Three cooks within the Highlight Kitchen on Monday on the West Texas Truthful & Rodeo weren’t too many to showcase a straightforward weeknight meal.
The cooks had been Texas A&M AgriLife Extension household and neighborhood well being county brokers for Jones, Nolan and Taylor counties.
Attendees on the 6 p.m. demonstration within the AEL Constructing (Spherical Constructing) on the Taylor County Expo Heart lined up rapidly after the demonstration to pattern Zucchini Garlic Bites, Easy Beef Pasta Soup and No-Bake Darkish Chocolate Bars.
Chef Opal Darlene Walton − merely generally known as Chef Darlene − is host of the Highlight Kitchen every honest day that continues by way of Saturday (schedule listed under). Chef Darlene or native cooks show a dish − or two or three − throughout every session.
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Easy, wholesome and flavorful
For these unfamiliar with county extension brokers, Kim Miles from Taylor County began the introductions by saying “I describe it as we’re faculty academics We’re simply not in a faculty setting.”
“… We cowl diet, weight loss program, well being, little one growth, after which, after all, now we have our ag program and our 4-H program,” she added.
The three recipes shared in the course of the demonstration are a part of the AgriLife Extension’s Dinner Tonight – Wholesome Cooking for a Wholesome Texas program, with extra recipes at dinnertonight.tamu.edu.
Miles dealt with the principle course of one-pot Easy Beef Pasta Soup with canned or frozen greens, tomato sauce, beef broth and orzo. Cooking the stew meat earlier than the present made the dish come collectively rapidly.
The recipe is a part of the AgriLife Extension’s purpose to assist folks eat at house extra to have higher management of the fats, sodium, sugar and prices of their meals, she mentioned.
Such management will be easy, too. Miles mentioned her mom and grandmother had been house economics from the college of pondering that each meals needed to be cooked in a separate pot and served in a dish.
She takes a much less formal method.
“We’re simply going to eat off the range at my home,” Miles mentioned as she advised the household story whereas placing the soup collectively, to viewers laughter.
Precluding the entrée was a wholesome appetizer by Kelli Maberry designed to trick youngsters into consuming extra greens.
“In order dad and mom, it is all the time good when you possibly can cowl up some greens with robust flavors the place they do not even style the greens they usually wish to eat extra of them,” Maberry mentioned as she used a paper towel to squeeze out the water from a cup of grated zucchini.
Bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and a number of other spices present simply sufficient of a masks to rework the squash right into a “I need extra” meals baked within the oven.
And, maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t imply skipping desserts. Staci Winders demonstrated No-Bake Darkish Chocolate Bars, with the toughest step ready for the chocolate to soften on the stovetop.
Peanut butter, darkish chocolate and rolled oats elevate the dietary worth of the bars sweetened with honey as an alternative of processed sugar, Winders mentioned.
“That is an precise wholesome snack,” she mentioned.
The extension brokers conduct cooking lessons and demonstrations all year long which are open to the general public. Miles mentioned one on canning is within the works in response to a number of requests.
To be taught extra about upcoming lessons within the three counties, go to their web sites taylor.agrilife.org, jones.agrilife.org and nolan.agrilife.org.
Chopping to the purpose
Chef Darlene dealt with Monday’s 4:30 p.m. session on wholesome snacks out there from Highlight Kitchen sponsor H-E-B.
Whereas praising the granola bars, microwave popcorn with sprinkled seasonings and different natural snack choices from the San Antonio-based grocery retailer, she shared some correct knife-handling abilities. The primary is having a pointy knife.
“A uninteresting knife is extra harmful than a pointy knife. Why? As a result of if you’re chopping it’s a must to use power on that knife,” Chef Darlene mentioned.
A second tip is inserting a flat paper towel or two beneath a chopping board to maintain it from sliding, turning or slipping.
And, this is the massive no-no: Putting your index finger on the backbone of the blade whereas chopping. It is a kitchen crime some Meals Community superstar cooks have dedicated, she mentioned, till they’d further culinary coaching.
The fingers ought to be on the knife deal with behind the blade bolster for optimum management, mentioned Chef Darlene as she held a knife incorrectly after which appropriately.
“I need you to look skilled, and likewise in command of the knife,” Chef Darlene mentioned.
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Chef Darlene’s Highlight Kitchen schedule:
The place: East finish of the Taylor County Expo Heart grounds, AEL Constructing (Spherical Constructing), in the course of the West Texas Truthful & Rodeo
WEDNESDAY
2:30 p.m. − Lytle Lane & Cattle, with Lindsay Flores
4:30 p.m. − Texas Household Popcorn, with Toni Adams; H-E-B reward card giveaway
6 p.m. − Lifetime of Pie, with Leslie and Cory Bivens
THURSDAY
4:30 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk”
5:30 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk,” reward card giveaway
6 p.m. − Stalling Time Beer & Bistro, charcuterie board
7 p.m. − The Vineyard at Willow Creek, with Maddy Inexperienced
FRIDAY
4:30 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk”
5:30 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk,” reward card giveaway
6 p.m. − The Native, with Chef Cody Enriquez
7 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk”
SATURDAY
2:30 p.m.. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk”
4:30 p.m. − Candy Thyme, with Misty Lowe and Mandi Sims
6 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk,” reward card giveaway
7 p.m. − H-E-B “My Texas Desk”
Zucchini Garlic Bites
(courtesy Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)
Elements
1 cup zucchini, grated and effectively drained
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup reduce-fat Parmesan cheese, grated tremendous
1 clove garlic, grated tremendous
2 tablespoons contemporary chives, chopped*
1 tablespoon contemporary parsley, chopped*
1 teaspoon contemporary basil, chopped*
1 teaspoon contemporary oregano, chopped*
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
* A lowered quantity of dried herds will be substituted for the contemporary.
Instructions
1. Warmth oven to 400 levels and calmly grease a baking sheet.
2. Grate or shred zucchini into tremendous items. Pat dry with a paper towel, or ring moisture out in a cheesecloth.
3. Mix all substances in a medium bowl and blend effectively.
4. Kind a tablespoon of the combination into small balls and place on the ready baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Yields about 20 balls.
Easy Beef Pasta Soup
(courtesy Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)
Elements
1 pound beef stew, cubed
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 (29-ounce) can unsalted blended greens (frozen will be substituted)
1 (8-ounce) can unsalted tomato sauce
2 ounces orzo, raw
Salt and pepper, to style
Instructions
1. In a pot, brown the meat over medium-high warmth.
2. Stir within the beef broth, blended greens and tomato sauce.
3. Add the orzo, cut back the warmth, and prepare dinner for about quarter-hour. Style and season with salt and pepper, if mandatory. Yields 4 servings.
No-Bake Darkish Chocolate Bars
(courtesy Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)
Elements
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup darkish chocolate morsels
2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
1. In a big saucepan, met collectively the peanut butter, honey and butter.
2. Take away from the warmth, add the chocolate chips and stir till melted.
3. Stir within the oats, vanilla and cocoa powder.
4. Line a 9- by 9-inch pan with parchment paper. Unfold the peanut butter combination into the pan. Refrigerate till hardened, about 2 hours. Minimize into 12 bars.
Laura Gutschke is a common project reporter and meals columnist and manages on-line content material for the Reporter-Information. In case you recognize regionally pushed information, you possibly can assist native journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
Extra:West Texas Fair & Rodeo 2022: What and when for the annual almost-fall event
