Asian Venison & Broccoli

by almost_rosey // 6Jan2016 // No Comments

I harvested my first deer this last deer season. My guide cooked the tenderloin & made chicken fried venison steaks thus far, but one of the reasons I wanted to harvest a deer was to learn how to cook with venison. It’s hard for me to justify hunting unless you have good reasons, i.e. putting food on the table, conservation, using the hide, gaining skills & perspective on life, etc. I don’t understand people who hunt for antlers. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn down a nice buck to put on the wall, but that cannot be my only reason to hunt.

One of the times my guide and I went to check out my hunting grounds I brought my shotgun with me to see if I could get some grouse or other small game. My guide said, “There is a squirrel, shoot him.” This is what he saw…

I, however, saw this…

Needless to say I didn’t shoot him. I saw a squirrel and he was eating something. He was small. There was not enough meat on him to feed one, let alone two. I looked back at my guide and I said, “He’s eating breakfast.” I kid you not. Hunting happens in split seconds and in that moment I didn’t see something worth shooting. I saw an animal enjoying the morning like my guide and I were doing.

Maybe that is part of the reason why I was able to harvest a deer. Maybe the world smiled upon me for making a good hunting choice on when to shoot. My deer was not so lucky in that aspect. I decided to pull the trigger. Now I have provided my guide and myself with a freezer full of venison.

I decided to cook with one of the choice cuts of meat for my first attempt at cooking venison. It actually turned out really good. I will definitely be making this again in the future.

Asian Venison & Broccoli (serves 2)

small amount of sesame & olive oil
1 lb deer steak sliced into thin bite-sized strips or pieces
heaping tsp minced garlic
12 oz bag broccoli florets, blanched or lightly steamed.
1/2 cup white rice cooked according to package directions

Marinade

1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp each onion & garlic powder
pinch each salt & pepper

Sauce

1.5 tbsp each hoisin, oyster, & soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp each chili sauce & honey
1/4 tsp ground mustard
dash or two ground ginger

Add marinade to venison and allow to stand for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix sauce ingredients together.

Heat a small amount of sesame oil or sesame & olive oil in a skillet (I find too much sesame oil is overwhelming so usually do a blend for stir-fries). Add the marinaded venison and garlic and cook briefly (about 1-2 minutes depending on how thin your pieces are). Add the sauce and allow to come to a boil. Cook for another 2 minutes or so. Stir in the broccoli and serve over rice with additional soy sauce.

Savory Oatmeal

by almost_rosey // 2Jan2016 // No Comments

It’s finally here. Ice season is upon us. My guy is now an ice fishing guide once again. This gives me plenty of alone time. Time to do various things, one of which is making food for myself. Normally I go vegetarian as he frowns upon meals without meat, but today I decided to give savory oatmeal a try. I have to say…I am a fan. I plan on experimenting a lot more with savory oatmeal in the future.

Savory Oatmeal (serves 1)

1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2oz kielbasa, sliced
1/2 – 1 tsp garlic juice (from jar of minced garlic)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup water
pinch salt
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion & sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add kielbasa & cook for 3-5 minutes more. Add garlic juice and sauté for one minute more. Meanwhile, combine oats, pinch salt, & water in a small pot. Heat to boiling & then reduce heat to a simmer & cook for 3-5 minutes until desired consistency. Stir in cheddar cheese and then top with onion & kielbasa.

Seafood Chowder

by almost_rosey // 28Dec2015 // No Comments

The ice is late this year. Normally I would already be ice fishing. My guy, who is an ice fishing guide, has not really been working due to el nino. This warm weather is also not so great for our small town here in Almost Canada. Our town makes it’s livelihood on tourists and fishing. With the absence of ice, there is an absence of fishermen. The ice is coming, slowly but surely. It’s just about here. Soon our sleepy little town will be alive with fishermen once again. In the meantime, my guide took me ice fishing on a lake that is shallow enough to freeze. It was slow at first but then it was hot & heavy for about 30 minutes and we ended up catching our limit which is great cause we haven’t had walleye in a little while. I have to get creative with walleye. You can only eat fried fish so often. I decided to make a seafood chowder using our freshly caught walleye and it was superb.

