Garden Veggie Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie shell (9 inches)
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh bell peppers
• 1/4 cup diced yellow summer squash
•  1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked Swiss cheese
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh chive
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Let pastry shell stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 4 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350°.
2. In a large skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms and squash in butter until tender. Add spinach and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Spoon into crust; top with cheese.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, rosemary, thyme, chives and pepper until blended; pour over cheese.
4. Cover edges of crust loosely with foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Watermelon-Mint Lemonade

Ingredients:

5 to 6 cups watermelon, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 sprigs mint
1/2 cup lemon juice

Mint to garnish

Lemon to garnish

Watermelon to garnish

Directions:

1. In a pot on high heat, bring sugar and water to a light boil until the sugar is completely dissolved and your mixture is clear. Turn off the fire, and throw in your sprigs of mint.
2. Allow mint to steep for at least 15 minutes, then remove it from your simple syrup and discard. Cool for about 10 minutes.
3. Pour cooled mint-infused syrup into your blender along with the watermelon. Blend until mixture is  is smooth and uniform.
4. Strain mixture into a pitcher using a screen to get rid of the fruit bits.
5. Add lemon juice to the pitcher, and stir.
6. Serve immediately, over ice.
7. Garnish with Mint, watermelon, and lemon

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 40 min. + standing
Yield: 6-8 Servings

Friday Cooking Demo - Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• or 2 Cups Half and Half (instead of milk and cream)
• 3oz Sugar
• 5oz Plain Chocolate Grated
• 1 tsp. Peppermint Essence or 2 TBSP Fresh Mint
• Optional: Two or three drops of green food coloring

Directions

1. Place the milk* and sugar (or 1/2 of the half & half) into a saucepan with sugar & mint. Heat gently to dissolve sugar. 
2. Strain through mesh strainer & cool. 
3. When cold stir in the heavy cream* (or rest of half & half) & food coloring. 
4. Transfer the complete mixture to ice cream maker & once the mixture begins to thicken add the chocolate.

Banna Churro

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 3oz Sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Bananas Frozen and defrosted

Directions

1. Peel & puree the banana into a smooth puree. 
2. Stir in cream & sugar into banana mixture. 
3. Mix well & strain through a mesh strainer. 
4. Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours. 
5. Add cinnamon & transfer mixture into ice cream maker.

Friday Cooking Demo - Bananas Foster

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. Whole Unsalted Butter
• 3-4 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Brandy or Rum
• Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice To Taste
• Cinnamon To Taste
• 2-3 Tbsp. Heavy Whipping Cream
• Vanilla Ice Cream as Needed
• ½ to 1 whole Banana

Directions

1. Heat a sauté pan on the stove.
2. Add butter & cook until melted.
3. Add the brown sugar & cook until the sugar is     completely dissolved & starts to look foamy & bubbly.
4. Add the brandy or rum & flambé.
5. Add orange juice, cinnamon & heavy whipping cream. Bring back to a simmer.
6. Add the bananas & simmer until smooth & slightly thickened.
7. You can garnish with almond pralines, fresh mint sprigs, maraschino cherries, or fresh whipped cream!

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Filling:

·        1 ½ cup Fresh Strawberries

·        ¼ cup Sugar

·        Pinch of Salt

Cheesecake:

·        2 cups Softened Cream Cheese

·        1 tsp Vanilla Extract

·        1 tsp Almond Extract

·        Juice of ½ a Lemon

·        ¼ cup Powdered Sugar

Crust:

·        1 cup Graham crackers

·        1/8 cup sugar

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine strawberries, sugar, and salt over med-low heat.  

Cook strawberries down until all combined and very pliable, then place in the refrigerator. 

Meanwhile, in a mixer, mix cream cheese, vanilla, almond and lemon. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture until well combined, and refrigerate.

In a food processor, mix graham crackers and sugar, blitz until mixture is a fine powder. 

Once strawberry and cream cheese mixture is chilled, add a ½ inch of strawberries to the bottom of a small/medium ramekin.

Using a spoon, add cream cheese mixture to top of strawberries filling up to the top of the ramekin. 

Dust the top of mixture with graham cracker dust, slightly patting it down to form a crust. 

Garnish with a fresh mint leaf. 

Cheesecake and strawberry mixtures can both be made a day prior and then assembled at time of use.     

From BBQ to Black Tie...

Meet Kassy Boyd

Catering Manager, Taste of the Wild Catering
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Kassy joined the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team in June 2011. After graduating from Colorado State University, she moved to Denver and worked at the Denver Zoo for the concessionaire, KM Concessions & Service Systems Associates. Her positive attitude, willingness to learn, and desire to excel quickly advanced her into upper-management as the Catering Operations Manager. When the Catering Sales & Ops Manager position opened at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, she eagerly accepted the promotion and relocated to Colorado Springs.

As the face of Taste of the Wild Catering, Kassy is committed to making your event at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo a success. She operates a full-service catering department and manages the entire process, from facility and catering sales to setup and tear down on event day.

Managed by Service Systems Associates, Taste of the Wild excels at any and every event style, from BBQ to black tie. The Lodge at Moose Lake is centrally located inside the zoo - a spaciously cozy event space with spectacular views of Colorado Springs and versatility beyond your wildest imagination.

The Lodge at Moose Lake is still available for rental during Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 2011 Electric Safari. Your guests will enjoy warmth and refreshment while taking in the over 1 million lights throughout the zoo. Groups can also “stray from the pack” on select December dates and rent the whole zoo for a more personal touch. Don’t miss out on this affordable opportunity for your guests to check this holiday tradition off their lists!

To book your holiday party, company picnic, summer wedding, or for general inquiries about Taste of the Wild Catering at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, contact Kassy at 719.314.0970 or email catering@cmzoo.org.