Native American Food

Berries & Wild Rice

1 cup wild rice
1 cup fresh cranberries
3 cups water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 1/2 cup maple syrup
3 cinnamon to taste (approx. 1/2 teaspoon)

Cook rice and cranberries in water until rice is done. Take rice off heat
and let sit for about 5 minutes (until all the water is soaked up by the rice). Mix in the remaining berries, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Can be eaten warm or cold. 1. If fresh cranberries are not available, substitute 1/2 cup dried cranberries. 2. If fresh raspberries are not available,
substitute whole frozen raspberries. Avoid raspberries frozen in any kind of syrup. 3. You must use real maple syrup - not syrup that has been 'flavored.' Real maple syrup is a common addition to Native American recipes.

Blue Cornmeal Bread

1/2 cup butter; melted
2 cups blue cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 cup water; boiling
1/2 cup milk
2 pcs large eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 425.
Melt butter in an 8-inch round cake pan in the oven. Put cornmeal, melted butter & salt in large bowl & blend with hand mixer. Pour in boiling water, mix some more to make a smooth batter.
In a measuring cup, stir milk, eggs & baking powder with a fork. Slowly add to other mixture, blend thoroughly. Final batter will be quite thin. Pour into prepared cake pan & bake in 425 oven (in upper 1/3 of oven) for 30 minutes.
For variation, add chopped green chiles, cayenne pepper or sprinkle cheese on top of batter before baking.

Buffalo Corn Bread Casserole

1 pound ground buffalo
1 pc small onion; chopped
2-3 pcs jalapeno peppers; seeded and chopped*
2 packages corn bread/muffin mix (8-1/2 oz)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 can cream-style corn, (14-3/4 oz)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 pcs eggs; beaten
3 cups cheddar cheese; shredded, divided

Bake: 40 min. In a large skillet, cook the buffalo, onion and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the corn bread mix, salt, baking soda, corn, milk, oil and eggs. Pour half in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Layer
with half of the cheese and all of the buffalo mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Carefully spread remaining batter over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: servings: 8-12 Preparation Time: 20 mi

Buffalo Roast 'n' Beans

3 to 4 pound buffalo roast
2 cups pinto beans; uncooked
1 can green chilies; chopped
1 can tomatoes
1 onion; chopped
1 can tomato sauce
water
salt and pepper

Place buffalo roast in a large pan. Place pinto beans, green chilies, tomatoes, onion and tomato sauce on top of roast. Cover entire contents with water. Place in 350 oven covered with lid. Cook at least 12 hours. (May cook longer). Season with salt and pepper. Serve with salad,
cornbread, and a dessert for a complete meal.

Choctaw Hunters Stew

2 lbs. deer meat
3 stalks celery; chopped fine
2 tbs. beef suet
3 pcs medium onions; chopped fine
2 tsp. salt
2 pcs potatoes; 1/2' pieces
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 large can tomatos
6 pcs carrots; cut up

Cut meat in chunks, along with brown suet. Add all ingredients, cover with water. Cook until meat is tender.

Commodities Meatless Chili

1 cup dried pinto or kidney beans
3 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups onion; chopped
1 green bell pepper; chopped
2 cups tomatoes; chopped
1 can tomato paste 6oz
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic; minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pc bay leaf

Place beans and 3 cups of water in saucepan. Bring to boil and cook 2 minutes. Do not drain. Set aside for 1 hour, then return beans to heat, adding water to cover if necessary. Simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are tender. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until onion is translucent. Add beans and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf

Easy Native Molasses Bread

butter or pure vegetable margarine
13 cups whole wheat flour
1 slightly heaping tablespoon salt
2 packets instant yeast
1 slightly heaping tablespoon molasses

This bread is made by the quick one-rise method, which does not require any kneading. Adding blackstrap molasses appears to give it a slight sweetness and also makes it more nutritious. Suitable for freezing. Grease three large bread pans - or the equivalent, including cake pans, if
you wish - generously with butter or margarine. Tip the flour and salt into a large bowl and add the yeast. Mix gently. Dissolve the molasses in a little tepid water taken from 6 1/4 cups. Add this to the flour, then mix in the rest of the water, going carefully at the end in case you don't need quite all of it. The finished mixture needs to be too wet to leave the sides of the bowl clean; it should feel 'slippery' but not completely sloppy. Half fill the pans with the mixture, cover them with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel, and leave to rise. Meanwhile set the oven to 400°F. When the loaves have risen to within 1/2 inch of the tops of the pans, put them in the oven. Bake large loaves for 45 minutes, and small ones for about 35 minutes, or until they are brown and firm to the touch, and sound hollow when you slip them out of the pans and tap them on the base with your knuckles. If you wish, you can crisp the base and sides a bit more by putting the loaves
back into the oven for a few minutes after you've taken them out of the pans. Cool the bread on a
wire rack.

Native American-Pueblo Chile Balls

1 cup green new mexican chile*; chopped
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 pcs eggs, separated
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
flour
vegetable oil

The Pueblo Indians of New Mexico have been making these for centuries. They serve them as a dessert for feasts and weddings.
* roasted,peeled, stems and seeds removed
Brown pork; add onions, then sauté until onions are soft. Pour off fat as it accumulates. Stir in chile, raisins and sugar. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Combine flour and egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Fold egg-yolk mixture into whites until combined to form a batter. Roll about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture in the flour and shape into a 1-inch ball. When all the meat mixture has been shaped into balls, dip the chile balls into the batter and deep fry at 350 degrees F until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Reservation Green Beans And Peppers

1 cup chicken broth
4 cups fresh whole green beans or
16 oz. package frozen green beans
1 tablespoon margarine
1 pc medium red pepper; cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons parsley; chopped

If using fresh green beans, wash in cold water and snip off the ends. In a medium saucepan bring broth to a boil; add beans and cover. cook over medium heat for 8 12 minutes. If using frozen beans, time according to package directions. Melt margarine in a small skillet and add
the pepper strips. Sprinkle in the garlic powder. Stir and cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain the green beans. In a serving bowl, add the cooked beans and pepper mixture; toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top.

Three Sisters Enchiladas

12 pcs corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups bean puree (see bean dip recipe)
vegetable oil spray
1 pc medium onion; chopped
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 pc red and 1 green pepper; sliced thin
1 quart tomato sauce
1 pc zucchini or summer squash; diced
2 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese; shredded

Saute onions, garlic, peppers and squash in oil until tender. Add tomato sauce and cilantro. Turn heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Coat a casserole dish with vegetable oil spray and line with half the tortillas Spread bean dip over tortillas and top with cheese. Add remaining
tortillas. Add tomato squash sauce on top and bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.