Author: Fern Fisher

7-minute Fish Dinner, Fat-Free and Delicious

Posted on by Fern Fisher

7minutefish

  1. 7minutefish_recipeCoat the bottom of a micro-wave baking dish with Pam, olive oil, coconut oil or your favorite oil.
  2. Mix the following “crumb mixture” together in a small bowl: 2 melted TBS of margarine, 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, chopped onion and garlic — 1/2 tsp each (or use garlic and onion powder instead of fresh), and 1 tsp. lemon juice.
  3. Place ½ inch thick fish fillets in baking dish, flat side down.
  4. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of fillets.
  5. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or tight micro-wave cover. Do not turn over during cooking process. Microwave 6 to 7 minutes on high or until fish flakes (slightly longer if very thick fish pieces are used )
  6. Add a twig of fresh parsley or two and serve with other dinner meal plans, cottage cheese or brown rice, fresh vegetable (beans, peas, etc.), any other favorites you like, such as hot sauce. Easy-Peasy and healthy!

Note: microwave cooking rate is usually about 6 minutes per 1/2 inch of fillet thickness.  ENJOY!

7minutefish2Place ½ inch thick fish fillets in baking dish, flat side down.

7minutefish3Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of fillets.

7minutefish4Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or tight micro-wave cover. Do not turn over during cooking process. Microwave 6 to 7 minutes on high or until fish flakes (slightly longer if very thick fish pieces are used )

7minutefish5Remove from microwave, remove plastic-wrap, add a twig of fresh parsley or two. Serve with other dinner meal plans, cottage cheese or brown rice, fresh vegetable (beans, peas, etc.), any other favorites as you like.

Baked Fish, Easy Recipe, Simply DELICIOUS!

Posted on by Fern Fisher
  • This recipe works for any medium-thick fillet (1/2″ – 1″), including walleye, salmon, trout, even bass
  • Simple ingredients, easy preparation, indescribable deliciousness
  • Can also be prepared on the grill, simply use heavy-duty aluminum foil instead of the baking dish
We like this healthy, delicious dinner meal with a dinner salad and a small portion of carbohydrates, like cooked noodles, brown rice or a sliced red potato. Add a squeeze of your favorite tropical fruit as an option, like this sweet Florida juice orange from Lee County, Fl.  Undescribable deliciousness!

By Fern Fisher

Ingredients:

  • Pam spray or Olive Oil
  • Hellman’s real mayonnaise
  • 1 large salmon fillet (you can use any fish fillet)
  • 1 sweet white onion
  • ½ tsp ea of ground thyme, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Pinch of Black Pepper
  • 1 fresh orange, lime or lemon
  • Source of 375F heat (grill ofr oven)

When we met with winter friends in Fort Myers, Florida –  after their return from a trip to an Alaskan island in the middle of salmon season, they honored our get-together with a few vacuum-packed frozen silver salmon fillets. It was a mouth-watering trip all the way back to our kitchen, just thinking about this special-gift dinner! This recipe is so simple and so delicious. Try it!

  1. Spray middle area of a baking dish of size to hold the fillet with olive oil or Pam. Place the fish fillet skin side down in the baking dish and spread a thin coating Hellman’s mayo to the top of the fillet.
  2. Slice the onion thin and place several pieces across the fish on top of the mayo.
  3. Dry mix the ground thyme, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt with the bread crumbs and lightly disperse over the fillet.
    Once the mayo, onions, and seasonings are in place, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven set at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

     

  4. Preheat the oven to 375 and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
  5. Place the fish into the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the fish fillet turns white. Remove from the oven, use a spatula to cut into portion size pieces and serve the fish. At your option, squeeze the juice of an orange, lime or lemon, your personal preference, over the fillet portion on your plate.
  6. We like this healthy and delicious dinner meal with a small dinner salad and a small portion of carbohydrates like cooked noodles, brown rice or sliced red potato.

Enjoy!

