mealsfromthemountains

Posted on January 14, 2013January 14, 2013 by mealsfromthemountains · 1 Comment

Parmesan Broccoli Quinoa with Wild Game Sausage

It has been remarkably cold the past three days, with lows at night down to -18 and daytime temps not getting above the 4-10 degree range. The nice part has been that the wind has stopped blowing though, so it’s not a bad tradeoff! I am having to chop ice out of the creek every other day now for the horses.

Before our snowstorm came in last Friday, I made a shopping trip down below on Thursday to the “big city” and stocked up for the month. The big city of 10,000 residents consists of Wal-Mart, Smiths, and Safeway, as well as feed stores and the like. We were out of several non-grocery items (dog food, paper goods, toiletries, etc) which would have made my 160-mile roundtrip worthwhile anyway, so I stocked up on groceries for the next four weeks while I was there. My plan is to save a little money in the budget to buy milk and the frozen yogurt that I like in town, and buy everything else I need for the month down below.

While I am all for supporting small town businesses, I have made the decision this month to once again make monthly trips down-country for groceries and supplies. Several ongoing factors over the course of the past year have led me to this decision, and at this time I feel like is the right thing to do financially and otherwise due to the price and quality of products offered locally (I am sick of buying expensive, expired and/or damaged food!). In mentioning my decision to others, I have realized that several others in the community are doing the same. I always take a list when I go, and I stuck to it pretty much completely with the exception of purchasing quinoa. I had planned on buying wild rice, and when I got to the isle I saw several types of quinoa blends nearby and decided to give it a try since I have been reading a lot about it over the past year.

The box describes the Roasted Red Pepper and Basil blend of quinoa and brown rice as “a unique, versatile whole grain with a slighly crunchy texture and a light nutty flavor that is used around the world.” It is also Fair Trade Certified, and I feel good about buying products that benefit the producer and agriculture as well as the consumer. Fair Trade is a global movement that aims to give farmers competitive prices, improved trade terms and incentives to invest in their communities and help protect the environment.

Tonight I got done with work and did not have to go to my other job, and found myself with time to cook. This is what I came up with: Parmesan Broccoli Quinoa with Wild Game Sausage.

Ingredients

2 c fresh broccoli
1/4 c parmesan cheese
6 oz. (about 1/3 lb.) wild game breakfast sausage
Roasted Red Pepper & Basil Quinoa, 1 box prepared
Kraft Salad Dressing & Marinade: Roasted Red Pepper with Parmesan (optional)

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1. Cook quinoa according to package directions until water is absorbed (typically you just have to add water, olive oil is optional and I did not add it). You can cook the broccoli right in with the quinoa if your pot is large enough, otherwise steam or boil the broccoli separately.

2. Crumble wild game breakfast sausage in frying pan and cook until no longer pink. This is venison breakfast sausage we made this year with a kit from Hi Mountain Seasonings.

3. Combine quinoa, broccoli and sausage together in pot and stir gently to combine.

4. Transfer to 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese.

5. Serve immediately while hot. Top with a drizzle of Kraft Roasted Red Pepper & Parmesan Salad dressing if desired.

ON BUYING LOCAL:

Something to Digest….

According to Susan Witt, Executive Director of the E.F. Schumacher Society, “buy local” campaigns serve another function: alerting a community about gaps in the local market. For instance, if consumers keep turning to on-line or big-box stores for a particular product—say, socks—this signals an opportunity for someone local to make and sell socks. This is the way product innovations get made, says Witt.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1903632,00.html#ixzz2I0mFBTAL

Something to Think About…

“We as a society and as an economy need to start optimizing for a large number of small things, not just relying on a small number of large things.”

Woody Tasch, founder of the Slow Money Alliance, a new nonprofit that is raising money to support local food ventures.

How much do outside factors play into the decisions you make regarding the food you choose to buy and the food you choose to produce yourself? How important is it to shop local?

Posted on January 9, 2013January 9, 2013 by mealsfromthemountains · 2 Comments

Elk Sausage & Spinach Quiche with Savory Crust

What can I say, it’s hard to stop eating this quiche! The crust is buttery, savory and melts into the mildly spicy breakfast sausage, spinach, onion, and cheedar cheese. Simple, filling, and good for any meal of the day.

