Italian Meatball Soup

Junior Leagues In The Kitchen with Kids

Everyday Recipes & Activities for Healthy Living

from the Power Lunches chapter
Serves 5

Tools Needed:

Measuring Cups and Spoons - Large Mixing Bowl
Plastic Gloves - Stockpot - Kitchen Tongs

There's nothing more welcome than a hearty soup during the winter months, so put your young ones to work making this super easy and tasty recipe. They'll thank you for it!

Ingredients:
8 ounces extra-lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
5-3/4 cups low-fat chicken broth
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1/3 cup chopped carrots
2 cups spinach leaves, sliced



 

SHAPE THE MEATBALLS
Combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with your hands while wearing plastic gloves. Shape the mixture into 3/4-inch balls.

MAKE THE SOUP
Pour the chicken broth into a stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Use kitchen tongs to add the meatballs to the broth in the stockpot. Add the pasta and carrots. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.













FINISH IT UP
Add the spinach and stir to mix well. Cook for 5 minutes longer or until the pasta is tender, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.













Try substituting ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef.

FISH POPPERS

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK

from the Casting Calls

Serves 6

 

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

These wonderful peppers will please those who like things a bit on the spicy side. 
They can be broiled or grilled, so makes for a perfect appetizer any time of year. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

18 fresh jalapeno chiles or small sweet peppers

1 cup cooked fish, broken into pieces

2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon lime zest, minced

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Pepper Jack cheese

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions:

Split peppers lengthwise and place on a backing sheet. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers soften. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Carefully scrape out seeds. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stuff into peppers. Peppers can be broiled or grilled until stuffing is warm.

Did You Know...

Current membership exceeds 650,000 members, making Ducks Unlimited® one of the most active grassroots, volunteer-based organization in the outdoors and conservation community. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)

Who Helped Create the Free Lunch Program in Public Schools?

Did You Know....

In the early 1900s it was the 
Junior League of Brooklyn, New York, that helped create the very first FREE LUNCH program in public schools!

Help us celebrate MARCH as National Nutrition Month to keep all our kids strong and healthy, with a special offer on JUNIOR LEAGUES IN THE KITCHEN WITH KIDS: Everyday Recipes & Activites for a Healthy Lifestyle.


Check out details here...  

 

Cookbook Nirvana: Article from Rozanne Gold on Roger Smith Cookbook Conference

There's a lot of buzz surrounding this upcoming event! Our very own Sheila Thomas, Publishing Consultant, will be conducting the "Wild World of Self-Publishing" workshop.

The Wild World of Self-Publishing
Once considered a last resort, in recent years self publishing has become an option seriously considered, if not preferred by many novice and experienced authors. This workshop is an introduction to cookbook self publishing. Topics will include writing a proposal which will be a crucial part of your publishing plan, including what is your platform and determining your target audience, cookbook development, the many hats worn by self publishers, select the specifications of your book, a look at the options now available (eBook, print on demand, short run, traditional printing) and selling your self published book.
Organized by Sheila Thomas.
To register for this workshop, click here


Here's a great article from Rozanne Gold we wanted to share with you.

Happy Cooking!

Rozanne Gold

Cookbook Nirvana: The Roger Smith Cookbook Conference 

 

 

Get 50% off for March, National Nutrition Month

Since March is National Nutrition Month we are offering our Best Deal Ever to help in the endeavor to keep kids active and healthy!

 50% off Case Quantity, and * FREE SHIPPING until March 31, 2013!

JUNIOR LEAGUES IN THE KITCHEN WITH KIDS: EVERYDAY RECIPES & ACTIVITIES 
 69 Recipes - 144 Pages - Hardcover
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We've also just put a few other tools in place for this title to help build an online community of people interested in keeping their children healthy and active.

JUNIOR LEAGUES IN THE KITCHEN WITH KIDS: EVERYDAY RECIPES & ACTIVITIES now has its own:
FACEBOOK PAGE
PINTEREST BOARD
and BLOG

We welcome you to become a part of this growing community committed to healthy kids. So when visiting our online areas, please LIKE US on Facebook, FOLLOW the Pinterest Board and COMMENT at the Blog.

Here's to a healthy 2013 for kids everywhere!