Mmmm, so good.

Best Tasting Venison Burgers, Ezy-Peezy & Fast

Posted on by Fern Fisher

By Fern Fisher

This is the easiest, fastest, most tasty and quick recipe for delicious venison burgers.

Everyone that visits our humble abode says they love it, so I’m sharing it with you all. Please let me know what you think.

Hand-form the burgers, place on foil, to get ready to make a “foil bag” to place on grill.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground venison
½ lb lean ground beef
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, adjust with the addition of water to mix for proper burger forming/consistency
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
Hellman’s Mayonaisse

Red, yellow or green pepper – slice ¼ inch wide to place on top of burgers before cooking, as noted below

Combine all the ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.

Mix ingredients.
Combine all the ingredients as noted above except for the pepper slices. Add ½ – 1 cup water to make mix pliable and to allow the ingredients to exchange flavor. Hand form 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick burger patties and set aside.

Cooking:
Place the burgers individually in aluminum foil. Lightly coat the area with olive oil where the burger will be placed. Add a thin layer of Hellman’s mayonnaise to the top of each burger, as shown, then add 2 strips of your sliced sweet pepper.

Then close up the aluminum foil making it a bag-like compartment, making the foil almost airtight. Leave one end slight open and add 2 oz of water to the bag. Close the open end and place the foiled burgers on the outdoor grill or in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes (when the meat reaches 165F minimum).

Add a thin layer of Hellman’s Mayo, two slices of sweet pepper – your choice of variety, fold and form the top of bag and ends of the bag to form a pouch. Add a few ounces of water to one end of bag, place on a hot backyard grill. Done in 15-20 minutes. Soooo good.

The foil keeps the moisture in and allows the meat to cook in its own juices. It’s a mini-pressure cooker and cooks very fast. The water inside does not escape and so this helps to keep it from burning and over-cooking.

This is easy and using your backyard grill, you can cook 30 burgers for a small army or visitors group all at once in this manner. Other options include adding a full slice of onion and a sliced mushroom before sealing the foil.

Once cooked, add a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato, a slice of cheese and your favorite condiments.

Ground Meat Mix for Basic DEER SAUSAGE – Do it Yourself!

Posted on by Fern Fisher

By Forrest Fisher w/Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Ingredients:

A season supply of finished venison sausage looks and tastes good.  Nick Hattler photo

5 lbs. venison
1 lb. fresh pork fat
2-4 tablespoons salt (I use Morton’s Tenderquick)

Instructions:
Grind the meat and fat thoroughly, mix in salt and add one of the seasoning recipes. Knead one of the seasoning mixes listed below into meat. Keep mixture cold.

Salami Seasoning:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fine-ground pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 cup dry milk (mix to a thin paste)

Sausage Seasoning:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground celery seed
3/4 cup dry milk (mix to a thin paste)

Pepperoni Seasoning:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon cracked pepper
1 tablespoon fine-ground pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon whole anise
3/4 cup dry milk (mix to a thin paste)

To stuff and cook the sausage, you can use casings available from a local meat processor or aluminum foil wrapping.

If using casings, follow instructions for the type (run water through animal casings). To fill, use stuffing attachments for your meat grinder and pack tightly into casings.

For foil wrapping, place 1-2 pounds of mixture on a rectangle of foil and pull up opposite sides. Press to pack meat tightly, then fold the foil tightly against the meat. Turn and roll ends until tight.

Bake sausage in the oven by placing the stuffed casings or foil on a rack in a baking pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 300F. Remove and cool rapidly.

Many thanks to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation for sharing their recipe with us: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/recipes/venison/basic-deer-sausage-three-seasoning-mixes.

