Herb Gardening and Cooking

There really is nothing like FRESH!
Once you grow a few herbs and use them in your recipes, you're instantly spoiled.

Dried parsley is nice for color, but fresh is best for flavor.
Dried chives are low in flavor, fresh chives are exploding with flavor.
Tarragon is powerful and you only need a little bit.
Cilantro is great in Mexican dishes...but it also makes a great tea.


All of these are easy to grow. Read More...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6104684/four_centuries_of_american_herbs_by.html?cat=68

Roasted Tomato Garlic

Here's another idea on a delicious way to use those tomatoes.

• Click: Roasted Tomato Garlic with Chives

High in potassium and licopenes.

Experiment with Spring Herbs

Start your "cold food" menu planning now.
What does that mean?
Well, as the warmer months approach, the less we want to heat-up the kitchen by turning on the oven. Using the BBQ is fun and can be done outdoor, but we don't always feel like doing it everyday.

Now is the time to start planning fresh salads that incorporate spring herbs such as chives. Chives and green onion  are cheap, easy to grow (if you want), full of flavor, and can replace onions in many recipes.

Try a few strips of green onion in place of that slice of onion on your hamburger.
Chop-up some chives and sprinkle on that hot dog.

Snip some mint and use in that iced tea.
Place a few mint leaves on your chocolate ice cream.

Find out about ways to purchase quality produce:
With consistent talk about food recalls, preservatives, artificial ingredients, BPA, and food borne illness, more and more people are asking, "so what's this Sustainable Foods diet all about? " At the same time we're hearing terms like, "Community-Supported", "organic" and "green." Plus, you've heard the push for buying local or growing your own fruits and vegetables. 
But, you don't have the time or motivation to grow your own food. That's okay, having choices to fit yourlifestyle is good.

Community Supported Agriculture...Read More

Gazelle Pan Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

You can certainly use any kind of pan sausage for this recipe. I just happened to have Gazelle.
1 # Pan sausage
1 c Spinach, fresh and rinsed
1/2 c Basil, fresh and rinsed
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 medium Tomato, cut into small slices or use grape or cherry tomatoes, whole or sliced.
1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Texas toast (toasted)
Shredded cheese (optional)

Cook the sausage in a pan, turning over as needed.
In another pan, lightly saute the onions in a tsp of olive oil. Add one cut-up tomato (or you can use salsa) and the spinach and basil leaves; cook for a few minutes.
Place the sausage patty on the slice of Texas toast and top with onion mixture. Sprinkle-on a little cheese and pepper if desired and enjoy!

Venison Avocado Burgers

This was a very easy twist on a traditional American favorite. The venison patties tend to be much leaner than ground beef.

You will need:
Venison Patties; grilled
Hamburger Buns
Thick slices of onion
Thick slices of avocado
Salsa
Lime

Directions:
Simply grill your patties. If you live in the north and prefer not to grill outside during the winter, you can use a fry pan or George Forman grill to cook your patties.

For a Tex Mex twist add the remaining ingredients to your hamburger.

You can add a little mustard for more flavor.

For more nutrition information on avocados, click the link on the left.

Crockpot Venison Stew

This recipe can also be used with beef.

You will need:
1 # of venison stew meat
2 T of extra virgin olive oil
1 can of beef broth
2 large onions, quartered
4 medium potatoes, chopped into large chunks
4 medium carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
fresh ground pepper
1 t cumin

The venison stew meat that I had was extremely lean. I could not see any marbling. So I browned the meat in olive oil before transferring it to the crock pot.
Then add the beef broth and onions and cook until meat is done. The duration of time it takes to cook will depend on your crock pot. Some cook ultra fast at a high heat. Others, not so much. Do not keep meat on low if it does not bring meat up to a temperature that will prevent food borne illness.

About 1 hour before serving, add the potatoes, carrots, garlic, pepper and cumin.

Seasonings are highly individualized. Play with this recipe using seasonings that appeal to you.

Serve with a crunchy, green salad.

What is the food danger zone:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Danger_Zone/index.asp

Venison Pasta Sauce

What's the first thing we think of when we're talkin' ground meat? Spaghetti sauce, of course. This is a recipe you can tweak to your fancy. Here's what I did ( it's a great recipe for busy people who are pressed for time):


You will need:

1 # ground venison
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 cup cooked chili beans (I used canned)
1 T oregano
Romano cheese
For the Spaghetti, I used one part whole grain to one part regular white pasta.  This is a great way to introduce whole grain pasta to your family, and the color is great.

Directions:
Brown the meat in the olive oil (in a dutch oven...you'll need the extra room) until red is pretty much gone. Add the onion and garlic and brown a few minutes more until onion softens. Most venison is very lean, however, drain the fat if you end-up with any.
Add the sauce, chili beans and oregano. Stir well and simmer for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions (cook until al dente which means "to the tooth"; firm not mushy). Drain.
Place pasta on a platter and cover with sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Serve with large serving forks.

This recipe is high in fiber.