Venison or Elk Carne Asada Marinade

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• Juice of 1 orange (approx. ½ cup)

• Juice of 1 lime

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 1/2 pounds venison or elk steak

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine wild game and remaining cilantro mixture; marinate for at least 4 hours overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the wild game from the marinade.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Add steak to grill, and cook, flipping once, until the desired doneness, let rest a few minutes.

5. Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with reserved 1/2 cup cilantro mixture.

Asian Ginger Pheasant Marinade

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)

• 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root (peeled and grated)

• 4 medium green onions (chopped)

• 2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (you may also use a tablespoon of sesame seeds if you like that flavor)

Preparation:

• Put all ingredients in glass baking dish, bowl or plastic bag. 

• Stir and place pheasant breasts into marinade.  Let sit for at least 1 to 2 hours up to overnight.

• Grill or pan sear pheasant breasts. Enjoy! 

Roasted Pheasant with Cranberry Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 Pheasants cut into small fillets

  Seasoned flour:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

• 1 tsp. black pepper

• 1 tsp. thyme leaf

Preparation

• Rub Pheasant in seasoned flour.

• Panfry in hot butter until golden brown.

• Place Pheasant on a greased sheet pan.

• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

• Top with cranberry salsa and serve.

Cranberry Salsa

• 1 cup sun-dried cranberries

• 2 tbs. orange juice

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced.

• 3 tbs. fresh cilantro

• 2 tbs. pecans, toasted and chopped

• 1 tbs. grated lime zest

• 2 tbs. grated orange zest

• salt to taste

• Mix together in a medium saucepan, and WARM over low heat. Do not boil (approx. 10 to 15 minutes.)

Paprika crusted Pan Fish with Chorizo & Lemon

Ingredients:

• 4-6ea panfish, skinless filets

• 1T paprika

• 1t salt

• 2T canola oil

• 4oz chorizo, fully cooked if using raw

• 1C white wine

• 4T butter

• 1t chopped fresh parsley

• 1T fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

• Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, over medium-high heat. 

• Season the fish with salt on both sides. Dust the skin side of the fish with paprika liberally and shake off extra. 

• Sear the fish paprika side down in the pan. After about 1min flip the fish over and finish cooking the fish through. Remove the fish, paprika side up and transfer to a plate to rest. 

• To make the sauce…pour off any residual oil from the pan. Over medium heat add the cooked chorizo and white wine. Reduce until the liquid is about a scant 2 Tablespoons. Turn off heat and incorporate the whole butter with a fork. Fold in the chopped parsley. 

• Plate the fish by putting down the sauce/chorizo first. Place the fish atop and squeeze fresh lemon over. 

Campfire Smoked Trout

Ingredients

• 1 whole rainbow trout, butterflied & deboned

• 1 TBS olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Assorted vegetables

• ¼ cup diced tomatoes

• ¼ cup sweet corn kernels

• ¼ cup diced roasted potato

• ¼ cup green beans, cut into 1” pieces

• 2 TBS diced red pepper

• 2 TBS diced red onion

• Fresh chopped herbs and lemon wedge for garnish

Directions

1. Rub trout filet with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pre heat a 10” cast iron pan and place fish skin side down in pan. Scatter assorted vegetables around edge of pan and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season veggies with additional salt and pepper. Cover pan with lid.

2. If cooking over a campfire place pan directly over hot coals. If cooking in a conventional oven place in pre heated 400 degree oven. Cook for approx. 8-10 minutes until fish has cooked through and vegetables have softened. Remove lid and garnish with fresh chopped herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Venison Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

• 1 pound ground venison

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 jar (15 ounces) pizza sauce

• 1/2 medium green and 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped

• 1 Tbls Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning.

  Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°.

• Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture and place in separate mixing bowl.

• Combine squeezed zucchini with eggs, pizza seasoning, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Stir.

• Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sautee onion then add in venison. Cook on medium heat until meat is no longer pink but not browned over cooked, breaking meat into crumbles; Add pizza sauce and set aside

• Spoon cooked venison mixture over baked zucchini mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green & red pepperoni top.

• Bake again until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Venison Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ground Venison

1 lb. Pork Sausage

1 C. Panko (Japanese bread crumb)

1/3 C. milk

1 Cup yellow onion, small dice

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. clarified butter

2 Large eggs

2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1 Tsp. celery seed

1 Tsp. salt

½ Tsp. black pepper

1 Tsp. dry rub seasoning

12 strips bacon (1#)

Preparation:

1. Combine ground venison and pork sausage in a medium size mixing bowl

2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk and bread crumb

3. Pre-heat a sauté pan to medium, add clarified butter and diced onions. Stir to prevent browning. Once onions become translucent, approx. 2-3 minutes add minced garlic, Italian herbs and celery seed. Sauté additional minute and remove from heat.

