One week only (Jan. 31-Feb. 5) Super Bowl specials!!!
Ten percent off on healthy meats for your party... Callicrate Beef hamburger patties (quarter, third and half-pounders available); all beef natural hot dogs; Ranch Foods Direct popular brats; and natural chicken wings.
It's also a great time to stock up on locally made fresh Baja Salsa (in original, mild and medium fire-roasted, mango and guarillo) plus Mountain Lightning Salsa, Mama Tina's Cheese Balls, Schultz's Hot Sauce and Ranch Foods Direct's own made-from-scratch Smoked Salmon Dip with Alaskan salmon. Add some tri-colored tortilla chips and some Papa Hill's popcorn, and you're ready for kick-off.
New in the store: Gluten-free breads from Outside the Breadbox here in Colorado Springs (prices range from $5 to $7.) Chili Queens Chili from Her Story Cafe, $12 a quart. (See more below about the company; owner Liz Rosenbaum hosts a soup-making class Feb. 12.)
When in, be sure to check for daily specials.
Leona's 7-Layer Dip
Ingredients
1 � lbs Callicrate 80/20 ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
4 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Directions
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Set aside to drain and cool to room temperature. (You can season the ground beef with chili powder to make it extra spicy)
2. Spread the beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch serving tray that is about 1 1/2 inches deep. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese on top of beans. Sprinkle beef on top of cheese. Spread sour cream very slowly on top of beef. Spread guacamole on top of sour cream. Pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle black olives, tomatoes, and green onions on top.
3. You can serve this dish immediately, or refrigerate it overnight and serve cold. I think it tastes best at room temperature.
(Remember: you can order on-line at www.ranchfoodsdirect.com; place your order and designate your pick-up preference at checkout. Collect your goods at the RFD retail store, 2901 N. El Paso in Colorado Springs; or at Kitchen Table Cooking School at the Landmark Stores in Denver's Greenwood Village; or at Denver Urban Homesteading Saturday Indoor Farmers Market located on the south end of the Santa Fe Arts District, 200 Santa Fe Drive.)
Look for daily and weekly specials posted online.
From the Super Bowl to the soup bowl: Soup secrets revealed!
Local businesswoman Liz offers tips... with a little history mixed in
Liz Rosenbaum, who recently started her own business, will teach a soup-making class Saturday, Feb. 12 at Ranch Foods Direct. She'll demonstrate two soups, a creamy potato and a chicken noodle, and talk about the basics of good soup-making, how to blend ingredients, how to prepare ingredients beforehand for the best outcome and how to choose dairy items that contribute to healthier, smoother and creamier results. To visit her website, CLICK HERE.
The soup class is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sat. Feb. 12 at the store. Tickets are $15, which includes a $10 gift card for use in the store. Call 473-2306 to register. And don't be surprised if you leave the class with a history lesson or two... Liz has a background as a history teacher, and she loves using her soups to inspire and tell great stories from the past! That's also why she named her business HerStory Cafe.
To read more about her, click and download a PDF of the February 2011 Ranch Foods Direct newsletter.
This month's issue features lots of super soup recipes provided by Ranch Foods Direct's Donna Ross, author of Clark's Kitchen: Generations of Recipes.
Donna's Beef Barley Soup
3 lb. chuck roast, cut in 1 in. cubes
2 T canola oil
2 c onion, diced
1 c carrots, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
3 T tomato paste
one half cup red wine
8 c beef broth
1 c pearl barley
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 4-5 inch beef marrow bones
1 T cider vinegar
salt and pepper
Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven until it shimmers; brown beef in two batches, searing on all sides, about 8 minutes. Set beef aside.
Add remaining oil, onions, and carrots to pan and cook until vegetables are softened,
about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits. Transfer meat and vegetables to slow cooker, and add broth, tomatoes, barley and marrow bones.
Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours (or on high 4-5 hours). Skim fat from surface and discard bones. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. You can also prepare it in Dutch oven: just cover and braise in 300-degree oven for 4-5 hours or until beef is tender.
CLICK HERE to download the full issue, with more recipes.
Meet triathlete Amanda Stevens in store later this month
Triathlete and Olympic hopeful Amanda Stevens plans to visit Ranch Foods Direct later this month and chat with customers. Bring your burning questions about training for or competing in triathlons; what it's like attempting to qualify for the Olympics; what an inspiring Olympian's daily exercise or dietary routine is like; tips on how to motivate yourself to reach the highest levels of success; and more! We will keep you posted on the details of her visit.
To follow aspiring Olympic triathlete Amanda Stevens, read her blog, HERE.