Seafood Chowder (serves 4)

1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 potatoes, diced
1/8 tsp each cayenne, paprika, garlic & onion powder
1/4tsp salt plus more to taste
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
black pepper to taste
8 oz clam juice
8 oz milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb Walleye, cut into bite sized pieces (perhaps 3-4 average walleye, I had one vacuumed sealed pack)
Shrimp, peeled & deveined (I used about 15 medium shrimp)
small amount of olive oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add potatoes & carrots and continue to cook until potatoes begin to become softened, about 10 minutes.
Add clam juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the milk, cream of mushroom, and seasonings. Add water to thin if necessary (1/4-1/2 cup at most). Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the walleye and cook for 6-8 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes more. Serve with french bread & enjoy.

Bread Pudding

by almost_rosey // 28Dec2015 // No Comments

Since moving to Almost Canada I haven’t gone down to the cities for Christmas. I moved up north during one of the coldest winters in a very long time. My guy and I made numerous trips back and forth throughout that terrible winter and have since refused to do winter driving. I’ve offered to host Christmas but no one has taken me up on it yet. Go figure. It has actually been nice. My guy and I have our own little Christmas. Christmas morning I made coffee cake muffins for brunch. They are delicious fresh out of the oven with a gooey layer of cinnamon goodness inside and a cinnamon crumble on top. They dry out quickly unfortunately. I only made a half dozen but was still left with two muffins that were going to be inedible by the next day. I also had neglected to make a dessert for our Christmas dinner. As my guy had gotten me a set of ramekins for one of my gifts I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to make individual bread puddings. It turned out to be one of the best bread puddings I have ever made and might be my new go-to recipe for bread pudding.

Bread Pudding (serves 2)

2 leftover muffins, mine were coffee cake muffins
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
couple dashes cinnamon
bourbon sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp bourbon

Take the leftover muffins and crumble them into their own ramekin dish. Combine the buttermilk, egg, sugar, vanilla, & cinnamon. Pour into the ramekin dishes and press the muffins down into the liquid.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350F oven or until set.

Meanwhile prepare bourbon sauce by meting butter in a small sauce pan. Add sugar & water and cook for 5 minutes or so. Stir in bourbon. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove bread puddings from ramekins and place into two serving bowls. Drizzle with bourbon sauce and enjoy.

Wild Turkey Chowder

by almost_rosey // 27Dec2015 // No Comments

This year I shot my first turkey. I made thai turkey noodles for my first dish and have kept the rest in the freezer. As I am participating in a thing called the 12 Soups of Christmas I decided to use up my turkey breasts and make a chowder. Delicious.

Wild Turkey Chowder (serves 3)

1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 potatoes, diced
1/8 tsp each garlic & onion powder
1/4tsp salt plus more to taste
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
black pepper to taste
12 oz vegetable broth
12 oz milk
2 tbsp flour
8oz wild turkey breast, silver skin removed, cut into 1in pieces seasoned with small amount of salt, pepper, onion, & garlic powder
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp shaky parmesan

Heat butter in large stock pot. Brown turkey on all sides, remove, & set aside. Add onion, potatoes, & carrots and cook until potatoes begin to become softened, about 10 minutes. Add turkey back to pot. Add vegetable stock & seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the milk to the flour to create a slurry & then add to the pot. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency. Serve with bread & enjoy.

A Good Year for Hunting

by almost_rosey // 21Dec2015 // 1 Comment

I had a lot of hope going into this deer season. I had gotten pulled for a turkey tag and harvested my first turkey in the spring, maybe I would get to harvest a deer this fall. Perhaps this was my hunting year. Unfortunately I didn’t get a doe tag, but my hunting guide and I found a new hunting spot and there was plenty of deer sign. It was close quarters, pretty much bow hunting distances, with my possible shots being anywhere from 40-70 yards at most. I was a little worried about this at first, but when you don’t own land those 100+ yard shots in open fields just don’t exist. My hunting guide put in a lot of work finding this spot for me and it was starting to feel right.

On deer opener I saw the northern lights. I know it sounds crazy but this too gave me hope for a good hunting season. I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s because I rarely actually see them. Maybe I was just looking for any sort of hopeful sign. I needed something to hope for after last deer season, my first deer season. Last year was a terrible year for deer. It was cold. Brutally cold. It was windy. You wouldn’t have been able to hear a deer if it sat down right next to you. I barely saw any deer. I really just wanted to see some deer this year even if I couldn’t take a shot.

