Red Sauce & Venison over Fried Eggplant

When venison was still the main protein in our family's diet, I was always experimenting with new combinations because it pairs beautifully with eggplant. One day I was thinking of grilling eggplant slices and then topping them with a very meaty red sauce. Unfortunately, the propane tank was empty... UGGH! Sooo..... what to do?

Oh yes.... let's splurge with some thick slices of eggplant breaded and fried in a bit of avocado oil!!! Over time it turned out that the dish works very well with beef or chicken, too.

• 1.5 lbs ground venison - beef is an option if you don't have venison
• 1 28 oz can plum shaped tomatoes in puree
• olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, cut up
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste (I like about 6 twists on the grinder)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 lge eggplant
• Wondra flour
• 2 eggs
• avocado or vegetable oil
• flavored breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Start by frying up the chop meat in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil until fully cooked and a nice shade of brown. Set aside.

Add a bit of olive oil to your sauce pot and sautee the chopped garlic. As the garlic JUST gets brown add in the cut up onion and sautee til slightly translucent and shiny.  

Place canned tomatoes in a bowl and cut into quarters or bite-size pieces... Not too small as they will cook down some in the pot. Add tomatoes and puree to sauce pot and stir. Add in salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and dried parsley. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally stir in the fried chop meat. The mixture will seem very meaty and not at all liquid.... that's intentional as our base for the sauce is very different from pasta. 

As for the eggplant, peel and cut into thick slices, about 3/8 - 1/2".  Coat in Wondra flour, then dip in egg and your favorite flavored breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown. Set on paper towel to soak up excess oil - you want them nice and crispy to add an extra level to the party in your mouth ;-) Top with meat sauce just before serving to retain most of the crunch.... and enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers by Chef Michael R

Deer season left me with a freezer full of venison once again, so here I am playing with flavor combos and techniques. There is quite a bit of prep work to get this slow cooker going so start early enough to leave 4-5 hours of cooking time. The end result is absolutely worth the effort! 

I use venison in my stuffed peppers but you can absolutely use lean beef as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb ground venison or beef
• 1 yellow onion - chopped
• 5 cloves garlic - smashed & minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree
• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• 4-5 orange and red bell peppers depending on size
• 1 cup long cook pearl barley - yields 2+ cups
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 handful broccoli rabe - blanched and then chopped
• 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms - chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• shredded Parmesan for final garnish 

Preparation:

Bring the beef stock to a boil. Thoroughly rinse the pearl barley, add to boiling stock and simmer for 25 minutes, covered. Drain and reserve remaining stock for later.

Take one tomato from the 28 oz can and chop it up. Combine onion, garlic, tomato, Aleppo pepper and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix, microwave 2 min on high, mix and repeat once.

Start your slow cooker on low. Cut the tops from the peppers and remove insides as best you can.

Once your peppers are prepped, get a large bowl and combine everything for the filling, including ~1/2 cup of the reserved beef stock. Mix well using hands.

At this time cut up the remaining canned tomatoes and start a gentle saute in a separate skillet. Season with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Cook for a few minutes and transfer to the warmed up slow cooker.

Fill the peppers with meat mixture, gently pressing mix to make sure the pepper is fully filled. Place upright into pot on top of tomato base.

Cook for 4-5 hours on low.

Give each person a whole pepper for plating beauty. Cut the pepper in half and then top each half with some of the tomato base. Serve with a green vegetable of your choosing.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Venison Fried "Meatballs"

This is an adapted version of my Grandma Caroline’s Fried “Meatballs”. If you enjoy venison, this is a great way to use the chop meat. The mushrooms provide a nice amount of moisture given the meat has zero fat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground venison
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup plus yellow onion - minced
• 1/2 cup plus baby portobello mushrooms - minced
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley - minced very fine
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp sweet paprika or half sharp for a little kick
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup flavored breadcrumbs
• 4-5 tbsp good quality olive oil

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients but the oil in a large bowl... Don't be shy... use your hands and have fun! LOL Once thoroughly mixed, make free-form patties about 1/2" thick. I decided on patties so I could cut way back on the amount of oil grandma used to use.

Heat up a large skillet or Dutch oven if you like a clean stove over medium high and then add the oil. Carefully place the patties in the skillet and fry until you see a color on the bottom that you're happy with. 

Flip them over and finish with same color. Serve with a nice vegetable and/or a green salad.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Beef or Venison & Barley Bake

 Adapted from a recipe found on Avery Recipes.

Avery's original recipe calls for orzo pasta, which is definitely a viable option for diabetics with proper portion control, but for my version I have decided to use pearl barley because of its low glycemic index (28) and load (6.2). Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs lean ground beef or venison
• olive oil - as needed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning - Consider making Chef Michael's Italian Seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups beef stock - for cooking the barley
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Preparation:

Rinse the barley for 2 minutes under cool water. Combine the stock and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. The stock already has enough salt. Stir in the barley, cover and bring back to a boil. Lower heat and simmer ~30-35 minutes until tender and most liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and set aside. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes... then fluff with fork.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Then cut up the onion and garlic. 

Quick garlic clove tip: Microwave the cloves for 10 seconds on high for an amazingly easy peel :-)

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground meat over medium high heat until fully cooked. Drain excess fat if needed. 

Add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Blend in the previously cooked barley. 

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is combined and heated through.

Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a suitable baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly on top.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!