Chef Michael's Eggplant Moussaka with Venison - A Chef Favorite

As much as I appreciate good vegetarian dishes... I do like my venison... a lot! My Moussaka can, of course, be made with beef or lamb, but if you know me at all you'll know my go-to red meat is the venison harvested on my own land.

Adding venison to this already amazing dish adapted from a recipe by Ayla Clulee, owner of Cooking Gorgeous, took the dish to Next Level for me, making it my very own in the process. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground venison
• 2.5 lbs eggplant - peeled and 1" cubed
• good quality olive oil as needed (for eggplant and sautéing the onions)
• 2 onions - chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic - smash minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups fresh tomatoes - chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• 1.5 tsp cumin - more if you remember Adam from Northern Exposure
• 15 oz chickpeas - drained
• ~1 cup water
• handful minced parsley - add last 10 minutes of simmer

Preparation:

Fry the venison chop meat in the Dutch oven you'll use for the whole dish. Remove meat and set aside. Drain the chickpeas at this time as well.

Preparing the Eggplant

Preheat the oven to 390 F and line one or two baking trays with parchment paper. Peel the eggplants and cut them into 1" cubes.  Place cubes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and some kosher salt. Place them on the baking sheet in one even layer. 

Bake them for 25 - 30 minutes or until they are slightly softened and brown. Remove the eggplant cubes from the oven and set them aside until the tomato/chickpea mix is ready. 

Preparing the Tomato Sauce

While roasting the eggplants, start making the tomato & chickpea mixture. 

Place a large Dutch oven on medium heat and add some olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until soft.

Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, and pepper, and give it a good mix. Add the chopped tomatoes, along with the Aleppo pepper and stir well. 

Add water to the sauce, depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, ranging from ½ cup to 1 ½ cups. Give the sauce a stir. Next, add the chickpeas and roasted eggplants to the tomato sauce, give them a good stir. 

Finally, return venison to the pot, stir and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the eggplants are tender to your liking. Add minced parsley with 10 minutes remaining.

Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. If so inclined, shredded parmesan adds to the overall delight. :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Venison Fried "Meatballs"

This is an adapted version of 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!

Cauliflower Mushroom Skillet with Meat

Adapted from a recipe on Kitchenra.com

I was introduced to this tasty dish as a light vegetarian meal or side dish. I took it a step further as you'll see here, turning it into a full protein entree by adding either ground beef, venison or chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground white meat chicken or beef/venison

• 1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small florets

• 3 tbsp olive oil - divided

• 1 small onion - finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic - minced

• 8 oz mushrooms - your choice - sliced

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• salt and pepper to taste (Don't be shy on the salt)

• 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth depending on your protein

• fresh parsley - chopped for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Steam or blanch the cauliflower florets for 3-4 minutes, or until they are slightly tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and fry meat until cooked through. Set meat aside for later.

In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent and fragrant. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they release their moisture and start to brown.

Season the mushrooms with dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir well to distribute the herbs evenly. Pour in your broth of choice to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. 

Finally, add the meat and cauliflower florets to the skillet and gently toss everything together. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, allowing the cauliflower to absorb the flavors.  

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish servings with fresh parsley, if desired.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Fridge Whatever :-)

Chef Jacques Pepin: "Use what's in your refrigerator..."

I first heard Chef Pepin utter the line when I watched a video of him making a cod dish with assorted ingredients I never thought would work. Radishes with cod? What was he thinking!? LOL I recreated that dish and then named it Wondra Codfish as that recipe was also my introduction to Wondra Flour.

Use whatever is in your refrigerator... The line came to mind Monday night after a long weekend that left me with multiple started items in my fridge. I smiled as I thought of Chef Pepin and just started grabbing things.

The dish that ended up on the dinner table was bright, fresh and distinctly flavorful while incorporating minimal seasonings. I was so pleased with how diabetic-friendly the dish was that I decided to add it here. Enjoy!

Every dish needs a name, right? I call this one.... Fridge Whatever :-)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz short pasta - your choice :-)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic - smash minced
• 1-2 tomatoes - cut up
• 1/4 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6-8 oz leftover meat - this version features loin of pork
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cook the pasta and peas and set aside. Pasta should be slightly under so it holds up in the skillet later on. Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat. Add pasta and fry until lightly browned. Add peppers, peas & onion powder... toss until heated through. Fold in meat and then tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper... done.

Serves 2 with no leftovers

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Three Bean Venison Chili

I found a starter recipe more than ten years ago on the back of a can of Progresso kidney beans. It looked so simple I just had to try it. It has since become my base for many fun chili dishes. Everyone should make chili their own... This, my own version now, includes three different beans and is a good jumpstart for even more creations. You can add just about anything you like to suit your flavor pallet! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb ground venison - beef works as well :-)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans - undrained
• 1 15 oz can black beans - undrained
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans - undrained
• 1 28oz can whole tomatoes in puree, cut up
• Tomato paste (if needed)
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp Chef Michael's The Good Stuff Seasoning 

(2 parts kosher salt, 1 part black pepper, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder, 1 part smoked paprika)

• 2 tsp or 2 cubes instant beef bouillon
• 1-2 tbsp dried parsley
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Scallions for garnish

In chili circles this one is flavorful, but considered quite mild. Add seasonings of your choice for more heat.

Preparation:

1: Brown chop meat with onions and garlic over medium heat with a bit of olive oil until meat is fully cooked. Drain.

2: Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

3: Simmer over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

4: Serve with pearl barley cooked in beef stock and garnish plates with scallions or any of the fun things you enjoy. Parsley, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado… In other words, make this dish your own. 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!