Elk Sausage & Spinach Quiche with Savory Crust

Servings: 4 large slices

Savory Pie Crust: recipe follows

-1.5 c Butter or Crisco shortening

-3 c. AP Flour

-1 egg

-1 T. White Vinegar

-1 tsp. salt

-5 T.cold water

Using a pastry knife, work flour and butter/crisco together until mixture forms into coarse crumbs, then add egg, vinegar, salt, water and combine. I prefer using Crisco, but real unsalted butter works fine too. Form crust into ball and place in freezer for 10 minutes in a ziplock bag if you are using it immediately, this makes the dough much easier to work with. This recipe yields a top and bottom crust; I use one right away and freeze the other for later use for quiche or fruit pies.

1/2 lb elk or venison breakfast sausage
1/3 c frozen spinach, or more if it’s fresh
1/4 c diced yellow onion
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1/2 c Half and Half ( I use fat-free)
Salt and Pepper
1 T olive oil

1. Make pie crust as directed above. Divide dough in half, use one half now & freeze one half in a ziplock bag for later use.

2. Layer pie crust in a pie tin WITHOUT greasing the pan first.

3. Pour olive oil into medium frying pan. Add in diced onion and spinach. I threw my spinach in frozen because I didn’t have much left. Sautee on medium heat for 2 minutes

4. Add in breakfast sausage and cook until it crumbles and is no longer pink.

5. In a small bowl, beat three eggs with 1/2 c. half and half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Pour meat mixture into pie crust and spread evenly on bottom.

7. Pour egg mixture over top.

8. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes. If eggs are still runny, uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until eggs poof up and are firm when you cut into the quiche.

Nutrition Information: 1/4 slice = Note: For dinner if I am really hungry I will eat an entire 1/4 of the quiche, but it is a lot. For breakfast or lunch, I often cut smaller slices, like 1/6 or 1/8 size. Information below is for 1/4 slice. The nice thing though, is that I never feel overly stuffed like after eating a large portion of some foods. This is a wholesome recipe with a good dose of protein that will keep you full and energized.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/4 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories 674

Calories from Fat 395.5

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 43.94g

67%

Saturated Fat 26.06g

130%

Cholesterol 302.86mg

100%

Sodium 895.96mg

37%

Total Carbohydrate 37.16g

12%

Dietary Fiber 1.86g

Sugars 3.32g

Protein 28.56g

57%

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat

59%

Carbs

22%

Protein

16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.

Posted on January 4, 2013January 4, 2013 by mealsfromthemountains

What to Do with Gamey Elk

Ah, nothing quite prepares you for that first bite of juicy, medium-rare, fried-to-perfection elk tenderloin, until……. you sink your teeth into it and realize it is completely and totally inedible and tastes like you are eating raw elk! I found myself in this predicament three days ago while making elk steaks for dinner. While I hadn’t marinated the meat–mistake #1- I had liberally seasoned it with Steak Seasoning while cooking, and it smelled great. Ha. It was truly the worst tasting elk meat I have eaten. EVER. By this time I was hungry and frustrated, so I put the meat in a plastic container to think about my options, and proceeded to make a grilled cheese for dinner. Yes. And it was cheesy, edible goodness.

So, what do you do with gamey elk steak? Why, make Crockpot Elk Fajitas of course! I am not one to waste food, so I knew I had to think of something. As a last resort I would have given it to Jade, but I reallty didn’t want to feed my elk to the dog if I could help it. So I left the steaks in the fridge for two days with the seasoning I had put on them while cooking to let that really absorb into the meat. At least I hoped it was. Then I came across this recipe for crockpot steak fajitas and decided that it would be my steak salvation. I followed the recipe more or less, but cut back on the Rotel and omitted the bell pepper (Joe won’t eat ’em and they are ridiculously expensive at our local store). I sliced the elk meat, added in the onions, then the seasonings, and turned the crockpot on LOW for about 3.5 hours. Now, the meat was already cooked to rare, and I didn’t want to dry it out. But if using raw meat, you would definately need to increase the time to 6 hours or crank up the crockpot to HIGH for 4 hours.

So, did it work? I would say yes, for the most part, this recipe saved the most gamey elk I have ever tasted (MY elk from this year!). There is still a slight elky flavor, but overall the meat is good and makes a nice fajita. We have had other steaks from this elk which have been great, and the burger is fantastic. I am not sure why this cut was so gamey, but it reminded me to 1) When eating elk steak, always lightly marinade for 1-2 days prior to cooking and 2) If you end up with inedible steak, make these fajitas!

Crockpot “Gamey” Elk Fajitas

Serves 4

3/4 lb elk tenderloin/steak, sliced (already seasoned with whatever you like)
1/2 of yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 c. Mild Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin OR taco seasoning
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garlic salt
Bell peppers (optional)
Medium Size Flour tortillas (I use Mission Carb Balance)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings: lettuce, salsa, sour cream, green onion, etc.

