14 garlic cloves (yes, really. Fourteen)
¼ c white wine
1 slice roasted or fresh red bell pepper
Pinch sea salt
½ - 1 c olive oil

In a blender or food processor, combine pine nuts, basil, parsley, garlic, wine, bell pepper and salt with ½ cup olive oil. Blend. Keep blending and adding olive oil until pesto has reached its desired consistency.

Pesto Torte
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 c, or 2 sticks butter (yes, 2 sticks!!) softened
1 small jar oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
10 oz. container refrigerated pesto
½ c grated Parmesan cheese

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Mix pesto and cheese in small bowl. Line two 8 oz. custard cups with plastic wrap. Divide cream cheese mixture into four parts. Spoon 1/4 of cream cheese mixture into each custard cup.

Sprinkle each with 1/4 of the tomatoes. Spread 1/4 of the pesto mixture over tomatoes. Repeat layers until all the mixtures are used.

Fold plastic wrap over each torte, sealing well. Chill overnight until firm. Unmold, remove plastic wrap, and serve with crusty French bread slices or sturdy crackers. Serves 8 to 10

Bread Stix Dough
1 ½ c warm water
2 T olive oil
2 tsp salt
4 ¼ c flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
(I added dried oregano)

Use dough cycle on your bread machine.

Salad: Ashley
Grilled Peaches over arugula with goat cheese and prosciutto

¼ c balsamic vinegar
3 T honey
3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges
cooking spray or olive oil
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash of kosher salt
10 c arugula
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
2 T crumbled goat cheese

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 T (about 2 minutes). remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.

Fry prosciutto in a small amount of olive oil until crisp. Let drain on paper bag or towel. Crumble.

Prepare grill to high heat. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray or olive oil; grill 30 seconds on each side or until desired grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside.

Combine oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add arugula, tossing to coat. Top with peach wedges, goat cheese and prosciutto.

Drizzle balsamic syrup over the top and toss together.

Soup: Aven
Corn Chowder

½ sweet onion
olive oil/butter
2-3 tsp basil
2-3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1-2 shots Tabasco
salt and pepper
5 ears of corn
3 medium potatoes
1 red bell pepper
4 carrots
¼ c sour cream
½ c milk
1-2 c water

Dice and boil potatoes, set aside. Brown onion in oil or butter with spices and Tabasco. Add corn, pepper and carrots and sauté until soft. Add potatoes and puree half of soup. Add water, milk and sour cream, simmer 15-30 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley or chives.

Side Dish: Lovina

Two-corn Polenta with Tomatoes, Basil and Cheese

2 tsp olive oil
2 c chopped onion (2 medium)
4 c fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 c fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 c instant dry polenta
½ c (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c chopped tomato
½ c chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, corn, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Slowly add polenta, stirring with a whisk until polenta is thick (about 5 minutes). Add cheese, stirring to melt. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat; sprinkle with tomato and basil. Serve immediately.

Entrée: Sara
Summer Fajitas

1 lb Chicken, Quorn or Tofu marinated in the following:
2 T Lime Juice, Olive or Vegetable oil
1 T: Oregano, Paprika, Cumin
1 tsp: Chili powder, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes
¼ c of finely chopped cilantro

Marinate meat for 2 hours
Marinate Tofu overnight
Marinate Quorn cutlets 20 minute

Sauté protein until mostly cooked and add:

1 c Red, Green, and/or yellow peppers
mushrooms 1/2ed or 1/4ed
½ c Onion

I served it lettuce wrap style on red leaf lettuce with fat free sour cream and chopped avocado.

Dessert: Stacey
Buttermilk Pound Cake

3 c cake flour
6 eggs
1 lb. butter, softened
1 lb. sugar (2 ½ c)
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
***serve with fresh berries and whipped cream

Sift the flour, soda, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in salt and sugar. Next add butter--I use my KitchenAid at this point. Add the eggs, whole. Slowly add buttermilk then the vanilla. After it is thoroughly stirred, turn the mixer up to medium for a few minutes, then up to high for 1 minute. If the mixture seems too thick add just a touch more buttermilk.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a standard tube cake pan. Pour cake batter in, and bake for about 1 hour and 10 mins. Avoid opening the oven door too much as this will cause the cake to collapse. Test with a toothpick. Allow cake to cool for 20 mins. in the pan, then gently remove.

WildCard: Dorothy Yellin
Rugelach

1 c butter
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 c flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 c sour cream
½ c sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1 c finely chopped walnuts
½ c finely chopped raisins
1 c fruit jam or preserves (apricot, strawberry, raspberry)

Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces. In the food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until crumbly. Shape the mixture into 4 equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and raisins. Set aside.

Lightly flour a work surface area and roll each disk into a 9-inch round, keeping the other disks chilled until you’re ready to roll them. Spread each circle of dough with a light layer of the jam. Divide the sugar/nut filling among the disks, and press lightly into the jam. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges or triangles. Roll the wedges from the wide end to the narrow end, so you end up with a point on the outside of the cookie. Place on the prepared baking sheets with the point side down.

Bake in the center rack of the oven fro 22 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers. They also freeze very well for up to 2 months.

Lottery: Mariah and Sara

Spices for Summer Fajitas included! All you Divas need to add are the protein and the veggies, the oil, and the lime juice, some heat and your foodie love!