Poached Venison Burgers – so simple, so delicious

Posted on by Fern Fisher
We all look for better ways to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found on our lands across this great country, here is one easy recipe that will make old, new or tough deer meat, as tasty as can be.  Joe Forma photo

By Fern Fisher

Many of my outdoor guide friends in the mid-west and northeast use this recipe, or a recipe quite similar to this one, to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found and harvested on our lands across this great country.  It’s easy, tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, adjust with addition of water to mix for proper burger forming consistency
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ cup tomato ketchup
  • 3-4 tsp Olive oil for coating alum foil
  • 1 can Campbell’s mushroom soup
  • 1 large fresh Portabella mushroom
  • 1 fresh sweet pepper, color of your choice
  • Salt, Pepper, ground Chives

Mixing ingredients: Add the beaten egg, garlic, sweet onion, ketchup, a ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper to the ground venison.  Add enough water to make the mix pliable, the ingredients will combine to a delicious flavor.  Add enough Italian bread crumps to keep mixture from becoming too watery.  Form about 4-5 burger patties by hand that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Poaching – Can use Grill or Oven: Cut some aluminum foil large enough to fold around two burgers so a seam can be made on the top for two burger patties. Coat the area where the burgers will be placed with a few drops of olive oil.  Place the burgers.  Add one full tablespoon of undiluted Campbell’s mushroom soup to the top of each burger. Top with slices of Portabella mushroom, top with thin slices of sweet onion and thin slices of red, yellow or green pepper.  Then close up the aluminum foil making it a bag-like compartment, making the foil almost airtight.  Before closing completely, place 3-4 Tbsp. of water inside the folded foil with the burger (for steam).

Place the foiled burger in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes, or on a grill (low) for 20-25 minutes.  The goal is for a finished burger that is done, but not over-done.  Remove from heat just when the water you added has been boiling for 2-3 minutes (you can hear it if you’re on the grill).

The foil keeps all the moisture in and allows the meat to cook in its own juices.  It’s a mini-pressure cooker!  This is easy and if you prepare ahead of time, you can cook 30 – 40 burgers for a small army of visitors all at once.

Add a slice of fresh sweet onion, a fresh leaf of lettuce, a fresh slice of tomato and your favorite topping condiments.  My family simply enjoys the flavor without any additional toppings.  Another option, of course, is to add a slice of your favorite cheese.

Of course, all of this on a hard roll of your choice, unless you’re watching the carbs.

So good, bet you can’t eat just one, enjoy!

 

Elk or Venison Chili, Slow-Cooker

Posted on by Fern Fisher
Ingredients for 16 (8oz) servings: 1-1/2 lbs ground Elk (or Venison) 3 Tbs canola oil 1 cup onions (diced coarse) ½ cup green pepper (diced coarse) ¼ cup Jalapeno pepper (diced fine) 2 Tbsp. garlic (minced) 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. black pepper 1 Tsp. salt 1 Tsp. cumin 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes 2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans 2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans 1 can (22 oz) tomato sauce 2-3 sprigs cilantro (chopped) Optional –fresh parsley or cilantro garnish, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream – when serving.
Ingredients for 16 (8oz) servings:
1-1/2 lbs ground Elk (or Venison)
3 Tbs canola oil
1 cup onions (diced coarse)
½ cup green pepper (diced coarse)
¼ cup Jalapeno pepper (diced fine)
2 Tbsp. garlic (minced)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. cumin
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans
2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans
1 can (22 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 sprigs cilantro (chopped)
Optional –fresh parsley or cilantro garnish, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream – when serving.

By Fern Fisher

 

  1. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat, add onions, green pepper, add pinch salt, garlic, chili powder and cumin.  Cook until onions turn translucent and meat is brown (about 7-9 minutes). Occasionally stir with wooden spoon.
  2. Add cooked mix to crock pot, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and remaining ingredients, stir to mix.
  3. Cover and cook for about 8 hours on low or 6 hours on high.
  4. Serve with crackers or bread and butter, add a pinch or two of shredded cheddar cheese.  Delicious.
  5. Flavor and taste is even better if this is made a day or two ahead of when needed.