4. Add to meat, eggs, salt & pepper, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and onions. Using hands mix together until all ingredients are incorporated evenly.

5. Divide meat in half to form 2 loafs.

6. Lay out six pieces of bacon on plastic wrap and place loaf in middle of bacon strips. Loaf should be perpendicular to bacon strips.

7. Fold bacon over meatloaf being sure to crossover on each fold to form a tight seal. Once bacon folding is complete transfer to a baking sheet pan lined with parchment seam side down.

8. Sprinkle dry rub seasoning on top of meatloaf

9. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven with tin foil covering meatloaf for 30 minutes.

10. Remove foil and continue to bake for approx. 15 minutes more or until bacon is crisp and golden brown. Should have internal temp. of 160 degrees.

11. Let rest before slicing

Recipe yields 2 each, 1 ½ # meatloaf’s. Each meatloaf serves approx. 4 people

Serve with your favorite sides. Ketchup optional.

Laura Schara's Heirloom Venison Reuben Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup Rye breadcrumbs

¾ cup pickle relish

¼ cup Russian Salad dressing (you can use Thousand Island as a substitute)

½ cup diced onion

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp pepper

1 lb. ground Venison

1 lb. ground pork or beef (your choice)

8 oz. drained Sauerkraut

6 oz. Swiss cheese

Preparation :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix egg, breadcrumbs, relish, salad dressing, onion, and salt in a mixing bowl

Add meat to mixing bowl and fold/blend together using hands

Place ingredients in mixing bowl and set on wax paper

Roll out to 9x13 rectangle

Spread Sauerkraut on top of the loaf, then sprinkle 4 oz of the grated Swiss cheese on top

Carefully roll into a jelly roll style and place the jelly roll into a 9x13 baking pan

Bake uncovered for 1 hour

In the last five minutes of baking time sprinkle the remainder of the Swiss cheese on top

Let cool 5-10 mins then slice & serve!

Laura Schara's Favorite Pan Fish Kabobs Over the Campfire

Ingredients:

1 to 2 lbs of filet Pan fish or Walleye

1 Green Pepper

1 small tray of Cherry Tomatoes

Sweet & Hot Chili Seasoning (Or just use your favorite seasoning: Cajun, Lemon Pepper, etc. Italian Seasoning with sea salt is also tasty, too)

Olive Oil

Tinfoil

Wood Kabob sticks that have been soaked in water for 24 hours beforehand

Preparation:

1. Cover campfire grate with tinfoil

2. Light campfire coals or campfire wood - let it burn down so it’s hot with no flame or the coals are white

3. Cut fish filet into large “chunks” (Large cuts prevent the fish from falling off the kabob when cooking) - place cut fish in mixing bowl or larger freezer bag

4. Cut green pepper into large chunks - place in bowl or bag with fish

5. Place a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes into bowl or bag with fish and green pepper

6. Drizzle two to three tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl or bag

7. Add your level of preferred spice (Approximately one tablespoon) to the bowl or bag

8. Mix the ingredients gently together so all the fish and veggies are covered in oil and spice

9. Assemble the kabobs onto the bamboo sticks. Make sure a green pepper is on the bottom and top of kabob to keep them in place while cooking

10. Drizzle olive oil onto the hot tinfoil to prevent the fish from sticking to it. Let the olive oil heat up

11. Place kabobs on the hot tinfoil

12. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how your coals or wood is. Turn once or twice but don’t mess with the kabobs too much as they will fall apart

13. Once fish is white and cooked you may serve, eat and enjoy!

Recipe serves approx. 4-6 as an appetizer and 3-4 as an entree

Thai Walleye Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Chili Crisp

Ingredients:

To prepare walleye-

1# Walleye Filets (skin on, descaled preferred)

2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

¼ Cup Spicy Chili Crisp

1 Tbsp Mayonnaise

For lettuce wraps-

1-2 Heads Bibb or Butter lettuce (leaves removed and washed)

1 Cup Shredded Cabbage

¼ Cup Chopped Peanuts

½ Cup Fresh Chopped Herbs (cilantro, basil, mint)

1 Cup crispy rice noodles

1-2 Fresh Limes, cut in wedges

Preparation:

1. Brush hoisin on top of each walleye filet

2. Whisk together mayo and chili crisp. Spoon on top of walleye filets and spread evenly to encrust filets.

3. Place coated filets on a nonstick cooking surface and cook in a preheated grill or oven at approx. 350- 400 degrees. 

4. Once fish is above 155 degrees internal temp. remove from grill or oven and place on a platter to rest.

5. On a separate platter arrange lettuce leaves and whatever ingredients you choose to add. Listed in recipe are some traditional options but feel free to get creative with toppings and sauces.

6. Serve while fish is warm.

Recipe serves approx. 4-6 as an appetizer or 2-3 as an entree