“Nothing brings people together like good food,” says American businesswoman and writer, Martha Stewart. This statement especially rings true when attending the Congress. From the Sweet Shop cinnamon rolls to the bread bowls, Congress food is unprecedented.
Exhibitors who practically live at the Ohio State Fairgrounds for October look for other more healthy, inexpensive options. Diehard exhibitors who love to cook offer advice to those who wish to prepare their food at the Congress.
Cooking in small spaces can be challenging, but here are five tips to make your food preparation more efficient along with seven tasty, tried and true recipes that will make your Congress experience even more pleasurable.
LIMITED SPACE COOKING TIPS
- Measure ingredients for each meal ahead of time. By doing this, you will cook more efficiently. Preparation is vital, whether it be in the show ring or when making dinner for your barn. Ziploc bags and small plastic containers work perfectly to secure your ingredients. Make sure to label the ingredient and what meal it will be used for.
Purchase the right tools and equipment – Wouldn’t it be great if you could pack up all your kitchen appliances and utensils for the Congress? Unfortunately, that isn’t practical and even presents more of a challenge when living in a limited space for a month. Most trailers have a fridge, stove, etc., but packing the right equipment is crucial to delicious food. Make sure you purchase and pack the utensils you need before you are horse show bound.- The Slow-Cooker – Pretty much every Congress cook’s secret weapon is the slow cooker. These handy appliances take up little space and allow one-step preparation. They also cut down the clean-up time. By cooking with a slow-cooker, you are using less energy, and there is less chance of burning your food. The best part is that they are relatively inexpensive and you can find thousands of recipes online from meatloaf to bread pudding. Slow-cookers save time, energy and money.
- Clean as you go – When preparing food in a relatively small space, the amount of room for knives, pots, pans, etc. will also be limited. Therefore, cleaning these items as you cook reduces the final clean-up. Keep in mind to be careful about cross-contaminating.
- Think vertically – Stackable cooling racks, hanging baskets and other vertical storage tools supply even more storage in a small space. This also helps keep your food and ingredients organized. You can purchase these relatively inexpensive types of cooking tools at any of your local big box department stores.
Linda Barnes – My crockpots are my favorite tool. Most of the meals are very easy but appear complicated. I make breakfast casseroles (eggs, potatoes, bacon or sausage, onions, etc.) in my 9×11 crockpot. Another team favorite is my French Toast casserole. Lunch items are things like chicken noodle soup, chicken chili, chicken fettuccine, lasagna and pulled pork sandwiches. Throw in some fruit and an easy dessert, and you have some happy people. Believe it or not, homemade ice cream is a favorite with the kids and is super easy to do in the camper. It goes very well with my easy “dump cakes.” We always make sure there are snacks for the horses as well – bags of apples and carrots and buckets of mints always end up on the shopping list. The best tip I could give is to look at recipe books and websites. There are a ton of recipes out there that are easy to make, but people think you spent a ton of time.
Becky McLoughlin – We have some great cooks in our group and everyone pitches in. Everything from dips, salads, chicken and noodles, different sandwiches and soups and of course, desserts. Just about anything you cook at home – we have at the shows. The key is planning – that way you can buy accordingly and have the proper utensils ready. It most definitely gives you more variety and saves money too. A couple of favorites we have is the baked potato bar complete with all the fixings. Wash your potatoes and wrap individually in foil and put them in the crockpot for 4-5 hrs, on high. For extra flavor, rub them in olive oil before wrapping. The rest is just bacon bits, sour cream, onions, chives, cheese and of course, butter. Next favorite is green beans and ham and potatoes with a little onion and garlic. Throw all ingredients in crockpot and your meal will be ready in a few hours. A fun one to do is Cooler corn. Use a large Coleman type cooler, fill with hot water, add already husked and cleaned sweet corn (large coolers hold about two dozen ears) make sure corn is covered with water, put a lid on tightly (no peeking) for 30-35 minutes, and you have a corn feast ready.
Rebecca Bunting – Cooking for food allergies can be particularly tricky. You want to cook for food allergies but also provide meals that others, who do not have allergies, can eat and enjoy. The versatility of how the dish can be served is key to enjoyment by all. I also try to focus on protein-based meals – lower in carbs and fat. Food that is easy to cook and assemble that is a good source of energy. I try not to reinvent the wheel when I’m modifying foods for food allergies. One of my favorite websites to get ideas from is skinnytaste.com. I cook/brown all my meat before I get there, and freeze and thaw when I need to assemble a crock pot meal. If you have an Insta Pot electric pressure cooker, bring it. It’s the quickest way to cook meat/protein based meals that might take 8 – 10 hours in a traditional crockpot.
Cami Claypool: You can only eat so much ‘fair food’ during the Congress. Our clients provide the main meal every day, and IÂ cook breakfast for our aisle (clients, our excellent help, a few hungry neighbors)Â every morning during the Congress. I like anything I can quickly put in the crockpot the night before and is ready when we get up. Breakfast is an easy place to add fruits and veggies that we rarely get when showing. Our favorites are Crockpot French Toast and Ham &Â Veggie Egg Casserole.
Seven Congress Recipes
Cheddar Spirals
Ingredients:
• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Sloppy Joes
Hunts Manwich Sloppy Joes is a great option for everyone in the barn – even those with food allergies. Everyone can find a way to enjoy this meal. Hunt’s website has a lot of fun ideas to serve these, so things don’t get boring if you make sloppy joes all the time.
Black Bean Soup
• 1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight
• 4 teaspoons diced jalapeno peppers
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Simple Beef Pot Roast
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck pot roast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup butter
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 3 cups sliced rhubarb
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix (dry)
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• Whipped cream, if desired
Fruit French Toast
• 6-8 slices bread
• 1/2 bag frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
• Mix & pour over bread & fruit
• 6 eggs
• 2 c milk
• 1 ½ t cinnamon
• ½ t vanilla
• Cut into pieces & sprinkle over
• ¼ c butter, softened
• ½ c brown sugar, packed or you can use powdered sugar
Cook on low overnight, or on high if you just came in from riding in the Celeste, and it’s almost dawn.
Ham, Veggie, Egg Casserole
• 1 pkg diced ham
• 1 doz eggs
• 1/2 solo cup of milk
• 1 bag shredded cheese
• 1/2 bag fresh spinach – I like more
• 1 pkg fresh sliced mushrooms
• Large handful frozen diced onions
• Salt & Pepper
• Croutons if it seems runny
Mix and put in the slow cooker overnight on low. This cooks up and gets a little brown on top like a quiche – make sure to call it a casserole, as most men say, “Cowboys don’t eat quiche.”
Have some recipes or cooking tips you’d like to share? Let us know with your comments.
About the Author: Cat Guenther is a devout equestrian and a senior at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She has been riding horses for almost nine years and has loved every minute of it. Cat started and runs her successful show clothing business, Behind the Bit Show Clothing. She expanded her business last year and started to dye show tack. Her favorite classes are equitation, showmanship, and trail. She hopes to attend Michigan State University in the future to study veterinary medicine and possibly also study business. Cat is excited to show the all-around classes with her new horse, Zippos Kat Man Do aka Teddy.
