Cooking recipes: wild

Showing posts with label wild. Show all posts

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Pheasant with Mushroom Wild Rice Chowder

Ive bumped into a lot of hunters who say that their favorite way to eat pheasant is with condensed cream of mushroom soup and serving it over rice. Im typically not a big fan of cooking anything in canned soup, but I can see how the flavors work. Heres something like that, but in chowder form-- without the can. I dont know why, but I have been on a soup kick lately, even in 90-100 degree weather. If youre weird like me, youll like this recipe. Its thick, creamy and delicious, and also very easy to make. Or, you can save this one for colder weather. It would be perfect for when youre stuck inside, and its 20 degrees and snowing outside... but lets not think about that now. Yikes!

I would offer you more summer grilling recipes, but Rick will have to take care of that for now. I currently do not have access to a grill and my apartment complex is weird about its rules. If everything goes as planned, Rick will finally be out here in a couple months. Hooray!

Huckleberry, bird dog in training at Pheasant Bonanza.

While making this recipe, Ive also discovered Land O Lakes Fat Free Half-and-Half. You can use regular half-and-half, but Im trying to watch what I eat, so I was happy to discover this product. Im sure there are a lot of studies about how some fat free products like this one might not be all that good for you, but getting a heart attack from a high fat, natural diet isnt exactly desirable neither. Everything in moderation, I say.

In Nebraska, pheasant season starts on the last Saturday in October this year. I, for one, am uberly excited. I like shooting birds and playing with dogs. So far, I have to say that I like pheasant hunting best. But, theres still plenty of new hunting experiences to be had! To our Nebraska readers, hope to see some of you out in the field sometime.

Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 pheasant breasts
- 3 slices of bacon, chopped
- 6 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 3 small carrots, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- half an onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter + 2 tbs.
- 1 package of mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 tsp. of coriander
- dash of paprika
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 (4.3 oz) package of instant Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp. of parsley, chopped

Vegetables should be cut like so.

1. In a soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and when most of the fat has been rendered out. Remove bacon and set aside.

2. Next, add diced celery, onion, carrot and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for 7 minutes, or until onions are cooked through and slightly browned. Stir frequently.

Remove vegetables and set aside.

3. If necessary, add a pat of butter or some more oil to the pot. Salt and pepper both sides of pheasant breasts or pieces and brown on all sides over medium-high heat. No need to cook through. Brown in batches and do not overcrowd the pot.

Remove pheasant and set aside.

4. Lower heat to medium-low and add 1/2 cup of dry white wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up all the yummy drippings.

Shred or cube pheasant into bite size pieces and return to pot, along with vegetables and bacon bits.

Then add 6 1/2 cups of chicken broth to the pot and all the instant rice from the box, BUT NOT the seasoning packet. Bring to a simmer.

5. Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs. of butter in a saute pan and cook mushrooms for 5-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Set aside.

6. Then, in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Whisk in contents of Rice-A-Roni seasoning packet. Next, gradually add in 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, stirring constantly to form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Lower heat to low. Then, slowly stir in 2 1/2 cups of half-and-half. Whisk to get rid of any lumps. Heat through. Then remove from heat.

7. Stir cream mixture into the pot of broth, veggies and pheasant. Cook covered over medium-low heat until heated through and rice is tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too loose, heat uncovered until thickened. If its too thick, add more half-and-half. Add coriander and paprika.

At the end, stir in the cooked mushrooms and parsley.

Adjust seasonings, although there should be enough salt in the seasoning packet and broth already.

Serve with crusty bread.

Upland Hunting with Dogs

For those unfamiliar with upland hunting, heres sort of a taste of what happens. I took this video at a dog trial in Tekamah, Nebraska. At these dog trials, hunters come to compete with their dogs in timed events to see which team can locate and shoot more birds in an open grassland. Its a lot harder than it sounds. From what I remember, only 2 competitors that day completed their rounds with the required 3 birds.

As you can see in the video, the pointer (dog) zig-zags and hops through the grass to cover as much ground as he can in hopes of catching a birds scent, in this case, chukar. Once he does, he (or she) "goes on point" to let the hunter know that a bird is located nearby. Then the hunter comes, tries to flush the bird out of the grass and then shoots. Sometimes, the bird is smart enough to duck down low and escape through the grass without the hunter seeing. Other times, the hunter shoots and misses. And in some cases, the dog loses focus completely and doesnt locate any birds. Dog and hunter must perform well together to win the competition.

Depending on breed and training, different kinds of dogs are bred for pointing, flushing and/or retrieving. Pointers, like the dog in the video, arent natural retrievers, but some can be trained to do it. Oftentimes, a hunter will bring a pointer and a retriever such a labrador to work as a team.

