Elk Tacos (or beef or bison)

Elk meat is a really healthy and lean red meat option, I use it a lot because I can get it easily and it has so much flavor. Supposedly its very nutrient dense while being low in fat. That being said, it can be a little dry depending on how you prepare it, for taco meat I like to add a slice of bacon and/or a tbsp of butter to increase the fat content so its not too dry. Another option to tenderize the meat is add 1/2 can of beer when the ground elk is about 1/2 way cooked, it will add great flavor (use something light like a pilsner) but make sure to cook all of the alcohol off completely. This recipe is perfect with just a little pat of butter to finish it off.

What you need:

1 lb of ground elk, beef, or bison 1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion diced

In a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil, onions, and all of the spices. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened. Now add your garlic and your meat and cook through, crumbling the ground elk as it cooks. If you want to add a slice of bacon to the dish, chop it up into tiny pieces and add along with the raw ground elk. It will add a nice smokiness and flavorful fat to the dish. Serve with taco shells, cheese, shredded lettuce, and salsa. So good!

Grammy’s Galumpkis

For me, stuffed cabbage or galumpkis as my Polish great grandmother called them (and will forever be known in my family) are the ultimate comfort food. The smell of the sauerkraut and tomatoes simmering transports me back to my Grammy’s kitchen. Grammy showed her love through cooking for her family and I remember sitting at her kitchen table watching her work and feeling completely content, safe, and happy. My Dad eventually started following in her footsteps and cooking them for us became a New Year’s Day tradition (cabbage and pork for progress and prosperity). This meal is nostalgic, comforting, and hearty and I hope my kids will eventually enjoy the tradition as much as I do. This recipe, is nearly exactly as Grammy wrote it and later added more details to : )

What you need:

1 large head of green cabbage

3 slices of bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 lb of ground beef

1 lb of ground pork

1/2 cup of cooked white rice

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups of sauerkraut

1 can of tomato soup, 1 can of water after soup is emptied

(you can also use 2 cups of canned tomato sauce...I have done that when I forgot the tomato soup)

Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil and place your cored head of cabbage into the pot and boil for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. In a sauté pan, cook your three slices of bacon. When the bacon is crispy, remove it to cool. Add your chopped onion to the bacon grease and soften, stirring around for about 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl mix your beef, pork, salt, pepper, egg, rice, cooked onion, and crumbled bacon. Preheat your oven to 350 and line the bottom of a casserole dish with your sauerkraut (drained of excess liquid). Now peel apart your cabbage leaves, being careful not to tear them. I like to shave down the stem with a vegetable peeler, you can also just cut the thick part out of each leaf. Fill the cabbage leaves with about 2-3 spoonfuls of your meat mixture into each one and fold into a little package, tucking in the ends so the meat can’t fall out. Place your cabbage rolls on top of the saurkraut in your casserole dish. Grammy said to mix one can of tomato soup with one can of water and pour on top, I have also done this with canned tomato sauce and it tastes nearly the same but the tomato soup is better : ) The canned soup is retro. Bake at 350 for one hour. This can easily be converted to a slow cooker recipe as well. Enjoy.

Black Eyed Pea and Collard Soup

I made this for New Year’s Day lunch in a big batch to meet all of our superstitions for a prosperous new year. I’m glad I have enough leftover to freeze for another time because it is a really healthy meal that just makes me feel good too. Like all of my favorite recipes, its really easy to make.

What you need:

1 small yellow onion

2 stalks celery

4 cloves garlic

1 bell pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2 cups of chicken stock

4 cups water

1 ham shank

2 cups fresh black eyed peas (canned are ok too)

2 large bunches of collard greens

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Chop your onion, pepper, and celery into small pieces and add to a large stock pot with a bit of olive oil and add 1.5 tsp of salt and pepper. Stir them around for a few minutes over medium heat. When the vegetables have softened move them to the outer edges and place your ham shank in the center. Sear on each side for about 3 minutes. Now add your fresh herbs and garlic and stir around for a minute until the garlic smells really fragrant and has softened up a bit. Add your chicken stock and water and another tsp of salt and pepper, bring the water up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile clean your collards and chop them up, I like to remove most of the stems. Throw them into the pot and let simmer for at least one hour but up to 2 is completely fine. When you are satisfied with your collards, use tongs and pull the ham shank out of the pot. Now add your black eyed peas, fresh ones take about 20 minutes to cook through and canned ones will only take about 5. Let it cool for a minute and pull as much meat as you can off the ham bone and add it back into the soup. Finish with 2 tbsp of vinegar and red pepper flakes. Serving this soup with corn bread is always a good idea : )