The most wonderful time for wild game

Every family has its own excitement and things that they celebrates, and that is certainly true right now at our house.

My husband and our son are both totally consumed with March Madness, basketball and tournaments. They go around the house singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and have their brackets all ready to fill out after the selection program Sunday evening.

Every day they will mark off their wins and losses and compare them for fun. So, everything at our house is basketball, basketball and more basketball. And of course, when you are a die-hard University of North Carolina fan, nothing is sweeter than beating Duke at their house, like they did on Saturday. Go Tarheels!

My friend and good cook Rob Weeks held his first annual post-season wild game dinner last week, and he shared a few of his recipes with us today. In addition to those I have printed here, he also had at his dinner marinated smoked trout, fried bobwhite quail, biscuits with quail gravy and a variety of desserts. It sounds like a wonderful buffet.

Rainbow Trout Sandwich Spread

1 (8-ounce) can trout, or equivalent of flaked fresh fish, see below for directions

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 to 4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Sourdough or pumpernickel bread rounds

Drain can of trout, remove bones. If using a fresh fish, skin trout and simmer in salt water 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and flake from bones. Mix cream cheese, Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire sauces until smooth. Fold in trout. Spread on bread rounds, or serve with crackers. Makes 1 cup.

Venison Roast Asian Style

Marinate a venison roast in:

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup red wine

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

Remove roast and discard marinade. Pat dry. Salt and pepper roast and brown in oil. Put beef broth in roasting pan to 1 inch. Place roast on a rack over pan. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes per pound of meat. Make gravy. Add 1/4 cup flour to drippings. Stir. Blend in 2/3 cup dry white wine and 2 cups broth, as needed, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Serve hot over sliced roast.

Barbecued duck, Hunter's Point

2 large wild ducks

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

Place ducks in pan in 375 degree oven. Combine other ingredients for basting. Start basting after 15 minutes. Continue basting every 15 minutes. Roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Crab Louis

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

2 teaspoons grated onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 drops Tabasco sauce

1 pound fresh or frozen crabmeat, or use canned

1 medium head iceberg lettuce

Watercress sprigs

Lemon wedges

Mix ingredients thru Tabasco. Cover and refrigerate. Thaw crabmeat and pat dry. Break into bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shred lettuce. Place on individual plates. Mound crabmeat on lettuce. Top with sauce. Garnish with watercress and lemon wedges.

I still have a trout in my freezer that Rob and his mother gave me from their last fishing trip, and I think I will have to try the sandwich spread.

While we on the subject of wild game, I came across a recipe for Venison Tenderloin Sandwiches and kept it on my desk for such an occasion as this. I know many hunters probably still have venison in their freezers and need to use it up, so here is another venison recipe for you to try.

Venison Tenderloin Sandwiches

2 large onions, sliced

2 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

8 venison tenderloin steaks, about 12 ounces, about 3/4-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

4 hard rolls, split

In a skillet, sautZ the onions and mushrooms in butter and Worcestershire sauce until onions are tender. Flatten steaks to 1/2-inch thick; add to skillet. Cook over medium heat until meat is done as desired, about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper and salt if desired. Place two steaks on each roll; top with onions and mushrooms. Yield: 4 servings.

Jodi Thompson of Jackson sent in the next two recipes and they sound like good country cooking.

Canned Corn Bread Muffins

1 1/2 cups Jack and Cheddar cheese blend

2 boxes corn muffin mix

2 large eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 cups creamed corn

10 empty (6-ounce) tomato paste cans, cleaned

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Set aside. Spray nonstick butter spray inside cans. Fill each can about 2/3 full with corn muffin batter. Divide remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over top. Place cans on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 muffins.

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

2 packages garlic-ranch salad dressing mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

Ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk, plus 1 cup

1 pound cubed steak, cut into 4 pieces

Oil, for frying

1 cup chicken broth

1 (2.64-ounce) package gravy mix

Mashed potatoes, for serving

Combine 1 package salad dressing mix, flour, and pepper, to taste, in a large plastic bag. Set aside. Combine another package salad dressing mix, egg, and 2 cups buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Soak steaks in buttermilk mixture. Remove 1 steak and toss in flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and dip again in the buttermilk mixture. Return to flour mixture and toss. Repeat process for remaining steaks. Heat 1/2-inch layer of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. Place 2 steaks in the pan at a time. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To make the gravy, combine 1 cup buttermilk, chicken broth, and gravy package in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and stir well. Top steaks with gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, if desired. Serves 4

I am out of room and I hope you have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.