WURTLAND - The aroma wafting through the extension office building alerted visitors to something special going on last Tuesday morning. That event was the monthly Cooking through the Calendar demonstration and tasting. This month was a one-pan meal called Cowboy Skillet, a tasty concoction that cost less than $10 for six servings. That makes it a good choice for budget-conscious families, said Lora Pullin, the extension agent who did the cooking. The class is one of the activities of the Grow Well program in the county which features various wellness efforts by several agencies, including the health department and public library. As the food cooked, Pullin took around a basket full of slips of paper. Each participant took one and discovered they were the names of food items. Jackie Artis of Raceland received the ingredient of greek yogurt, and was a little perplexed about how to use it. The participant seated next to her pulled an easier ingredient, ground beef. As she cooked, Pullin offered suggestions on how to modify the recipe for individual tastes. This included substituting ried cauliflower for the regular rice called for in the recipe. The Cowboy Skillet uses turkey sausage and black beans as its protein sources. Toppings like sour cream and hot sauce can be added.
