Bison 30 Minute Meal

Stove Top Cooking time 30 minutes

Preparation time 10 minutes

Serves 4

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·                  Cast Iron Skillet

·                  Two small pans with lids

·                  1/3 Cup dry measurer

·                  Wooden or bamboo cooking spatula

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1.                2/3 Cup Organic White Rice, Long Grain

2.                1-1/3 Cup Water, to cook rice in

3.                2 Tablespoons Better Than Bullion Mushroom Base

4.                1 block, Ground Bison, 1 Pound

5.                2 teaspoons each of Thyme, Nutmeg, Coriander, Cumin

6.                1/3 Cup water

7.                2 Cups Organic Mixed Vegetables, frozen

It quick, easy… and did I mention that it’s quick.

Measure rice and water into pan without lid on stove, on high heat to come to a boil.

When it comes to a boil, turn to lowest heat and place lid on pan only after the boil subsides to almost no bubbles. Place lid on rice pan and set timer to 30 minutes. Meanwhile…

In cast iron skillet, set heat to medium high. 

Place the mushroom base in pan to melt. Place bison in pan and break up with bamboo cooking spatula. 

Cook while breaking up bison into small pieces. 

When pink is only 50%, add herbs 

and continue cooking till bison is no longer pink, turn off heat.

 If using cast iron skillet the remaining heat in the pan will keep the meat warm. 

Bison doesn’t take as long to cook as beef, so watch for over cooking. Meanwhile…

In small pan, place about 1/3 cup of water to boil. Place frozen vegetables in pan and reduce heat to low.

 Place lid on pan. This should only cook for 5 minutes. When done, turn off heat, only a little liquid should remain, do not drain and return lid to pan.  Meanwhile…

Set the table, ice in water glasses, cheerful placemats, pleasant napkins, every day utensils and a nice candle or flower on the table. It is all about presentation, no matter what your occasion or simple meal, no matter if it is just for yourself or family.  Respect the fact you took care and time to feed a healthy meal. Breath in the aroma of the ingredients filling your home. Be aware of your senses. Check to see if you are calm or excited about the meal, guests or ready to listen to what your family did that day. Plan uplifting those on the dinner table with good news, good thoughts and be happy you are all together…thankfulness.

DING! Timer goes off, turn off all the heat elements on stove. Place rice in bowls, ladle bison in center of rice, place vegetables and any remaining liquid along outside of rice. 

Garnish with chili pepper sauce or leave plain.  Begin a little bit of joyful time nourishing your body…you deserve it! <3 <3 <3

Ratatouille

Oven temperature 350

Baking time 30 minutes

Preparation time 30 minutes

Serves 6

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• sharp knife
• cast iron dutch oven
• Hint: Use small vegetables as the flavor will be better. If you do use the medium or large vegetables it will double the amount that I used here and you will need to add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time...and quite possibly need a second pot to cook it all in!

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1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2. 1 Sweet Onion, diced
3. 2 Cans drained, diced organic tomatoes
4. 1 each red, yellow and orange sweet bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thin
5. 1 eggplant, sliced 1/4" thin (you may easily replace with a turnip, sliced 1/4" thin, works equally well)
6. 1 zucchini, sliced 1/4" thin
7. 1 yellow squash, sliced 1/4" thin
8. 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of dill, thyme, parsley and crushed rosemary
10. Sea Salt
11. Black or white pepper

It is more about assembly, the beauty of alternating rounds of each of the vegetables.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in dutch oven pan. 

Toss tomatoes and garlic together and place in bottom.

Place the diced sweet onion next, spreading evenly on top.

Start placing alternate remaining vegetable rounds on top.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil, herbs, salt and pepper all over and between groups of the vegetables. Sprinkle a little more over all the tops.

I like to group and bunch up some of the vegetables for the donut hole center of the ring of vegetables.

Place lid on dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve along with your choice rice, potatoes and savory meat.

We like it served on garlic mashed potatoes and some grilled Texas Mesquite sausage.

