ArcaMax Recipes 09/07/2005

Tomato-Basil Foccacia
Chicken Taco Salad
Jalapeno Cornbread
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We hope you enjoy this menu which serves 6 to 8.
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Appetizer
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Tomato-Basil Foccacia

1 prepared pizza crust
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in
a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture over pizza crust,
followed by the tomatoes and the cheese. Bake at 450 degrees
just until cheese melts. Slice and serve.

The Skinny: Use low fat cheese.
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Main Course
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Chicken Taco Salad

1 pound ground chicken or chicken breasts, diced
1 package prepared taco seasoning
1 onion, diced
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup black beans or kidney beans
1 avocado, diced
1 8-oz. bag tortilla chips
1 8-oz. jar Catalina dressing
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Jalapeno slices
Salsa

Cook ground chicken with taco seasoning according to package
directions. Combine cooked and seasoned chicken with diced onion,
lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, beans and avocado in a large bowl.
Just before serving, pour tortilla chips on top of the salad
followed by the dressing and cheese. Toss well. Use the sour
cream, jalapeno slices and salsa for garnish if desired. As an
alternative, you can prepare this with all the ingredients in
separate bowls and then let your guests prepare their own individual
taco salads. This allows your guests to customize their salad.
It also allows you to keep leftovers for another meal without the
lettuce and chips getting soggy.

The Skinny: Use low fat chips, dressing, cheese and sour cream.

Jalapeno Cornbread

1 and 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 8-oz. can creamed corn
2 eggs
1/3 cup corn oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients together in a
large bowl. Mix lightly; batter should be a little lumpy. If too
dry, add slightly more buttermilk; if too wet, slightly more
cornmeal. Pour into a greased 12 x 8 baking dish and bake for
20 - 25 minutes. You may omit the jalapeno peppers if you prefer
regular cornbread.

The Skinny: Use your favorite egg substitute.
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Dessert
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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 9-inch pie crust, fully baked
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups rhubarb, peeled and diced
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 Tbsp. of the zest
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Whipped topping

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the strawberries, all of the
rhubarb and 1 cup of sugar. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, salt,
cornstarch, and water and stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
Add this to the saucepan with the fruit and sugar. Cook over
medium heat until rhubarb is tender; remove from heat. Place
the remaining strawberries in the pie shell and cover with
mixture from the saucepan. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish
with whipped topping.

The Skinny: Use low fat whipped topping and your favorite
sugar substitute.
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Grocery List
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1 prepared pizza crust
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound ground chicken or chicken breasts, diced
1 onion, diced
1 package prepared taco seasoning
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup black beans or kidney beans
1 avocado, diced
1 8-oz. bag tortilla chips
1 8-oz. jar Catalina dressing
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Jalapeno slices
Salsa
1 and 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 8-oz. can creamed corn
2 eggs
1/3 cup corn oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 9-inch pie crust, fully baked
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups rhubarb, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 Tbsp. of the zest
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Whipped topping