Layer meat in bottom of crockpt.
Top with sliced onions/peppers and Rotel.
Sprinkle seasonings on top.
Cook on LOW for 3.5 hours if meat is pre-cooked to at least rare. If meat is raw, cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, depending on your crockpot.
Layer meat mixture into warm tortillas, top with cheese and your favorite toppings.
The gamey elk meat is now not just edible, but pretty darn good!

Posted on January 1, 2013January 1, 2013 by mealsfromthemountains

The Perfect Elk Burger + 2012 Recap

Happy New Year! I will be the first to say that I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but do like to make lists! While walking Jade a few days ago, I started thinking about the highlights of 2012, those things that stand out above all else if someone were to ask me what I did this year that mattered, and this is what I came up with:

2012 Recap

~Pink Ribbon Ride– I rode in my first Pink Ribbon Ride Snow Run in March in support of breast cancer research. While I have participated in the ride for two past years by helping cook and serve lunch for the 150 riders, I was glad to be able to get out and ride this year, and even got to be in Joe’s group that he guided for the day. The comraderie and cause is what it is all about, and if you are interested in fantastic snowmobiling for an even greater purpose, here’s a link to the Pink Ribbon Riders. I am already registered for this year!

~Hawaii- Joe and I took a wonderful but whirlwind trip to the Big Island of Hawaii this April. Camping on the beach in a VW Camper Van and night snorkeling with the Manta Rays were unforgettable.

~Fly Fishing– This was the first summer we were not working literally every day of the summer, and therefore had time to go and fish ourselves. I can recall at least six different weekend trips, and while I was not always “successful” in that I caught anything, they were all fun and memorable trips in the mountains. I even got to see some new (local) country. And of course, a bad day fishing beats a good day at work!

~PR @ Old Bill’s– Jackson Hole hosts Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities every September, and it is the one 5k race I look forward to each year. The anonymous “Mr. and Mrs. Old Bill” match the donations made for the event to raise money for several local non-profits. Another great event for a great cause. For your entry fee, you get to choose the amount of your donation and what charity you wish to donate it to from the list provided. Last year I was unable to race because I was still not fully recovered from a herniated disc in my lower back that I had endured for 9 months of hell. But this year I was ready- I followed a 7-week training plan, customized for me on Runner’s World, and ended up beating my prior race time that I had pre-injury! My goal was just to finish within a minute of my old time, and I ended up beating it by 20 seconds for a PR of 26:19. I’ll take it.

OFFICAL RESULTS: 26 of 75 Bib 635 Megan O’Brien 5K Women 26:19

~Mealsfromthemountains– I have been reading five blogs on a regular, daily basis for years, and this summer I began tossing around the idea of starting my own. I appreciate having a healthy outlet that highlights what I care about and that can potentially be useful to others! I began this blog in September and am looking forward to growing with it in the next year.

~Elk Camp– After three years of adventures on foot, horseback, and by truck, I shot my first elk this Fall during a fabulous four-day packtrip with Joe and our horses deep in the backcountry. It has been a lifetime goal of mine to shoot an elk in the backcountry with horses, and although he was no monster, I am proud and thankful for my first bull. I am slowly learning to embrace the emotional roller-coaster that is hunting!

2013 And We’re Off…

The year is off to a good start, as I was able to enjoy a “play day” today with a 3.6 mile morning run and 4 mile afternoon x-country ski. Now that my workplace has recently undergone an organizational transition, I get five paid vacation days per year and today was one of them- yay!

Today is also a special day as it is Jade’s 10th Birthday! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, but in another way, it seems I also can’t remember a time when I didn’t have her. She has come a long way since her early days as a pound puppy, she is a best friend, and I can honestly say I don’t think I will ever have another dog as good as her. Happy Birthday Jade!

For this first dinner of the New Year, Joe was unexpectedly home from work early (unforunately he came home sick) and here to eat dinner. I decided to make one of his favorite meals….. burgers! Well bacon-cheeseburgers with tater tots to be exact. This year’s elk burger is exceptionally tasty-juicy but not too fatty with no game taste. We made the elk burger by grinding a few pounds of beef suet in with the ground elk meat. You can get beef suet at your local grocery store or butcher, just ask. Our burger is packaged in 1 lb bags and frozen for use throughout the year. I typically make two meals for two with one package of burger, over the course of the week. Anything beyond that gets cooked and frozen for later use in chili or spaghetti sauce.

My elk burgers are simple, but juicy and delicious, and take only about 15 minutes to prepare. During the warmer months, I grill our burgers outside, but in the winter I just make them on a stove-top griddle over medium heat.