E-Z Can-Cooker Venison Soup

Posted on by Fern Fisher

for-sto-12092016-cooking-picture-1of2By Fern Fisher

Need 3 Gallons of Soup Quick? This simple recipe is so easy and fun.  Just slice, dice, toss into the Can-Cooker, turn on low heat and come back in 90 minutes.  Let it cool a bit and this will feed your family or your entire deer camp crew for several days.

The soup is so tasty that one 8-ounce serving with a slice of your favorite bread/butter will often beckon your taste buds for another serving.

 Tasty, nutritious, zero fat.  Hard to beat!  Store it cold after initial servings, but on day 2 and 3 – it tastes even better.  Ladle soup into a bowl with the tasty Kluski noodles, place in the microwave for another quick and tasty meal.

The list of ingredients shown here will make about 36 servings of about 8 ounces each.

screen-shot-2016-12-09-at-9-39-58-amDirections:

  1. To a large frying pan, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic and ½ cup of onions, turn on medium heat.  Add the cubed venison and gently turn to brown all the meat over 10-15 minutes.
  2. While the meat is cooking, to the large Can-Cooker, add all the remaining ingredients. Turn heat to high with can cooker cover in place.  After 15 minutes or so, add the browned meat, snap the cover in place.  Turn to simmer for 90 minutes.
  3. On the side in a 1-gallon pot, bring 6-7 cups of water to a boil, add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil and the Kluski noodles.  Bring back to a slow boil for about 8-9 minutes or until noodles are soft.  Drain the noodles and prepare the soup bowls.
  4. Serve the soup with a generous portion noodles, add a slice or two of bread and butter on the side.  Mmmm, so good.  Enjoy!for-sto-12092016-cooking-picture-2of2

Gluten-Free Venison Spaghetti

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venisonspaghetti

venisonspaghetti_recipeWith so many folks changing to a more healthy diet, many to a gluten-free diet due to Lyme disease, Celiac disease or for other health concerns, we have this delicious spaghetti recipe in our house at least once every week or two. The Barilla Spaghetti Noodle (pasta) is made with corn and rice, contains no GMO ingredients and is certified Gluten Free. As the noodles are the base for this recipe, the great taste and texture of this brand is excellent for all of your favorite pasta dishes, especially when you combine it with the tasty venison burger. The bread you see is gluten-free baker’s bread that is available at a local health bakery near Orchard Park, New York.

The list of ingredients shown here is to feed four adults and four kids at our dinner table.

Directions:

  1. To a large 1-gallon pot, bring 6-7 cups of water to a boil, add 1 Tbs Olive Oil, the Barilla spaghetti noodles and bring back to a slow boil for about 8-9 minutes, or until noodles are soft.
  2. While the noodles are simmering, in a large frying pan, add Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Sweet White Onion, Red and Green Peppers and the Venison Burger. Cook about 4-5 minutes to brown the meat.
  3. Drain the noodles and return the noodles to the large pot. Add the cooked venison burger mix to the large pot.
  4. venisonspaghetti2Add the Spaghetti Sauce and gluten-free Mushroom Soup to the large pot and gently stir. Turn the stove burner to simmer level. Add salt and pepper to your preference, Chile powder and hot sauce, as desired. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. The flavor exchange and the mix of ingredients with noodles taste so good.
  5. We serve the spaghetti with portions of one or two of these at the same meal: broccoli, peas, green beans, asparagus, celery or a lettuce salad that includes cucumber and spinach.
  6. Simple, delicious, low-fat, gluten-free, healthy. Enjoy!

Walleye Fish Chili

Posted on by Fern Fisher

 

fishchili1

fishchili_recipe

Tasty, Delicious, Healthy – makes 10-12 servings

  1. Cut fish fillets into 1 x 1 inch cubes and lightly coat with Badia Adobo seasoning (no msg). Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes while preparing the remainder of the recipe.
  2. In a 1-gallon cooking pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and sweet pepper, adding the salt, chili powder, pepper and oregano. Stir gently until soft. Aroma is so sweet!
  3. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans and tomato paste, stir occasionally until simmering,
  4. Add the cubed fish, reheat to simmering (about 10-15 minutes), remove from heat.
  5. Serve with crackers, hard rolls or rye bread and butter, add a pinch or two of shredded cheddar cheese. Delicious.
  6. Easy to make, low-fat, tasty and healthy. Enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe is a good one that you can pre-prep for a camping trip. Make the chili portion without the fish ahead of time and chill the night before leaving. Place in a 1-gallon storage container and store in your cooler while travelling. Wait until your family catches some fish the next day, clean, rinse, dice and add the Adobo coating. Heat up the pre-made chili, add the freshly caught fish, cook for an additional 15 minutes. Done, delicious!

fishchili2

fishchili3

Venison Kabobs – Colorful, Healthy, Delicious

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venisonkabobs1

  1. venisonkabobs_ingredFirst, rinse off the meat, then cut your venison back-strap or venison sirloin into cubes of about 1” x 1” size. Cut-off any excess fat, as venison fat tastes bitter and tart.
  2. Add some chicken to the mix too – if you like, cutting to the same size, and then toss into a sealed plastic bag, pour in enough liquid Bragg’s Organic Dressing and Marinade to coat the venison and chicken pieces in the bag when you shake them up. Let them stand in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours to absorb the healthy goodness that this product delivers.
  3. In the meantime, take a few minutes to slice-up one each of a young green squash (zucchini), yellow squash, red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, mushrooms and onion Can you tell I like peppers?!
  4. After the marinade soak time, place one piece each of the venison, chicken, fresh peppers and squash pieces to a wooden skewer, as shown in the picture above, and prepare for the grill.venisonkabobs2
  5. Coat the grill with a light coating of non-stick olive oil.
  6. Pre-heat grill to 350 degrees (or pretty hot if you don’t have one of those cover gages) and place the loaded skewers on the grill for about 20-25 minutes, turning them at least 3-4 times during that period. The key with outdoor grilling is to allow the chicken to reach 165-170 degrees – not too much higher, so it is cooked, but remains juicy.
  7. Remove from the grill, sample to measure cooking completeness to your desired level. Check with a thermometer to insure chicken has reached 165-170 degrees.
  8. Serve with other dinner meal standard foods. We like cottage cheese or brown rice, fresh vegetable (broccoli, green beans, corn, peas, etc.), any other favorite toppings you may like, such as hot sauce.   Add a sprig of fresh parsley or two for even more color. The hot apple pie and ice cream topping is another recipe! My family loves this dinner platter.
  9. Easy, low-fat, healthy! Enjoy.

venisonkabobs3Bragg’s Organic Marinade Information: The Bragg’s Ginger & Sesame Dressing and Marinade is based on the delicious flavor of their famous Bragg Liquid Aminos. Ginger and Sesame seeds are blended into the smooth, zesty dressing, then combined with Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos, organic honey, organic lemon juice, organic garlic, organic ginger, organic sesame seeds, and natural xanthan gum. Besides bringing salads to life, it can be used to spice up Chinese stir-fry, chicken, or grilled vegetables. This sweet and tangy taste brings you another dressing with the best of the Bragg tradition of eating and living. GLUTEN FREE • NON-GMO

Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Pan-Fried Fish

Posted on by Fern Fisher
panfriedfish1
Jackson Semeyn is one happy youngster after catching this beautiful Speckled Trout near Tampa Bay, Florida, while fishing with his charter captain dad (Jason), sales manager for iTrekkers.com charter fishing group.

panfriedfish_ingredientsA lot of people are looking for these kind of gluten-free, sugar-free recipes today as learn more about how to stay healthy, and after two of my grandchildren were diagnosed with Lyme disease, it was necessary to change their diets to control negative reactions from their medications.

The doctor advised a sugar-free, gluten-free diet for all meals.  They love fresh fried fish during lent and at other times, and I discovered that it was possible to change the “old recipe” to meet the new diet by simply changing the type of flour.  Here’s the list of ingredients and the process to feed 8 people at our dinner table (none of them could tell it was gluten and sugar-free!):

panfriedfish2

We used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal because it is ground from whole, blanched sweet almonds and is gluten free.  Almonds are one of the healthy nuts providing manganese, vitamin E and protein, and is low on carbs.

panfriedfish3

Directions:

  1. Thoroughly rinse the fish, check for bone-free fillets, cut them into a size that will conveniently fit your fry pan.  Then pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and set aside.panfriedfish4
  3. In another small bowl, place an amount of almond flour.
  4. Place the fish into flour bowl and coat both sides of the fish.
  5. Take the flour coated fish and dip through the beaten egg.
  6. Place the egg-coated fish and roll into the Hodgson Mill gluten free seasoned coating mix.
  7. Then place the fish into the heated fry pan with the olive oil, fry on one side for about 3-minutes, then turn and fry the other side in the same manner.
    panfriedfish5
  8. Place the hot fish on a platter coated with paper towels to drain.
  9. Serve with cooked brown rice portions and fresh-cooked vegetables of your choice. We like portions of one or two of these at the same meal: broccoli, peas, green beans, asparagus, celery or a lettuce salad that includes cucumber and spinach.
  10. Scrumptious, delicious, healthy and meets all the new rules!  Enjoy!

panfriedfish6

 

 

 

Yummy Venison Nacho’s for Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venison_nachosThis is a great time to relish the satisfaction of delicious meals that can result from the success of MSG-free sportsmen pursuits of hunting wild game and fishing.

There is something very special about the culinary delights that connect us to conservation practices, the purity of organic food from wild harvest, and the reality of incredible taste from this healthy food source.

venisonnachos_ingredientsGreat tasting healthy food helps to justify the cost of the license and gear, and all the time we spend learning about how to be successful.

A few years ago, my family started looking around for proven recipes that would provide even more range on how we prepare the wild bounty from our lands and lakes around us.  We discovered the “Wild Harvest Table” from Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educator, Moira M. Tidball, a culinary aficionado who enjoys cooking all kinds of wild game and offers free, proven, advice.  The result has been delicious and nutritious!

For this Super Bowl weekend, we are preparing a crowd-pleasing recipes that has become one of our favorites: venison nachos.  They are awesome!  Let me share with you that there is never any leftovers from either recipe.

For the venison nachos, health consumers today all appreciate that using the venison instead of beef lowers the fat content of typical nacho recipes, that’s all good.  This recipe is quite simple.

In a stock pot, add one tablespoon of olive oil and brown the venison over medium-high heat.  Add one medium to large chopped white sweet onion and cook 3-5 minutes more until the onion is translucent.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder, cook another minute (don’t let the garlic get brown). At this point, adding one teaspoon of oregano and one teaspoon of cumin is optional, if you like those flavors (I do).  Then add one tablespoon of brown sugar and one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (or one quart of home canned tomatoes) and gently stir the entire mix in the pan.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, once there, lower the heat and simmer the chili about half an hour until it thickens and starts to smell “so good!”  Then add one 15-ounce can of red kidney beans or black beans, your choice, but drain and rinse before adding.  Then cook 20 minutes or so until heated through and the consistency is thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We then pour the mix into a wide baking dish, sprinkle one cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top and place it in the oven preheated to 400 degrees.  Heat some tortilla chips in the oven at the same time.  Remove when the cheese melts (about 6 minutes or so).  Spoon some of the mix right into the warmed tortillas, add some sour cream topping and dig in!

Nutritionally, a one cup serving is about 360 calories, offers 25 percent of daily adult needs for Vitamin A and Calcium, 30 percent for Vitamin C and 20 percent for iron, with 24 grams of protein!