Texas NASCAR RACE Dinner in less than 30 minutes

• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Large Ceramic Bowl
• Pasta Pot
• Small Bowl

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1. 1 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
2. 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
3. ½ large sweet onion, trimmed, chopped into ½ inch pieces
4. 1 large lemon, seeded, squeezed, should yield about ¼ cup juice or more
5. ½ teaspoon each dill and thyme
6. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
7. 2 cups orzo
8. 1 skinless chicken breast, sliced against the grain, then diced into 1 inch pieces
9. 1 cup diced ripe tomatoes, roma or heirloom is nice, canned works too!
10. 1 cup mushrooms, button is nice or your favorite, sliced
11. 1 cup olives, black, rinsed and drained
12. 1 cup cheese, pecorino Romano, grated on small grate
13. Extra virgin olive oil
14. Unsalted butter

You will need two pans, large stock pan for pasta, cast iron dutch oven and lid and a large and a medium size ceramic bowls for mixing during prep.

In large bowl, toss in cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil, add dill and thyme, ½ the lemon juice and toss very well and set aside.

In small bowl, toss in diced chicken and ½ the lemon juice, toss very well and set aside.

Start to boil a large pot of water for the pasta on high heat. Meanwhile…

Using another burner, set the dutch oven heat to med to high with a little olive oil, stir fry the cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion for 5 min. Final stir add garlic and set lid on pot and turn heat to low. Meanwhile…

Back to the large pasta pot which should be boiling hot and stir in the orzo, cook stirring occasionally for 11 minutes. Meanwhile…

Remove the vegetables from the dutch oven back to the large ceramic bowl and place the lid on the bowl to keep this warm. Meanwhile…

Toss the chicken into the dutch oven and return the heat to medium high. Stir fry for 5 minutes till just turning pink, add the tomatoes, mushroom and olives. Return the lid to the dutch oven pan and set to low. Meanwhile…

Pasta should be done, place in colander to drain but don’t rinse. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the still hot pasta pot. Stir till butter melted and stir in the cheese.

Ladle the pasta into large bowls, align veggies and chicken first and then pasta, garnish with a little more cheese over all. 
♥♥♥

Snicker Doodles

Oven temperature 400

Baking time 10 minutes
Makes about 65 cookies

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• wooden spoon
• large ceramic bowl, small mixing bowl, small plastic container with lid
• measuring spoons
• dry measuring cups
• parchment paper to fit cookie sheet, additional paper to wrap left over dough with
• cookie sheet
• zip lock freezer bag, gallon size

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1. 1 Cup Unsalted Sweet Butter, room temperature
2. 1-1/2 Cups, pure cane sugar extra fine
3. 2 whole eggs
4. 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
5. 3 Cups Barley flour or All Purpose flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
7. 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8. Cardamom powder
9. Cinnamon powder
10. 5 tablespoons Wholesome Evaporated Organic Cane Juice Sugar, course size (Costco, Central Market HEB)

In large ceramic bowl, with wooden spoon, mash up the butter, add eggs and vanilla, mix in the pure cane sugar slowly, mixing very well and set aside.

In small bowl, measure dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and mix well with clean dry hands and set aside.

With large ceramic bowl, stir slowly adding the mixed dry ingredients of the small bowl. Mix completely each time before adding more dry ingredients and set aside.

Using small plastic container with lid, mix the 5 tablespoons Organic Cane Juice Sugar with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon, mix well and set aside.

With Anise spoon or large tablespoon, carve out some dough and roll between your palms the dough. This should be the size of a large walnut, make 13.

Drop into sugar/cinnamon coating all over once. Place equal distance on parchment covered cookie sheet. Place into 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove cookies and parchment sheet directly onto cold counter to cool. Crispy outer edge cookies, medium soft firm centers.

Left over dough: Cut off enough parchment paper to hold left over dough in. Shaping into rectangle log, folding paper to hold and place it all into zip lock bag and store in refrigerator. Will make 6 batches of 13 cookies each and can store up to 1 week unbaked.