Walking to my stand I saw a shooting star. I thought, this is it. This is my year. I’m going to harvest a deer. I was sitting in my stand and it was about 15 minutes before shooting light and what do I hear? Not a deer. It’s some bozo that was walking through the woods waving a flashlight. He was literally stumbling and charging his way through the trees. I’m sure he lost his path but what concerned me most was where he was going. He walked by and I found out he was hunting about 50 yards away from me. I couldn’t believe it. He then had the audacity to say, “good luck” to me. I was horribly discouraged. This isn’t the cities where people hunt on top of each other. How could this be? I tried to tell myself it would be OK. Then I saw another shooting star. Maybe it would be OK.

At about 8:30AM a spike buck was walking towards where I would actually be able to take a shot. I’m watching him come down the trail that leads to a perfect shooting lane for me. I couldn’t believe it. Was I going to tag out my first morning? My heart was beating through my chest. Then he stopped, turned, and took off in the other direction. Of course. He wasn’t downwind from me but he was directly downwind from the bozo 50 yards off of me. I didn’t see any more deer that day or the next. I also found out that the guy who was hunting off of me had built a permanent stand on state land and was driving down a 4-wheeler trail to get to our hunting area. Not only that, he was smoking in his stand because there were cigarette butts all underneath it. No wonder we weren’t seeing deer. I was just hoping he wasn’t a local or that he was just a weekend hunter.

I’m lucky enough that I can hunt during the week. One of the benefits about where I live is that I can hunt in the morning or afternoon and adjust my work schedule accordingly. I went out Monday morning and about 15 minutes before shooting light I heard a good sound. Instead of some guy crashing through the woods it was a deer. I don’t know if it was a doe or a buck because I couldn’t see anything, but I it walked by me by probably only 30 yards. I was once again hopeful.

Tuesday afternoon we went out to see if there was more activity during that time. I saw two deer. One was a doe for sure and I think one was a buck but it was too far away to be sure. I was so relieved to actually be seeing deer. The weather looked like it was about to change on Thursday. The temperature was dropping and it looked like snow was possible. My guide said that Wednesday afternoon might be a really good day to hunt due to the weather moving through.

Walking to my stand on Wednesday afternoon I could smell a doe. It smelled like the drag we had been using but obviously more fresh and a bit more skunky in my opinion. I was hoping that a buck would also be in the area. I got to my stand and felt really hopeful. It was November 11th. Eleven eleven, make a wish. As I was sitting there I kept thinking that this was it, this would be the day. I could hear a deer all over the place. It was over here and then it was over there. I thought I was going crazy. Was this one deer or a few deer?

My guide then whispered to me that there was a deer. I looked straight ahead and saw a doe at the edge of the thick woods. I looked at him and said, “It’s just a doe.” He then looked at me and said there was a buck behind her. I looked back at where she was standing and she was still staring at me. Assessing the situation, so I thought. She then darted out and I saw a buck coming out after her. Initially I tried to bring my gun up quietly because I’m thinking I don’t want him to hear me and turn back. So silly. I could have had bells on and he wouldn’t have cared. He just wanted one thing. I was shaking like a leaf as I tried to bring my gun up to look through my scope. At first I couldn’t see through it but I shifted, I got my sight on him, and found what I like to call the deer square. I call it that cause we have a deer target for shooting our bows at in the yard and there is a square where you aim at. I locked in on his deer square and moved my rifle along with him as he walked. My guide said he was going to try and stop him. I didn’t respond. I just stayed locked on his square. My guide yelled at the buck but he kept moving. There was a moment where I thought about taking a shot when he was still walking but I didn’t. My guide then yelled again. The buck stopped dead in his tracks, he looked right at me, and I pulled the trigger.

What happened next was almost like a cartoon. I swear it looked like his legs got kicked out from underneath him and he hit the ground hard. I quickly ejected my shell and put in another round thinking he was going to get up and run. I took a breath and exhaled. I was shaking. I couldn’t believe it. It all happened so fast. It was a matter of 2 minutes at most that all this happened in. It was like the hunting shows on TV. My buck didn’t get up. He tried, but I had essentially spined him and he couldn’t get up. I went over to him after a few minutes. He looked at me as I stood by him and then he layed his head down. I think he knew what was about to happen. I fired the finishing shot and then he stopped moving. My guide went to grab some things so we could field dress him and I thanked my deer. I thanked him for his life, for this experience, & for the food that I would get from him. I felt terrible. I felt exhilarated. It’s a very weird feeling to take another life. Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up hunting. I never got desensitized to it. Maybe you never do get used to it.