This recipe makes six to eight one-cup servings.

Simple and Delicious Venison Steak

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venison_steak

Simple and Delicious Venison Steak
… Easy and Fun from Freezer to Dinner Plate

venisonsteak_ingredientsThis simple venison steak recipe we mostly use for the backyard grill, but it can also be easily cooked in the broiler of your kitchen stove, on a griddle-plate or in the colas of a wilderness hunt campfire a hundred miles from civilization.  It’s easy and delicious!

First, trim your steaks of any obvious fat as venison fat is not sweet, it is tart when cooked.  On both sides of the steak(s), rub in a dash of salt, pepper and any of your own personal favorite garden herbs.   Then, on a sheet of heavy aluminum foil large enough to allow fold-over and enclosure of the steak in the middle, spread a drop or two of olive oil on the bottom where the steaks will be placed.

Position the steak(s) in the center of the foil (can place two small steaks side by side), smear the top of the steak with a tablespoon or two of Campbell’s mushroom soup, right from the can.  Carefully place a semi-thick slice of sweet onion on top of that, add a thinly sliced collection of red or yellow peppers atop the onion, drop in a quarter teaspoon (or so) of minced garlic and carefully start to fold the aluminum foil around the steaks to form a sort of sealed envelope package, being extra careful to leave a small opening on one top end.

In this opening, add four to five tablespoons of water.  Now close-up that foil opening nice and tight, place on a medium heat grill (300F) or in an oven for 15 minutes.

The foil envelope forms a sort of mini-pressure cooker.  Once cooked, you’ll be able to hear the water boiling, be very careful when you open the foil.  The steam is super-heated and looking for a quick escape, so use your oven gloves.  If you don’t have steam exiting, you may have cooked it too long or did not add enough water, remember that for next time.

Remove the steak from the foil wrapper and to your plate to serve with the other preparations you wish to eat.  We like whole sweet potatoes, green beans or carrots and a small salad with a glass of red wine.

The steak is so tender it will literally fall apart.  You can add your favorite steak sauce if you like, but most of my family simply eats right out of the wrapper from the grill.

So simple, so delicious, so good for you.

Venison Roast: Easy, Slow-Cooker Recipe

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venisoncrockpot

  • Defrost a 3 to 4 pound frozen venison roast completely, remove all silver skin and any noticeable venison fat.
  • Lightly sprinkle chili powder, pepper, salt and steak seasoning (or your favorite outdoor style seasoning) and rub into the exterior surface of the roast. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • Peel and slice 2 cups of medium carrots.ingredients
  • Slice and dice 1 cup of large sweet onions of your choice.
  • Peel, slice and quarter 2 cups of red potatoes.
  • Wipe the bottom of the slow cooker with a film of olive oil.
  • Into the slow cooker, place the carrots first, then the roast, potatoes and onions into the slow cooker. Add 1 can of Campbell’s mushroom soup over the top of the ingredients so far
  • Add cold water to bring the liquid level to near the top of the cooker with about ½ inch space free. Add 2 cubes of beef bouillon into the cooker and 1 TBS of minced garlic.
  • Into the liquid, sprinkle ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. You may also slice and add sweet peppers if you like.
  • Turn the cooker to high for 2 hours, or until the water in the cooker starts to boil. Then turn down to low for 6 hours.
  • Much of the liquid in the slow cooler become a thin and tasty “basting gravy.”  Much of the liquid is absorbed by the meat during the cooking/baking process, allowing the meat to remain moist and tasty.
  • Use a fork to separate the meat and serve an ample size portion to a dinner plate size of your choice, add the slow-cooker flavored potatoes and carrots on the side. Add the basting gravy to the top of the meat, as you like.
  • It’s hard to beat the taste, impossible to tell the meat is anything but the best and top choice, leanest, sweet-tasting beef that you have ever enjoyed at the finest restaurant anywhere in the world. It’s delectable!
  • Easy! Fun! Enjoy!