The Perfect Elk Burger

Serves 2

1/2 lb ground elk
Season Salt
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
2 slices bacon
2 slices of 2% American cheese
2 hamburger buns OR 4 slices Whole Grain White Bread
Cooking spray

Cook bacon on griddle or in frying pan. Meanwhile, while bacon cooks, form two hamburger patties., roughly 1/4-pounders.
Spray pan with cooking spray. Place burger patties on griddle or in frying pan over medium heat along with bacon. Season with a dash of season salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. Cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes. Flip. Season opposite side and cook another 2-3 minutes for medium to medium rare.
Remove bacon from frying pan and place onto a paper towel to absorb some grease. Break each piece in half.
Top with a slice of cheese and lay bacon slices over top to make an “X”.
Turn off heat but leave pan on burner for 1-2 minutes to let cheese melt.
Top with your favorites & enjoy!

Posted on December 22, 2012December 22, 2012 by mealsfromthemountains

Open-Face Elk Tenderloin with Gravy and Onions

Marinade

1 T. Worcestshire
1 tsp Hi Mountain Elk Seasoning
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3/4 lb elk tenderloin
1 egg
1 c flour + another 3 T flour, divided
~1/2 c milk/ half and half
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
1/4 c thinly sliced onions

Marinade steaks for two days with worcestshire, Hi Mountain Elk Seasoning, and Hi Mountain Cajun Campfire seasoning.
Beat an egg in a shallow container and dip steak in egg, bread in flour on a paper plate, repeat once to completely coat meat.
Heat vegetable oil in frying pan and fry, flipping twice, until centers are no longer raw.
Pour about 2 T of oil/meat drippings into a separate small saucepan (you can use the same pan if the bottom isn’t burnt, but I was low on oil and my pan/drippings had a burnt taste, I needed to use a fresh pan).
Add in some flour (about 3 T. or so) and pour in milk (I used fat free half and half, no milk in the house tonight!). Stir with a fork until smooth on low heat.
Toast slice of bread and sautee sliced onions until tender.
Layer steak on toast and top with gravy and onions.

In the spirit of elk, check out this photo from Wyoming’s Wind River Country of Lander, Wyoming in the early 1900’s. Made me smile. And also laugh–one commenter had wrote “it’s all fun and games until you get an eye poked out!” Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 18, 2012December 18, 2012 by mealsfromthemountains · 1 Comment

Spicy Venison Sausage Pasta

I have been wanting to make this recipe for the past few weeks since I came across it on Pinterest, and tonight was the night. This dish is a winner and I will definately be making it again. The original recipe uses turkey sausage, and can be found over at Kevin and Amanda’s blog. I made a couple tweaks and followed the recipe using venison bratwurst made with my deer last year. The brats were made with a sausage kit and have hash browns and onion mixed in with the venison to add flavor. This pasta was delicious but it does pack some heat, but nothing overwhelming as long as you stick with the mild Rotel. I was skeptical about using the entire can, but am glad I did. If you don’t like some spice, this is not for you : )

Spicy Venison Sausage Pasta

(2) venison bratwurst
1 1/3 c uncooked rotini pasta
1 can Rotel, mild (10 oz.)
1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz)
1/2 c Half and Half ( I use fat-free)
1 c. Three Pepper Cheese= colby jack
1 c. diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2 c water
2 T. diced Green onion
1 T. olive oil

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1. Pour 1 T. olive oil in medium saucepan and saute diced onion and garlic with brats. I kept my brats whole at this point, as in the past when I have sliced them into round pieces first, they have gotten burnt and chewy.

2. Once onions/garlic are tender (3-4 minutes), remove from pan and set aside. At this point, the brats should be expanding and beginning to brown.

3. Now it is safe to slice brats into 1/4-inch round pieces and return to frying pan. Add about 1/3 c water to pan so that brats continue to cook for 7-10 more minutes without burning.

4. Add onions/garlic back into pan, along with the can of Rotel, can of chicken broth, half and half, and pasta, salt and pepper, and allow to rise to a low boil. Your half and half will curdle slightly and then combine into the mixture–I was worried at first adding the cream here, but it turned out fine.

5. Keep at a low boil until pasta is tender, about 8 minutes.

6. Remove from heat, sprinkle with 1 c. cheese, and cover with lid to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with green onion* and enjoy!

*Garden Tip!! Green Onions can be diced and the extra can be frozen in an empty plastic water bottle so that when you need just a sprinkle, you can pour the onions out frozen and be on your way with zero waste! I used green onion left from our garden this summer in this dish.