This year has been a good year for many things. It has especially been a good year for hunting.

Pork & Zucchini Meatballs

by almost_rosey // 6Oct2015 // No Comments

I’ve always been a baker. I started baking brownies after school in fourth grade which may have been a contributing factor to my fourth grade chubbiness. It’s only in the last few years that I have actually started cooking.

I do almost all the cooking in my household. I enjoy it. I like to make dinner and meals for other people. With that comes the task of meal planning. I probably take this way too seriously. I will spend 1-2 hours on Sunday and plan meals out for the week.

I live in Almost Canada where a well stocked pantry & freezer is a way of life. I’m usually cooking for two so coming up with meals that use common ingredients is a necessity. In the summer months that means using the garden’s bounty.

Zucchini is one such ingredient. The little zucchini are great for side dishes or replacing noodles. It’s those big guys that hide in your garden that become breads, cakes, fritters, etc. I decided to use them in a meatball instead of onion to keep them moist. The worst kind of meatball is a dry meatball which is probably the most common problem when it comes to making them. These are divine. I also used homemade tomato sauce which makes any dish that much better.

Pork & Zucchini Meatballs (serves 2)

1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
1 slice bread, torn into small pieces
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
tomato sauce (store bought or use this recipe Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Mix all the ingredients together except for the sauce. Form into meatballs (roughly the size of a golf ball). Place on baking sheet and bake in oven for 8 minutes or so until browned. Place in tomato sauce and cook for at least 20 minutes until cooked through (preferably longer for deeper flavor, turning occasionally). Serve over pasta, or if you are like me, sautéed zucchini.

Tomato Sauce

by almost_rosey // 5Oct2015 // 1 Comment

I might have been a little too ambitious when it came time to plant the garden. Last year we had two tomato plants. This year we had 18. Yes 18. This included 6 cherry tomato plants which is way too many cherry tomato plants by the way. Next year we are only doing 2 of that variety – one yellow and one red. We also had 6 Roma tomato plants and 6 early girl tomato plants.

I have been working through my tomatoes like crazy. I have made numerous batches of tomato sauce for various dinners as needed and I have frozen about 10 pints of tomato sauce for the winter months. 10 pints really isn’t that much if you use a pint at a time for recipes. I probably use a pint a week for spaghetti or lasagna so I really only have 10 weeks worth of sauce.

Everyone has their favorite recipe. I always change the amounts of seasoning depending on my mood. The only thing I keep constant, the key ingredient for me for a good tomato sauce, is the bay leaf. This is absolutely essential for all good tomato sauces in my opinion. This is probably because my mother used to make tomato sauce and she used bay leaves in her recipes.

I don’t remember many things she made. This is because she wasn’t the best cook. Sorry mom. She wasn’t terrible but I don’t have any fond memories or favorite dishes she made. The only great thing I remember was her long, slow simmer of tomato sauce with a bay leaf.

Tomato Sauce (serves 2)

If you have dozens of tomatoes to work through feel free to double or quadruple this recipe & freeze it for when your garden is covered in snow.

10-12 ripe tomatoes (I prefer a combination of roma & vine-on)
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 tsp garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
1-2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or more if desired
1 bay leaf

Score an ‘X’ on the top of each tomato.

Blanch in boiling water for 30-60seconds until the skins split. Remove from the boiling water and add to an ice bath.

Remove skins. Remove the core portion on top. Roughly chop the tomatoes if you want it to cook down more quickly. Otherwise just cut them in half or so if you don’t care how long it takes.

Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the seasoning. Simmer, covered, on low for 2 hours. Remove the bay leaf. Leave as is if you like your sauce a bit chunky or puree with an immersion blender.

The Return of Baking Sunday 2015

by almost_rosey // 20Sep2015 // 1 Comment

Last Sunday was the commencement of true Baking Sunday Season. I try to bake on Sundays year round, but once football season starts that is when my baking season starts as well.

I use it as my time to do something I love. I try to bake new things but sometimes get set in my old favorites. Either way, it is my time.

