Venison Meatballs and Sauce

 This recipe shares how to take a hunted red meat and make an entree that nobody can refuse. The gamey taste in hunted meat is a turn-off for many people but when prepared in that sweet spot, that gamey taste goes away to allow you to taste the genuine flavor of the meal itself.

The sauce must be created first, to allow the flavors to mature while preparing the meat.

So let's start there.

Sauce

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 medium sized onion

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp parsley

1 tsp salt and pepper

32 oz crushed tomato or tomato sauce

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high flame.

Add garlic and onion. Stir for a minute, then add bell peppers. Stir after a minute. If  you want mushrooms in your sauce, add them now.

Add seasonings, and stir again. Then add tomato sauce and stir again to blend the flavors evenly.

Turn the heat on low and allow the sauce to continue simmering while you prepare the meatballs.

Meatballs

2 lbs ground venison

12 oz panko crumbs

1 egg

2 tbsp Goya Adobo

2 tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, hand mix all the ingredients except the oil. That's for browning the meatballs.

Put the oil in a skillet and heat over medium flame. Shape your meatballs, browning on all sides.

Upon removing the meatballs from the skillet, drop them immediately into the sauce.

Continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce starts to darken. 

Serve over your favorite starch: rice, noodles, or in a sandwich. 

Serves 4

Homestyle Taro Hash

Ingredients 

1 lb taro

1 can Palm corned beef

1 tbsp minced garlic, or 1 clove garlic smashed

3 slices of onion, chopped

2 tbsp ina mona

2 tbsp butter

salt/pepper to taste

1. Pare the root skin from the taro and pre-boil the taro until soft enough to cut into bite size pieces.

2. In a frying pan, melt butter and add taro over medium heat.

3. Add corned beef, garlic, and onion.

4. When taro starts browning, add ina mona and salt/pepper.

5. Turn off and let sit in pan for a minute or two, while you pull your serving dishes. Serve.

Cheesecake Berries

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar or whip cream

1/4 cup rice flour or tapioca flour

graham crackers or butter cookies

berries of your choice

toothpicks, if your berries are small

1. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and rice/tapioca flour in one bowl.

2. Smash crackers/cookies in another bowl.

3. If you use toothpicks, insert them into the berries now.

4. Dip the berries in the cream cheese mixture, then dip into crackers/cookies

5. You can eat them like this, or if you want the outside to be more firm, refrigerate for one hour.

Fried Green Tomatoes

 Ingredients

1/2 cup bacon grease

1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 green tomato, sliced thick

1.  Heat up the bacon grease over medium heat.
2. In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients. 
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk.
4. Eggwash the tomato slices, then dredge in the flour mixture.
5. Fry on each side until browned enough to produce a crisp when you run a fork over the top. 

Old-School Chicken Stock

Ingredients

• 4-5 lbs chicken bones
• 2-3 carrots, sliced thick
• 2 celery stalks, sliced thick
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 4 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1tsp Kosher salt

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients into the pot, then add water to about 2-3 inches above ingredients.
2. Boil over high heat for 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer, occasionally skimming the foam from the top of the stock. Continue to simmer for about 3 hours.
4. Strain the stock to remove all solid ingredients. Cool and store in refrigerator.

*Chicken stock will remain fresh in refrigerator for about a week.

*It freezes well, but will need to be separated into smaller containers so that you only take what you need at the time of use.

Sardou-Style Egg

• 2 table spoons of unsalted water
• 1 small onion thinly cut 
• 3/4 pound collard greens, tough stems and center ribs removed and leaves thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of white wine
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
•  Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 canned artichoke bottoms, drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•  pinch of cayenne pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft,7-8 minutes. Add collards and wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until collards are tender,8-10 minutes. Add cream, and reduce heat. Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

 

 2. Toss artichokes with lemon juice and oil,and roast on a baking sheet until just beginning to turn brown,  7-9 minutes. 

 

 3. Poach eggs in 2 inches of gently shimmering water until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and blot with a paper towel

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe

 Crust Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 4 pkgs cream cheese (8 oz)
• 1.25 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 eggs

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• whipped cream for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Place large pan or oven-safe skillet (that the cheesecake pan will fit inside) filled with about 1/2 inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.
3. Combine the 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix in the 1/3 cup melted butter. 
4. Line the bottom and side of springform pan with parchment paper. Using a drinking glass, press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom and sides of the pan.
5. Cut a piece of tin foil big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan and wrap on the outside of the springform pan. This is so that the water bath does not make your cheesecake soggy.
6. Put the crust in the freezer until you are ready to fill it with the cheesecake mixture.
7. Blend the cream cheese with sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
8. Whisk the eggs in their own separate bowl, then add to creamy cheese mixture. Make sure that the mixture is evenly blended.
9. Pull the crust from the freezer and pour the cheese mixture into it. 
10. Put the springform pan into the water bath and bake at 475 degrees for 12 minutes.
11. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake tans on top. 
12. While the cheesecake is cooling, mix the topping ingredients and spread over the cheesecake. 
13. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream.