Category Archives: Culinary feats

Razor Clam Fritters & Wasabi Slaw: Fusion Comfort

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Something tried-and-true, something new: clam fritters and wasabi slaw – fusion comfort food.

My dad gave me two pieces of advice which have stood the test of time – 1) Take the stairs whenever you can, and take them two-at-a-time, and 2) eat as much fried food as you can when you’re young, because at some point you won’t be able to.

Clam fritters are so easy, I’m not sure why I don’t make them more often. Although I made these with razor clams, in South Carolina I made them out of the whelks I’d find, and at other times I’ve made them out of canned clams. The slaw is comprised of fairly standard ingredients – mayonnaise (homemade), pickle juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, carrots and cabbage – and given a kick with two teaspoons of powdered wasabi.

The fritters are adapted from Craig Claiborne’s recipe as it appears in The New York Times Cook Book, with the only difference being my substitution of dried tarragon and basil, which I have, for fresh parsley, which I do not have.

Clam Fritters: serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped clams
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon (or substitute dry tarragon or marjoram)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup clam juice
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
  • couple dashes cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • oil for frying

Directions

  1. Chop clams on a cutting board. Not too fine. Place them in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the egg, lemon juice, tarragon, baking soda and flour and stir.
  3. Blend the clam juice and milk. Add gradually to the clam mixture, stirring continuously. Do not make the batter too runny.
  4. Stir in the butter, cayenne and black pepper.
  5. Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a frying pan.
  6. Drop batter in the hot oil – about 2 tablespoons per fritter. (They’ll cook better if they’re fairly small.)
  7. Turn when the bottom is browned, as you would for pancakes.

We served these with salmon sauce. Tarter sauce, shrimp sauce, or a squeeze of lemon works well, too. These seemed to beg for an amber ale. (Or maybe it’s Barbra and me doing the begging after nine months of living in a dry village!) Enjoy!

Lemon Brioche Croissants

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Flaky and buttery croissants made from scratch using brioche dough. Stuff them with anything you like – I chose homemade lemon curd.

We leave for the summer in six days. After surveying the pantry for what will not survive three months, we determined the lemon juice, coconut and salsa are on the “must finish” list. Obviously, no recipe is going to take care of all three ingredients in one fell swoop — not one I’d want to eat, anyway! Salsa chicken and rice will be on this week’s menu. Coconut butter cookies for the staff potluck. And lemon curd stuffed croissants for breakfast.

From a culinary and baking standpoint, this summer should be interesting. We’ve cooked for weeks at a time in our camper. We’ve also cooked for weeks on a Coleman stove while tent and boat camping. This summer, it will be all galley cooking on our sailboat, Bandon. We’re both eager to outfit her galley with the least amount of quality tools that will help us with the most culinary tasks. We are also excited to fish the south central waters of Alaska and cook up the freshest and tastiest seafood for ourselves and our guests. Stay tuned to see what will be created from the galley of Bandon!

Lemon Brioche Croissants

makes 8 croissants

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/8 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup lemon curd or other filling (see below for separate lemon curd recipe)

Directions

  1. Pour milk in saucepan and heat until lukewarm.
  2. Pour milk in mixing bowl. Add sugar. Mix until incorporated.
  3. Beat eggs. Pour eggs into milk mixture. Mix until incorporated.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of flour. Mix until incorporated.
  5. Add yeast and a second 1/2 cup of flour. Mix until incorporated. I switched to a dough hook on the mixer at this point.
  6. Add salt and last 1/2 cup of flour. Mix again until incorporated. Dough should be sticky.
  7. Mix butter into dough in increments of about 2 tbsp at a time.
  8. Once the butter is completed incorporated, cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  9. After at least 4 hours, place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
  10. Roll the dough out to form a circle with about a 15-inch diameter.
  11. Cut dough into 8 pieces (pizza style) using a pizza wheel, forming 8 triangles.
  12. Place a heaping tbsp of lemon curd near the base of the triangle.
  13. Roll dough from base of triangle toward point.
  14. Curve into a crescent shape and pinch ends closed.
  15. Place croissants on parchment-lined baking sheet and cover sheet with plastic wrap. Let rest for 45 minutes.
  16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F while dough is resting. Bake croissants for 15 – 20 minutes until lightly browned.
  17. Cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
  • zest of one orange (about a tablespoon)

Directions

  1. Mix together lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and zest. Mix in butter 1/4 cup at a time.
  2. Place bowl on simmering pot of water (double boiler). Stirring constantly, cook until mixture reaches 160 degrees F (about 10 minutes).
  3. Store covered in refrigerator. I used a mason jar.

The above recipe used about half of the lemon curd. Enjoy the extra on scones, with yogurt, or to replace jam in any other recipe.

Croissant recipe adapted from http://www.cookingbread.com/classes/class_lemon_brioche_croissants.html

Lemon curd recipe adapted from http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/11/10/meyer-lemon-curd/

Alaskan Seafood Fettuccini with Shrimp, Sea Scallops and Salmon

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Freshly made fettuccine tossed in olive oil and Italian seasonings and topped with a medley of Alaskan seafood sautéed in olive oil, garlic and tarragon.

Tarragon has long been among our favorite all-around herbs for many seafood dishes, and it really shines in this simple-to-prepare entrée. Sometimes referred to as dragon’s herb or dragon’s-wort, tarragon adds a gentle sweetness that hints at anise or fennel, but is more subtle.

The basic dish evolved from a piece of advice an older gentleman – an immigrant from Italy – shared with me some years ago when he observed that in his opinion the best tasting and easiest pasta dish is made by sautéing chopped garlic in olive oil and tossing the pasta in that and nothing more. Perhaps a little basil, marjoram or oregano might be added, he allowed.

In this dish, I’ve added chopped sweet onion, tomatoes and three kinds of seafood to the olive oil and garlic. Tarragon, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper flavor the seafood. When I lived in South Carolina, I used to make this dish with white shrimp which I was able to cast a net for, and instead of salmon, I used freshly caught striped bass or pompano.

For two servings:

Pasta Ingredients

  • pasta for two people (fettuccini, angel hair or spaghetti)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh
  • 1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbsp fresh
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
  1. Cook pasta according to directions.
  2. Drain pasta. Place in large bowl. Add olive oil and herbs and toss.
Seafood Ingredients
  • equal portions of wild salmon fillet (skin removed, or not), sea scallops and shrimp. Use about 1/4 pound seafood per person or slightly more.
  • 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 3/4 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh, seeds removed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tbsp dried tarragon or 3 tbsp fresh
  • sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut salmon into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes. Slice sea scallops into 3 or 4 slices. Peel and devein shrimp.
  2. In a bowl, mix together seafood, garlic, tarragon, sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Add olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.
  4. Add onions and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add remaining ingredients. Stir frequently for about 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Avoid overcooking. (Remember: seafood will continue cooking after being removed from heat.)
  6. Serve pasta. Top with seafood medley.
  7. Add additional ground pepper, grated Parmesan, pine nuts or a sprig of fresh tarragon.

Enjoy this with a crisp, well-chilled sauvignon blanc.

Homemade Flour Tortillas (Sans Lard)

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These homemade tortillas are a little thicker and more airy than store-bought. They are definitely tastier and healthier!

For the past few years, we’ve used frozen, uncooked tortillas from Costco. One thing that separates the tortillas from Costco from run-of-the-mill grocery store fare is that they have to be lightly fried right before serving. The downside is that, like most tortillas, they are made with lard. The quest began for a tortilla recipe which could be made at home that had healthier ingredients.

Right from the beginning, I could see that my main challenge would be rolling the dough thin enough (without having overly thin spots or holes). Of course, there are purpose-deisgned tortilla presses, but acquiring another gadget flies in the face of streamlining our galley.

After searching through virtual stacks of recipes on the Internet, I found a blog offering a recipe for a “Texas tortilla.” The author promised a healthy, puffy, tasty Tex-Mex style tortilla. Armed with a recipe, a rolling pin, and sheets of parchment paper, I finally achieved my goal of homemade flour tortillas. I’ve tried substituting one cup of wheat flour for one cup of white flour, resulting in a heartier tortilla. Each time I’ve made them, they’ve come out tasty, and I’m getting faster at it. And they come out a little rounder each time, too!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup room temperature milk

Directions

  1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Mix in oil.
  3. Slowly add in milk. Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
  4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
  5. Place ball of dough in bowl. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Break dough into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
  7. Take one dough ball and flatten by hand into a circle. Place flattened dough on lightly floured surface. Cover with parchment paper. Roll out with rolling pin, just as you would a pie crust. The result should be a flat, circular tortilla about 8″ in diameter and 1/8″ or less thick. Continue with remaining dough balls. Stack finished tortillas, using parchment paper to keep them separate.
  8. In a hot, dry skillet, cook tortillas about 30 seconds on each side. I use wooden chopsticks for flipping. Keep cooked tortillas wrapped under a clean cloth towel until ready for serving.

Tortillas can be prepared a day in advance and kept them in the refrigerator to save preparation time.

This recipe was adapted from http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/03/and-end-to-my-quest-flour-tortillas.html.

Enchiladas Suizas with Spanish Rice

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Cheesy and subtly spiced, enchiladas suizas satisfied hearty appetites after a day of cross-country skiing.

With just four weeks remaining in the school year, we’re increasingly looking at our pantry to figure out what needs to be used up or given away before we leave for the summer. This enchilada recipe was inspired by two cans of roasted green chile peppers we received from a friend who is leaving our village and not returning. I made my own tortillas, which I will blog about separately. We served these savory enchiladas with Spanish rice prepared in our rice cooker.

Enchiladas Suizas

Ingredients

Seasoned broiled chicken:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (enough for 3 cups cooked cubed chicken)
  • Penzeys Southwest rub, or any other mildly fiery cumin and chili pepper based rub
Green chili sauce:
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2/3 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 8 oz. chopped green chile peppers
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarse
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
Additional ingredients:
  • 6 8-inch flour or corn tortillas
  • oil for frying tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mild white cheese such as Monterey Jack (I used mozzarella because that was on hand.)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded medium-aged cheddar cheese (We love Tillamook!)
  • 1 cup sour cream (thinned with a few tbsp of water to a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream)
  • jalapeño slices for a finishing touch

Directions:

Seasoned broiled chicken:

  1. Coat broiling pan with oil. Position oven rack near top of oven. Place broiling pan in oven and preheat on broil.
  2. Rub chicken thighs with Southwest rub.
  3. Broil chicken for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. When cool, cut into 1/4 inch thick by 1/2 inch long pieces. Set aside.
Green chili sauce:
  1. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Sauté onion in butter until soft. Stir in garlic. Add flour and stir until flour, onions, and garlic are incorporated. Add broth. Add chiles, salt and cumin. Stir until well mixed. Simmer mixture for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Assembling the enchiladas
  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine cheeses, reserving about half for the topping.
  3. Quickly fry tortillas in oil. Do not crisp them.
  4. Dip both sides of tortilla in chili sauce mixture. Place about 3 tbsp of chicken down center of tortilla. Top with about 2 tbsp cheese mixture. Roll the tortilla and place into 9 x 13 glass baking dish, seam side down. Follow same procedure with the remaining tortillas.
  5. Spoon remaining chili sauce mixture on top of enchiladas. Spread evenly. Spoon thinned sour cream on top of chili sauce. Spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top of sour cream. Garnish with jalapeño slices.
  6. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Serve with salsa and Spanish rice.

Spanish Rice Recipe for Rice Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2/3 cup  finely chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped coarse
  • 2 1/2 cups white rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp oregano

Directions

  1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Set aside.
  2. Mix chicken broth and tomato paste until combined. Add oregano. Stir.
  3. Place rice in rice cooker.
  4. Pour in chicken broth mixture. Add in onion mixture. Stir.
  5. Cook rice on white rice setting.
  6. Stir before serving.

Chocolate Orange Meringue Pie

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A mountain of perfectly peaked meringue sits atop a decadent chocolate-orange pudding pie.

The flipped meringue cookies gave me new confidence with meringue. I felt ready to attempt a meringue pie. Luckily, there is still plenty of chocolate in our ever diminishing pantry. Since friends were coming to dinner, it was the perfect day to attempt this culinary feat.

I read many recipes on many sites. I was warned about weeping meringue and problems with humidity. Winter air in the Arctic is like air in the driest desert and I wasn’t scared off by a few tears from frothy egg whites. I was ready for the challenge. The process of making the pie was long and satisfying. Each step looked and tasted delicious. The filling thickened up beautifully. The meringue browned in just the right way. At the end of an Arctic-Mexican meal featuring enchiladas and Spanish-style rice, everyone agreed that the chocolate orange meringue pie was impressive to look at… and then it disappeared!

Chocolate Orange Meringue Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch pie crust, baked
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, separated into 1 1/2 cups and 1/4 cup
  • 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Directions

  1. For chocolate filling: In a medium pot, mix together 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Stir in egg yolks and milk. Stir in orange zest. Whisk until well blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until filling has the consistency of pudding, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off.
  2. Stir in vanilla and butter. Stir until both are incorporated.
  3. Pour filling into baked pie shell. Refrigerate to set for 4 hours or overnight.
  4. When you are ready to make the meringue, take the pie out of the refrigerator.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  6. For meringue: In a non-reactive bowl beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Continue beating eggs until soft peak stage (peaks will sag when you remove beaters). Add 1/4 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time, allowing sugar to dissolve between additions. Continue beating until stiff peaks form and egg whites are stiff and glossy.
  7. Spread the meringue over the pie completely. You can make decorative peaks by using a dull knife to shape the meringue.
  8. Place pie in oven on a low rack. Bake for 10 minutes until meringue is golden brown.
  9. Chill for two hours before serving.

Alaskan Salmon Stuffed Eggs

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Wild salmon is the key to these super-tasty deviled eggs. This is recipe #6 in the Salmon Challenge.

Deviled eggs are always a favorite appetizer, and this recipe works well with canned sockeye, smoked salmon, or fresh salmon that’s been grilled or broiled. Variations on the basic recipe are endless.

A note on boiling eggs: It’s surprising how many different ways various cookbooks and Internet sites suggesting boiling eggs. What this seems to suggest is that it’s not as simple a task and one might think. Here’s my two-cents, for what it’s worth.

Don’t start with the freshest eggs. Eggs that are a a few days old, or older, work better. Place cold eggs in cold, unsalted water. Bring to a boil. Cook eggs on a low boil – just above a simmer – for 13 minutes. Drain off the hot water and immediately cover eggs with cold tap water. Roll eggs to crack the shells (this can be done while they’re still in the pan of there aren’t too many eggs) and keep them in cold water with shells, refreshing the water if it becomes warm. Let the eggs cool in the water, then roll them on a flat surface and peel off the shells. Wait until eggs are thoroughly cool before cutting them.

I’ve tried several methods of boiling eggs. This one works well again and again, with very few problems such as green egg yolks, shells sticking to eggs or overly done or underdone eggs.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 to 4 ounces salmon, broken apart or cut until small pieces (canned sockeye, freshly grilled Chinook, or smoked salmon, for example)
  • 4 anchovy fillets, chopped fine
  • 3 spinach leaves, chopped fine (optional)
  • 2 tsp capers, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise & 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard)
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp dried tarragon (or, of course, use fresh)
  • garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a fresh grind of black pepper and, perhaps, a tarragon leaf or piece of fresh spinach

Directions:

  1. Hard boil the eggs. Slice peeled eggs in half. Remove the yolks and place into a mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork until evenly broken up and set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix together all the other ingredients except the garnish. Then add this mixture to the yolks and mix together with a fork. Do not make this too pasty. You should be able to see pieces of caper, tarragon and salmon.
  3. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to stuff the mixture into the eggs.
  4. Garnish with paprika, pepper, etc.
  5. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

These could be served on shiso leaves for added visual and gustatory attractiveness.

Chocolate Almond Spread (or Homemade Bush-Alaska Nutella)

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Creamy-smooth chocolate almond spread ready for toast, dolloping inside crêpes, or drizzling on pancakes or waffles. 

Being hundreds of miles from roads or specialty stores and becoming more curious about how foods we take for granted are actually created drives me to experiment. Today’s challenge? Nutella.

In high school, a German friend introduced me to this chocolate-hazelnut spread that looks a little like peanut butter. But sister, it’s not peanut butter! Nutella is sweet, creamy, and chocolately and is great spread on fruits and breads and a whole lot of other things, or scooped out of the jar and eaten off the spoon!

I found a recipe, but of course I modified it to fit the items in my pantry. Substituting almonds for hazelnuts, and armed with my new stick blender (with nut chopping attachment), I set to work. As I processed the nuts from a grain to coarse  flour and finally into a butter, I was amazed. It really worked! Mixed with chocolate, the result tasted like an almond version of Nutella. Fabulous! (Incidentally, the earliest versions of Nutella, created in Italy, used either almonds or hazelnuts.)

Now I’m ready to make those macarons I keep seeing. Or maybe I can convince Jack to make chocolate-almond crêpes for breakfast!

Chocolate Almond Spread 

Yield: about 8 ounces (1 cup)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole raw almonds
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • up to 1/4 cup vegetable or nut oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Skin almonds by pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and letting them sit for 2 minutes. Drain off hot water and replace with cold water. Almond skins should pop off when you squeeze the individual almonds. I’ve read rubbing the almonds in a clean towel at this point will also remove skins, but that didn’t work for me.
  2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place almonds in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast for 10 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.
  3. Process nuts in a food processor, or use a stick blender. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary until the nuts have liquefied, about 5 minutes. First, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, then a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and it will seem like you have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils from the nuts, and you will get almond butter!
  4. When the nuts have liquified, add the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more fluid now than at room temperature.
  5. Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to  1 to 2 months. For best results, stir the chocolate-almond spread before using.

Adapted from http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2005/12/nutella/

Rustic Moose Pot Pie

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Lean wild game, roasted to perfection, sliced into bite-sized cubes and baked in a pie topped with a hearty whole wheat crust is the kind of meal that can fend off consecutive days of negative 20 degree cold.

When a friend recently presented us with a two-pound moose roast, we were thrilled. But we were also a bit perplexed. Looking over the meat, I couldn’t find even a trace of fat. Add that to the fact that neither one of us cooks roasts, and I was at something of a loss as to what to do. “Stew,” was the suggestion I most frequently came across. “Stew or stir fry,” was a friend’s suggestion.

We love good stew. In fact, we have enough caribou stew in the freezer to see us through the end of the school year. So that was out. Stir fry, too, is a regular dinner item. I wanted to do something traditional but new for us.

In the end, I did roast the moose. Inspired by a recipe for lamb from the cookbook Nobu West by Nobu Matsuhisa, I marinated the roast in miso seasoned with garlic and ginger before putting it in the oven. Despite my best efforts it came out a bit drier than I had hoped, although the miso marinade helped to caramelize the roast when I pan-seared it prior to roasting. I served the finished roast sliced thin with a tosa-zu dipping sauce along with carrots and parsnips cut into long, thin strips and sautéed in a combination of olive oil, butter, garlic and soy sauce.

Dinner that night started with scallop, shrimp and smoked quail egg chawan mushi, segued to roasted beats with pan-crisped pine nuts, was followed by cedar planked shrimp on mushrooms and culminated with the moose roast. For dessert, Barbra brought out individual baked apples capped with pastry. Inside each apple was apple pie filling. The dessert was delicious – and fun, and the whole-wheat pie crust topping the apple gave us the idea of making a large pot pie stuffed with leftover moose, vegetables and gravy.

Regarding the recipe below, a note about bouillon: We’ve become fans of Better Than Bouillon products. In our opinion, the flavor is superior to other soup bases we’ve tried.

Rustic Moose Pot Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons “Better Than Bouillon Beef Base” (or other bouillon, or use beef broth)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 2/3 cups potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes, skin on
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 pound roasted moose meat, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/2 cup sweet corn
  • 1/3 cup celery, diced coarse
  • 1/2 cup carrots, sliced into discs or chopped coarse
  • 1/3 cup broccoli florets, cut coarse
  • (Optional) 1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped coarse
  • 1/2 rounded teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • several generous grinds freshly cracked black pepper
  • salt, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. **Baking time and temperature may vary depending on type of crust used.**
  2. Place the water in a pot and heat over medium-high heat. Stir in enough beef bouillon for a strongly flavored base. Add bay leaf and rosemary. Bring to a simmer.
  3. Add potatoes. You will simmer potatoes till just tender, but do not overcook. When potatoes still have about 5 minutes of cooking to go, add the carrots. When there is about 1 minute, add all the remaining vegetables. Continue simmering until potatoes are just tender and remove from heat. (They will continue cooking in the pie.)
  4. Use a strainer to separate potatoes and vegetables from the beef stock. Remove bay leaf and place potatoes and vegetables in a large bowl. Return beef stock to original pot.
  5. Place approximately 4 tablespoons olive oil in small frying pan and heat over low to medium-low heat. When oil is heated, slowly stir in flour. Continue stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
  6. Heating beef broth over medium heat, stir in oil and flour mixture. Combine thoroughly. This will result in a thick gravy.
  7. To the bowl that already has the potatoes and vegetables, add the meat, gravy and the remaining seasonings and mix together.
  8. Pour meat and vegetable mixture directly into a deep pie dish. Cover with a crust. Be sure to make holes in the crust to allow steam to escape. Brushing on a beaten egg will help create a golden brown crust.
  9. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 °F for 25 – 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serve piping hot with big glasses of Old Vine Zinfandel.

Bison Joes with Roasted Bell Peppers

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Roasted bell peppers and ground bison combined with freshly baked buns for a memorable version of an America Classic.

One of the challenges of living hundreds of miles beyond the road system is that we frequently can’t get the ingredients we want for cooking. With the school year rapidly drawing to a close (fewer than eight weeks remain now) and an abundance of ground bison in our freezer, Barbra had been requesting Sloppy Joes. “I’ll make the buns!” she promised. Problem is, the village store hasn’t had onions since early January. The last shipment was frozen solid and had to be tossed out. We’re out as well, and I couldn’t quite imagine Sloppy Joes without diced sweet onions mixed in with the meat and sauce.

And then, out of the blue, a friend gave us two green bell peppers. Roasted and skin peeled, these would provide the tangy sweetness I was looking for. I had a large carrot in the fridge that needed to be used, so I diced and sautéed it and added it to the ingredients as well.

Mixed together with an off-the-cuff sauce, our Bison Joe’s came out great – more savory than sloppy, and sweet enough to please the kid in us.

Bison Joes with Roasted Bell Peppers

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground bison
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 bell peppers, cut in half, stems and seeds removed
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1/2 cup Sloppy Joe sauce (below)
Directions for roasting bell peppers:
  1. Place a baking sheet (a good, thick one is best) into oven and preheat to 500 °F.
  2. Using a brush, spray bottle or fingers, thoroughly cover bell pepper halves with light olive oil, canola oil or other oil that will withstand high temperatures.
  3. When oven is preheated, place bell peppers open side down on baking sheet. Roast until peppers soften, skin begins to loosen, and outside begins to brown. Turn the peppers over and continue to roast until desired color is achieved. (You will see at least some spots burned black. How much of this you want is up to you. I go for just a little black.)
  4. Remove peppers from baking sheet, place in paper bag and close. This will help steam the skins loose.
  5. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin.
  6. Dice the peppers (about 1/4″ pieces) and set aside.
Directions for bison, carrots and garlic:
  1. Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add ground bison. Breaking up the meat and stirring, cook until evenly browned. Pour out on paper towels to drain off oil and fat and set aside.
  2. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium frying pan and heat over medium to medium-low heat. Add carrots, stirring frequently. Just before done, add the garlic and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Place in a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Sloppy Joe Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Cholula sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • couple dashes powdered cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • several grinds freshly cracked pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a non-reactive bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the garlic and carrots (above). Add the bell peppers. Add additional chili powder, cumin or Cholula for more of a kick.
  2. Place the browned bison in a large skillet. Heat on medium heat and add enough sauce to coat the meat. Beyond that, how much sauce to add is a matter of cook’s choice. Mix thoroughly, cooking and stirring till everything is hot.

Serve on toasted buns or toasted bread with a frosty mug of root beer.