Strawberry Shortcake is My Favorite too!

Favorite Food Shows have always been one of my favorite 4-H events. So when I was asked to judge in a neighboring county this spring, I agreed! It is always a fun time to see what the young cooks will bring and how they will display it. Of course, the interview with the judge carries the most points. I always ask about preparation, food safety, food groups, nutrition, and family traditions. They tell me why they chose the food as their favorite food display and what they know (or remember) about the preparation.
Usually there is a theme used to showcase the food and table, this can be a party theme, international idea, holiday, or other. This week when I judged, I saw a birthday party, a Mexican dinner, Irish stew, Easter and Christmas meals, and a cookout. The senior age winner used a chicken theme for Father's Day. The table was decorated with chicken decor and the main course was a chicken dish. But the favorite food was strawberry shortcake, the red accented the blue tones of the table well, as the dessert would have been a sweet accent for the meal.

Make Mine Beef

Our ranch's new sign

May is Beef Month, and while our meals include a lot of beef year round, we appreciate the month to call attention to our product. With warm weather and salad meals we may find ourselves using other meats, but here is a tasty beef and pasta salad recipe to enjoy this summer. 

It is best eaten the same day, after mixing at room temperature, since the tomatoes will continue to break down. But leftovers that have been kept in the refrigerator are also great. Sometimes I warm my serving just a little in the microwave to enhance the flavors after it has been chilled. It makes a lot! Good for a salad lunch when you need to take a big salad, or for when you need leftovers for a few days. 

COWBOY PASTA SALAD      

 

Serve with crackers or rolls for a complete light meal. 

Ingredients:

½ pound dried mini pasta shells

5-6 slices bacon, diced

1 ½ pound ground beef

teaspoons cumin

pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

(I altered the original recipe to reduce the pasta and increase the ground beef, as well as a few other tweaks)

Directions:

1.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

2.     In the meantime, sauté bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Wipe out skillet, leaving a little of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef; cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with the cumin, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Set aside to cool completely.

3.     In an extra large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce until combined and smooth. Add the cooked pasts, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, and cheese; toss to combine and coat.

4.     Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.

You will need a large bowl to mix the ingredients together.

Soups to Sandwiches; It must be Summer

And suddenly, it is summer. We seem to have skipped Spring this year, or did it happen one day when I wasn’t able to be outside? The change of seasons also means a change of menus; from soups and stews to salads and sandwiches.

Ground beef is a mainstay of my meal planning and this recipe offers a sandwich that isn’t burgers or sloppy joes. You can use sliced bread or hoagie buns for the bread.  The green peppers, onions and Provolone cheese make a flavorful addition.

GROUND PHILLY CHEESESTEAK GRILLED CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

4 oz. canned mushrooms (optional)

salt and pepper

8 slices Provolone cheese

8 slices bread

4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1.     Brown the beef in the skillet. Try to brown without breaking up the meat too much. Get a nice brown sear on the beef, then break apart as little as possible. You want the meat to resemble a pea in size, avoid taco meat consistency. Add the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stir gently, and remove from the pan.

2.     Add 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and add chopped onions and green bell pepper, cooking until browned and caramelized. Add salt and pepper. Add mushrooms if desired. Once browned, add the meat back and combine the ingredients.

3.     Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.

4.     Place butter side down on the cutting board and add a slice of provolone to each slice.

5.     Top four slices of bread/cheese with meat mixture and close the sandwiches by pressing together lightly.

6.     In a skilled on medium high heat, brown the sandwiches and cook 3-5 minutes on each side.

Christmas on the Side for Cinco de Mayo

Montereys in Albuquerque

Saturday was Cinco de Mayo day. A holiday that has become more popular in the U.S. than its original country of Mexico. Maybe it is because we like Mexican food and a day to celebrate with Mexican favorites, or our versions of them, is fun.
"Christmas on the Side" was a new term to me last fall when we were offered the choice in Albuquerque, New Mexico while touring the Pueblo Cultural Center. An offering of both red and green salsas to top the entrees. And I discovered I like the green! It is always good to stretch our tastes experiences.

This recipe for Corn and Black Bean Salsa is from our current Walk Kansas program of KSU's Research and Extension. It is also another way to add vegetables to our meal plan. We served it over Montereys that were spread with refried beans and covered with taco seasoned ground beef.

Christmas on the side -
red and green salsas

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

Ingredients:

1 15.5-oz can black beans drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup green onion, chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup fresh lime juice

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 – 2 teaspoons ground cumin (according to your taste)

1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.     Combine all ingredients except tomatoes. Chill for 2 hours.

2.     Add tomatoes and serve.

Nutrition Information per ½-cup serving:

80 calories

13 g fat (0 g saturated fat; 0 g trans fat)

13 g carbohydrates

4 g protein

Our family's version of Cinco de Mayo

4 g fiber

60 mg sodium