Here is what I did last Sunday.

I made a margherita pizza for lunch. I did make the crust myself. The recipe I got from Giada De Laurentiis.

I canned some salsa.

And then I made cream puffs. I have never made these before and am glad I did. They were delicious. I was told I could make these every Sunday.

Chocolate Glazed Cream Puffs (makes 6)

pastry

1/2 cup water
4 tbsp butter
pinch salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

cream filling

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla

chocolate glaze

2 tbsp butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 tbsp water
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Prepare the cream filling first. It needs to set in the fridge for two hours.

Separate the eggs. Save the whites for another use. Place the yolks in a small bowl and whisk in the milk. In a small saucepan stir the corn starch, sugar, and salt together. Whisk in the egg-milk mixture. Stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and press plastic wrap over the top. Place in the fridge for two hours until set. Stir before use

Meanwhile, prepare the pastry. In a medium saucepan combine the water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. Make sure butter is melted and then add the flour stirring vigorously.

Cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition with a wooden spoon. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Drop 6 heaping tablespoons of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet (or a greased baking sheet). Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Cut off the tops. If the dough on the inside is a bit fluffy just push it into the walls (you could tear it out but why waste it). Fill with the cream filling.

Replace the tops and then drizzle or completely cover with chocolate glaze. I suggest to completely cover them.

To make the chocolate glaze, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Stir in the water and place over the heat again and stir until combined evenly. Add more water as necessary to thin out. You don’t want it too thin though. Stir in vanilla.

Finally, enjoy.

The 2015 MN State Fair

by almost_rosey // 19Sep2015 // No Comments

The Minnesota State Fair came and it left. I attended with my fishing guide. It is something we do every year. Every year is almost the same, yet we keep going back. I am not sure how to explain that.

We always eat a corn dog

Cheese Curds

Pork Chop on a Stick

And Ice Cream from the dairy barn (sorry it got half eaten before the photo)

Normally we try to find new foods at the fair. Generally this has been New Fair Foods for the year. This year we weren’t that impressed. Instead we decided to just try some things we don’t normally eat.

We got mini donuts. I haven’t had these in years but they were perfect at 8:30AM for breakfast with a coffee. The sugar was all at the bottom but just give them a shake and they are good to go.

We also tried an egg roll. It doesn’t look like much but for $2 it is a nice snack.

Later on we ended up going back to the same place as the egg roll and considered buying chicken on a stick. The guy in front of us heard us and turned around. He gave us the most serious look and said, “you better do it.” The tone in his voice was grave. If we didn’t get this chicken than surely there would be hell to pay. We did and it was one of my new favorite foods! I am looking forward to eating it again next year.

We also walk around the same places. We look at the same things: ice castles, snowmobiles and ATVs, crafts, baked goods (I almost always buy some local honey which I did this year), and the animals. No birds this year due to the bird flu. We also people watch. There are so many “interesting” people at the fair.

We always end up at the craft beer flights.

They have tables outside and you usually end up sharing a table with others. We were able to get a table for just us initially but then two couples that were there together asked if they could join. We of course said yes. Then the state fair craft beer conversation starts.

Where are you from? What do you do? Everyone is always amazed we live in Almost Canada. The people you encounter at the craft beer area are different yet the same. Many are pretentious (if you do not mind my quick judgement) and many are weird.

I’m sure they think various things about us, but it doesn’t matter. It’s fun. It’s interesting. It’s always an experience at the craft beer booth. You never know where the conversation is going to go. It’s like going to the bar but better because it’s at the fair.

Seeing those two couples together at the fair made me reminisce of years past. It goes without saying that my fishing guide and I haven’t always been together. We have known each other since high school but only in the past few years did we end up together.

Before we were a couple, we were in relationships with other people but friends. Couple friends like these two couples we saw at the fair. We actually used to go to the fair together as couple friends.

Those days seem so long ago. I’m not saying I want those days back but seeing those couples together just reminded me of where I was and where I am now. It makes me wonder where I will be in the future. How will I be different? What will next year bring?

Almost certainly the next year will bring the Minnesota State Fair. If for some reason we don’t end up going it doesn’t really matter. I know it will always be there for us. It is full of fun, food, activities, and memories. Old ones, but more importantly, making new ones.

Feeling Almost Rosey

Put Those Glasses On

Author: almost_rosey