Posted on December 11, 2012December 12, 2012 by mealsfromthemountains

1-egg Sausage and Spinach Scramble

Yesterday I enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon with my first x-country ski of the season, a 5-mile trip to my old stomping grounds on the mountain. While I had debated going at all, due to the 11 degree weather, there was zero wind and sunny skies so I layered up, put on my balaclava and went for it. The hour and forty-five minute ski in the crisp air left me quite hungry for dinner last night, and also for breakfast this morning. For breakfast, I decided to make a quick, light scramble using our elk breakfast summer sausage.

1-egg Sausage and Spinach Scramble

1 egg (local if possible!)
1 T. medium salsa
1 T. +/- raw breakfast sausage
1 T. shredded cheddar
2 T. spinach (I used frozen, fresh would be fine, too)
sprinkle of black pepper

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook breakfast sausage until no longer pink.
Re-spray the pan with cooking spray, crack egg into pan and scramble with fork.
Add in spinach (still frozen is fine) and salsa.
Cook on medium heat until eggs set up and top with a large pinch of shredded cheddar.
Sprinkle with black pepper. Breakfast is served!

Posted on December 8, 2012December 8, 2012 by mealsfromthemountains

Making Your Own: Elk Summer Sausage + Antler Christmas Tree

I had never eaten summer sausage until five years ago while cooking for a packtrip, when my boss had thrown in some of his venison sausage for our guests to try. Since then I have really grown to like it, and it has become a staple snack in our house. A slice of sausage, chunk of hard cheddar cheese, or even better–salami cheese from Wisconsin thanks to friends Dave & Clare–and ritz cracker makes a great snack between meals or while out in the field.

Jalapeno Elk Summer Sausage

This year, Joe and his Dad made 55 lbs of jalapeno summer sausage with about 38 lbs of my elk using a Jalapeno Summer Sausage Seasoning kit from LEM, which is a meat processing equipment company. The kit, along with other cured seasoning, can be found on this page: http://www.lemproducts.com/product/4655/cured_seasonings.

The summer sausage was made by mixing approximately 70% elk to 30% pork. We use pork butts that we buy, trim, and grind ourselves. For 55 lbs. of sausage, we used roughly 38 lbs ground elk (70%) combined with 16 lbs of ground pork (30%). To the meat we added in the Japapeno Summer Sausage Seasoning kit, mustard seed, and an additional 2 cups of diced fresh jalapeno. The sausage is then smoked for 6 hrs. in a smoker until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees Farenheit (test the temperature using a meat thermometer, and test more than one stick). We then vacuum-sealed the sausage in 3 lb. sticks and froze them to enjoy throughout the year. Once you open one stick, refrigerate and it will stay good for about 2-3 weeks or longer. FYI- When it starts to go south, it will lose its normal smell and possibly mold. If it does not do either of these, it is probably still ok to eat, even after 2 weeks.

As I write this post, I am sitting next to our Christmas tree, which I am quite proud of if I must say so myself. While we do not have room in our house for an actual pine tree, we do have room for a huge pile of shed antlers that have been collected over the years. I have no idea how many deer and elk sheds are in the pile, but it makes quite a stack in our living room corner, and when re-arranged right, they make a beautiful Christmas tree! After surviving the Jenga-like experience of re-stacking them into tree shape, I decked the tines and lit it up! Merry Christmas!

Posted on November 27, 2012November 27, 2012 by mealsfromthemountains

Can’t-Stop-Eating-Them Wild Game Nachos

I enjoyed these elk nachos with a side salad–they are so addicting! The filling but (mostly)healthy meal is great way to use up ground meat when you are short on ideas and sick of burgers.

Wild Game Nachos

Serves 2, with leftovers (maybe)

1/2 lb ground elk, venison, or antelope
1/2 c diced yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
12 oz. (about 3/4 can) Vegetarian Refried Beans*
1/4 c Medium-heat salsa
Season Salt
Chili Powder
2 tsp. Taco Seasoning
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese

* I recently began using the Old El Paso Vegetarian variety as I realized they do not contain partially hydrogenated oils like the Traditional and Green Chili varieties, if you care about that sort of thing.

Cook ground meat with onion, jalapeno, and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Season with season salt, taco seasoning, and chili powder to taste.
Stir in refried beans and salsa to meat mixture and combine until smooth. Simmer on low heat another 1-2 minutes.

3. Lay out tortilla chips and top with nacho meat. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and microwave 15 seconds if you like your cheese melted. Top with salsa and start scooping!