Stoplight Corn Salad

Junior Leagues In The Kitchen with Kids

Everyday Recipes & Activities for Healthy Living

from the Super Suppers chapter
Serves 6

Tools Needed:

Kitchen Knife - Measuring Spoons - Mixing Bowl

This is especially easy for younger kids if you buy pre-chopped vegetables from the salad bar in the grocery store.
Makes for great color presentation on the table for any season!

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 tomato
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 small onion
1 each whole green bell pepper, red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper
2 (11-ounce) cans white Shoe Peg corn, drained
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar 

 
PREPARE THE VEGETABLES 

Chop the cucumber, tomato, 1/2 green pepper and the onion with a kitchen knife. Remove the stems from the whole bell peppers. Cut the whole bell peppers into halves crosswise and discard the seeds and membranes.









 

MAKE THE SALAD
Combine the chopped vegetables, corn, mayonnaise and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well.

SERVE IT UP
Spoon the salad into the bell pepper halves and arrange on a serving plate 








For something different, try using Italian salad dressing instead of the mayonnaise and sugar in this recipe.
.

Elk Chile Colorado

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK

from the Fare Game chapter

Serves6

 

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

This version of chile makes for a very spicy treat. 
Guests can spoon chile onto tortillas and add desired toppings, or simply eat out of a bowl. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 New Mexico dried chiles, washed and stems removed
2-1/2 cups water
Vegetable oil
2 pounds elk meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 Anaheim chiles, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 -ounce) can tomatoes, diced
2 (7-ounce) cans whole mild green (Anaheim) chiles, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour tortillas, warm
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Shredded lettuce


Instructions:
Place New Mexico dried chiles in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and steep chiles for 30 minutes. Place softened chiles and about 1/2 cup of the liquid in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, adding additional liquid if necessary to puree. Pass mixture through a strainer to remove seeds and any bits of skin.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown evenly. Add onion, 2 Anaheim chiles and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, canned chiles, oregano, beef broth and processed New Mexico chiles. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender. While cooking, make sure that there is always enough liquid to barely cover meat. When done, season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle chile into bowls and serve with four tortillas, cheese, salsa and lettuce on the side, or simply eat out of the bowl.



Did You Know...
Since 1973 more than 433,000 guns have been sold through Ducks Unlimited® 's fund-raising event system, bringing in total revenues of nearly $152 million for DU™ conservation programs. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)

Roger Smith 2013 Cookbook Conference

The Roger Smith Cookbook Conference is the place to be if you are interested in cookbook publishing, writing, editing, are an agent, do research or simply buy and use cookbooks! REGISTER HERE

Our very own SHEILA THOMAS will be leading "The Wild World of Self-Publishing" workshop!
  
"Everybody knows what a cookbook is — or do we? They’ve been around at least since the Middle Ages, dispensing information on something that all households formerly had to do at least three times a day. Whether written by pros or home cooks, they convey more about their begetters and users than can be reduced to teaspoons and tablespoons. Over and beyond advice on buying, preparing, and serving food for purposes of health, thrift, glamour, or pure pleasure, they can speak volumes about the societies and times that have produced them — including our own. Far-reaching change is underway within the genre as recipes migrate online, or into e-books and culinary apps. The future undoubtedly holds even greater changes in the entire economics of cookbook publishing.

This conference is planned as an eclectic gathering of those who publish, write, edit, agent, research, or simply buy and use cookbooks. Our object is to share as inclusive a range as possible of our very different learning experiences. On each day, concurrent sessions will take place on a broad and stimulating range of topics, from manuscript cookery books and class and politics in cookbooks, to cookbooks in the digital age and the culinary app.
We hope you will enjoy the conference."
Cathy Kaufman, Anne Mendelson, Adam Salomone, Bruce Shaw, and Andrew F. Smith

Spaghetti Pie

Junior Leagues In The Kitchen with Kids

Everyday Recipes & Activities for Healthy Living

from the Super Suppers chapter
Serves8

Tools Needed:

Saucepan - Pot Holders - Colander

Measuring Cups and Spoons - Bowl - Wooden Spoon

10 inch Deep Dish Pie Plate - Nonstick Skillet - Oven Mitt

Put a twist on this childhood classic food which is fun to make and fun to eat. 

CRUST Ingredients:

6 ounces whole wheat sphagetti

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup ricotta cheese

FILLING Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

FORM THE SPAGHETTI CRUST

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Cook the spaghetti in a saucepan of boiling water using the package directions. Use pot holders to drain the pasta in a colander. Combine the pasta with the butter, Parmesan cheese and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Shape the spaghetti mixture into a crust in a buttered 10 inch deep-dish pie plate. Spread the ricotta cheese over the spaghetti crust.

 
PREPARE THE FILLING

Heat a nonstock skillet over medium heat and crumble the ground turkey into the skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the turkey is light brown and crumbly, stirring frequently. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Cook until heathed through, stirring to mix well. Spoon into the spaghetti crust.

BAKE AND TOP

Use an oven mitt to place the pie plate in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Use the oven mitt to pull out the oven rack. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top of the pie and push the oven rack back with the oven mitt. Bake for 5 minutes longer or until the cheese melts.

Pan-Seared Venison Medallions with Balsamic Berry Sauce

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK

from the Fare Game chapter

Serves 4

 

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

After hearing some hunter friends discussing how they prepare and cook venison the other day (he bagged his biggest buck yet!) thought it would a good time to share this one.  Enjoy!


Ingredients:
2 pounds well-trimmed venison medallions, about 4 inches wide by 1/2 inch thick (see note)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBL plum preserves
3 TBL cold butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup fresh berries, any kind
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Instructions:
Season meat evenly with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown on each side, about 1 or 2 minutes, per side, but not past rare. Add rosemary, garlic, wine, balsamic vinegar and plum preserves. Remove meat after 1 minute and keep warm. Continue cooking the liquids to reduce down to a few tablespoons. Whisk in cold butter until melted. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in berries. Arrange medallions on plates, spoon sauce over and top with blue cheese crumbles. 

NOTE: Although the recipe calls for "pan-seared" venison medallions, the medallions can also be grilled or broiled as long as you don't overcook them. When using hindquarter cuts, slice the  meat with the grain into strips about 4 inches wide. Slice across the grain of each piece, about 1/2 inch wide, to make the medallions.


Did You Know...
Fishing was the most popular recreational activity after hunting among Ducks Unlimited® readers. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)

Make-A-Meal Sunrise Smoothie

Junior Leagues In The Kitchen with Kids

Everyday Recipes & Activities for Healthy Living

from the Get Up and Go chapter
Serves 2

Tools Needed:

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Electric Blender

Tall Glasses

Whirl up a delicious smoothie for fun in the kitchen with almost any combination of fruits and juices. For added nutrition, one teaspoon of flaxseed for every one-cup serving adds Omega-3 fatty acids. Two additional tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder adds calcium.

The ingredients for MAKE-A-MEAL SMOOTHIE use:

2 cups strawberries

4 peach halves or 2 bananas

1 cup nonfat plain yougurt

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder or 1 envelope instant breakfast mix

3 TBL wheat bran

1-1/2 TBL honey

ASSEMBLE THE PARTS

Combine the strawberries, peaches, yogurt, nonfat dry milk powder, wheat bran and honey in an electric blender.

BLEND IT UP

Place the top on the blender and blend until everything is well combined.

POUR IT IN

Pour the smoothie carefully into tall glasses.

Use the same steps to make a BERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE using:

1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries

1 cup frozen unsweetened blackberries

1 cup nonfat vanilla yougurt

1 cup 2% milk

3 TBL honey

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

Large pinch of cinnamon

 

Use the same steps to make a TROPICAL SHAKE  using:
1 cup nonfat plain or flavored yogurt

1 banana, sliced

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1/2 cup orange juice

1 TBL honey

2 tsps vanilla extract

Ice cubes (or freeze the fruit in advance)

March National Nutrition Month - Junior Leagues in the Kitchen with Kids...Cookbook

 Junior Leagues In the Kitchen with Kids, Everyday Recipes and Activities for Healthy Living

Simple recipe instructions accompanied by hand-shots for demonstrating cooking techniques and lists of necessary cooking utensils, make this a kid-friendly and mother-approved cookbook. Healthy eating tips throughout the book reinforce the program's healthy eating and lifestyle messages. Plenty of activity suggestions for parents and children to create and enjoy together.