Ive always found it so neat and fun to watch hunting dogs work. And when youre hunting with a few people and everyone brings his or her dog, they all run and zig-zag around you like crazy and its an absolute ball!

The dogs name in the video is "Fats." Hah!

(If you steal my picture to the left, Im going to kick your butt. Just saying.)

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Beef Short Ribs Braised with Wild Mushrooms and Tomato – I Sure Hope Youre Having Bad Weather

This video recipe for beef short ribs braised with porcini mushrooms and tomato is so comforting, so satisfying, and so deeply warming that when I make it, Im actually disappointed if its not storming outside.

I mean, why waste a dish like this on a nice day? I havent quite mastered controlling the weather yet (although, from what I hear, many of my old habits have raised the globes temperature a little), but this time of year you can usually count on Mother Nature blessing you with some cold, wet weather in which to enjoy these ribs.

The short ribs are slowly braised with easy-to-find dried porcini mushrooms (for real, ask someone at the fancy grocery store and theyll find them for you!) until they turn into a triumph of fork-tender goodness.

I love these short ribs over mashed potatoes, but the rich tomato and mushroom gravy is fantastic over soft polenta as well. I really hope you give this cool weather wonder a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs (about 8-10 pieces)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

SANDRAS TASTY and MOIST POACHED WILD ALASKA KING SALMON EVERY TIME

There is no healthier way to prepare
food than poaching without losing flavor,
and using the microwave
has proven to be a real time-saver...

Servings: (4)

Prep: 3 Mins. |
Microwave: 6 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skin-on wild alaska king salmon 1-1/2 " thick fillets, (skin-on while microwaving makes for
moister salmon)

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup quality white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon crushed dried dill seeds

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

METHOD

In a microwavable 9”x9” casserole dish with a glass lid, combine butter, wine, lemon juice, paprika, dark brown sugar, dill weed, and kosher salt and ground pepper. Microwave, covered, on high, until butter is melted for about 2 minutes, depending on the individual wattage of your microwave.

Add salmon flesh-side down (it makes it easier to remove the skin after microwaving). Cover casserole dish, and microwave on high for 6 minutes. Be sure to use oven mitts when removing the hot casserole dish from microwave. Serve with your favorite side dish. ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tip: This recipe is fabulous if you choose to use halibut fillets, although reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes and substitute the dill for your favorite herb (e.g., parsley, tarragon and/or chives) please.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

WILD MUSHROOM AGNOLOTTI WITH SCALLIONS AND EGG SAUCE

WILD MUSHROOM AGNOLOTTI WITH SCALLIONS AND EGG SAUCE

A packet of Wild Mushroom Agnolotti by Buitoni was sent to me by the Food Buzz team. The taste of this pasta was simply amazing. The stuffing consisted of wild mushrooms along with a combination of four cheeses. It can be had by itself too without any sauce. I wanted to make a tomato-based sauce for this since it already cheese in it. This fire-roasted tomato sauce along with scrambled eggs and scallions goes well with the stuffing. Each bite into this pasta along with the tomatoes and eggs was a flavor explosion in the mouth.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, 1 packet.
2. Scallions, 1 bunch.
3. Fire-roasted tomatoes, 1/2 cup.
4. Garlic, 2 cloves.
5. Fresh basil ¼th cup.
6. Jalapeno, 1.
7. Eggs, 2.
8. Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon.
9. Salt and pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION: Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. Meanwhile cut the scallions into thin slices including the green and white parts. Crush the garlic cloves coarsely and dice them finely. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and dice into very fine pieces. Julienne the basil leaves and keep aside. Heat a nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot enough, break the eggs into the pan and scramble them gently. Transfer the eggs onto a plate and pour another tablespoon of oil into the same pan. Add the chopped scallions, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté for a few minutes until everything turns tender. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes along with ½ of water or broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper according to taste and then add the chopped basil leaves, parmesan cheese, and ¾th of the scrambled eggs to the sauce and mix well. Remove the pan from heat and pour the sauce over the pasta. Serve the pasta with the remaining scrambled eggs garnished on top.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Wild Eats Dry Rubs

Food for Hunters recommends Chef John McGannons Wild Eats Dry Rubs. We met John at RMEFs convention in Vegas a few months back and brought home his Juniperberry and Peppercorn Rub packet.

Its great on wild game, but we decided to try it on beef to save our limited supply of wild game for our own recipes. No matter what kind of meat you use, this stuff is great!

John has a variety of dry rubs to try. To order, please visit www.wildeats.com

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