4-H special foods contest held

Four Clay County 4-H members recently participated in the Special Foods Contest held on June 23 at Yankton High School. The participants had one and a half hours to prepare a dish of their choice and coordinate a table setting and meal menu. In addition, participants were tested on their knowledge of nutrition, food safety, and food preparaton.

Taylor Lyso of Wakonda and Erika Fallan of Vermillion both participated as beginners and both received a purple ribbon. Chad Peterson of Wakonda and Kelsy Fallan of Vermillion participated as juniors. Chad received a purple and Kelsy received a blue. Purple ribbon winners are eligible to compete in the Special Foods Contest and the 2006 South Dakota State Fair in Huron on Sept. 1 and 2.

Check out these award winning recipes for yourself!

Strawberry-Banana Soy Smoothie

Erika Fallan

1 c. strawberries, chilled

1 c. bananas, chilled

12 oz. firm silken tofu, chilled, plus vanilla soy milk to make 2 cups

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until well-mixed, scraping down sides as needed. Garnish with strawberry when serving.

Everything But the

Ladybug Salad

Taylor Lyso

3 T. butter

1 tsp. six pepper spice

1 c. pecans

4 c. spinach

2 c. mixed greens

1 c. strawberries

1 c. mandarin oranges

3/4 c. bottled dressing

1 bread bowl, made from 1 tube ready to bake bread sticks mixed herbs.

Melt butter, add spice and pecans; microwave until very hot (2-3 min.), drain on paper towels and cool. Make sure all greens are clean and dry. Tear or cut into bite size pieces. Toss everything together. Top with dressing and toss. Top with pecans and place in bread bowl. Serve immediately.

Bubble Up Soy Pizza

Kelsy Fallan

2 pkg. (7.5 oz. each) refrigerated biscuts

2 T. chopped onion

2 T. chopped ripe olives

1 c. pizza sauce

1 c. soy crumbles

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear one package of biscuites into fourths and place in the bottom of 8×8 inch pan. Mix onion, olives, sauce, and soy crumbles in bowl. Pour half of mixture over biscuits in pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over mixture. Layer next package of torn biscuits over cheese. Then layer the rest of the mixture and 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.

Game Lodge Pheasant

Chad Peterson

Meatballs:

3/4 lb. ground pheasant

1/4 lb. ground pork

1/4 c. evaporated milk

2 T. ketchup

1 T. mustard

1/8 tsp. each of salt and pepper

Mix everything together and make into balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Dip & Crunch mixes: Just before serving or at the table, dip meat ball in one of the dips then in one of the crunches.

Dip & Crunch #1:

Mix together 2 T. southwest mustard and 1 T. honey.

Crunch: 1/2 c. crushed sunflower seeds.

Dip & Crunch #2:

Mix together 1 T. wasabee paste, 1/4 T. Miracle Whip and 1 T. finely chopped chives.

Crunch: 1/2 c. crushed corn nuts.

Dip & Crunch #3:

Mix together 1/4 c. sour cream and 1 T. dill weed.

Crunch: 1/2 c. crushed fried onions.