March is National Nutrition Month, so we're gearing up towards that event. Stay tuned for featured recipes from the book and SPECIAL SALE OFFERS as well!

 

CRISPY QUAIL

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK
from the On the Wing chapter
Serves 4
 

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

Ingredients:
12 quail, split in half along the breastone, back removed
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups buttermilk
2 TBL Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 cups flour
1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (or subsitute any breadcrumbs)
2 TBL salt
2 TBL garlic powder
1 TBL pepper
Oil for frying


Instructions:
Season split quail halves with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, Tabasco and mustard and blend until smooth. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients except oil and stir. Place quail in buttermilk mixture, then flour mixture, then back to buttermilk, then into the flour mixture again. You're double-dipping your quail.

Heat oil to 360 degrees in a large, heavy pot. Using tongs, carefully place (not splash!) quail halves, 2 or 3 at a time, into the hot oil . Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

NOTES From Scott: I've had folks tell me about how they soak their quail in buttermilk or saltwater to take out the gamey flavor. If your quail is gamey, it's probably been mishandled and may not be fit to eat, buttermilk or not. When in doubt, throw it out.

I grew up in Virginia when we still had coveys of wild bobwhite quail and knew where to find them. I went to college in Tucson, Arizona, in the mid-seventies and found huge numbers of Gambel's quail. Although huntable populations of quail are harder to come by, they're still my favorite bird to hunt and eat. Please don't pack your quail around in a game bag on a hot October day. Stop by the cooler and get them on ice ASAP.

Did You Know...
The total weight of a clutch of eggs produced by some duck species can equal or exceed the female's weight. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)

SKILLET PHEASANT BREASTS

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK
from the On The Wing chapter

Serves 4

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

Ingredients:
4 to 6 boneless pheasant breasts, skin on or off
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBL onion, finely diced
2 TBL capers
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1 cup small tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
   
Instructions:
Rub meat with 2 TBL olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 TBL oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and lightly brown on both sides. Add garlic, onion, capers, Dijon mustard, vinegar and sugar.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pheasant when just cooked and keep warm. Whisk in remaining 1 TBL oil. Add olives, tomoatoes and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon tomato mixture over cooked phesant and top with cheese.
   
Did You Know...
Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 4,130,000 acres of wetlands in the United States, more than 6,680,000 in Canada, and more than 1,800,000 in Mexico. (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)

SNOW GOOSE TOSTADAS

THE HUNTER'S TABLE COOKBOOK

from the Waterfowl Winners chapter

Serves 4

Contributor: SCOTT LEYSATH

Ducks Unlimited Culinary Council Chef

Ingredients:
3 or 4 snow goose breasts, or equivalent amount of duck breasts, skin removed
3 ounces tequila (optional)
1/4 cup sweet-and-sour mix
2 TBL lime juice
1 TBL granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans, warm
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin rings
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
2 firm, ripe avocados, sliced
2 cups tomato salsa
2 fresh limes, quartered
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges
4 sprigs of cliantro

Instructions:
In a nonreactive container, combine goose breasts with next 5 ingredients and half the oil Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Pat dry and discard marinade.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add goose breasts and cook until medium-brown on one side. Flip over and cook other side until medium-rare. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Assemble tostada. Place tortilla on plate. Top with beans, lettuce and onion. Thinly slice goose and fan over top of lettuce. Add red bell pepper, cheese, avocado and salso. Garnish with lime and tomoato wedges and top with sprig of cilantro.

A Note From Scott: Speckled geese make for some great table fare. They're tender, just the right size, and in my opinion, the best tasting goose. On the other hand, snow geese can be a bit more pronounced in flavor. I'm told that this is because they dig deep into the decomposed matter to get at the roots of tuberous plants. I'm not sure that that's the real deal, but I do know that when I shoot snow geese early in the season in Manitoba, they taste great, about like mallard, Apparently, their diet changes once they cross the border. Have no fear, snow geese are still fit for the table. Here's how I make them taste their best!

Did You Know...
Seventy-seven percent of Ducks Unlimited households own a pet, nearly double the national average.  (The Hunter's Table Cookbook)