Wild Foods » chicken

Turkey Gyros And Wild Rice Soup

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:18:57 +0000

Turkey Gyros 2 tablespoons of water 1 pound of ground turkey 1 teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of lemon juice ½ teaspoon of dried oregano leaves ½ teaspoon of ground cumin 2 cloves garlic, crushed ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil 1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ cup) 2 cups of shredded lettuce 4 pita breads (6-inch diameter) 1 tablespoon of snipped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon of dried mint leaves ½ cup of plain yogurt 1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped (about ¾ cup) 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 teaspoon of sugar Mix ground turkey, lemon juice, water, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, onion and garlic. Shape into 4 thin patties. Cook the patties in canola or olive oil over medium heat, turning frequently until done, about 10 to 12 minutes. Split each bread with a knife halfway around the edge. Separate to form a pocket. Place patty in each pocket. Top with lettuce. Mix snipped mint, sugar and yogurt. Stir in the cucumber. Spoon onto lettuce. Top with tomato. Wild Rice Soup 1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded 2 medium stalks of celery, sliced 1 small green pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup) 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine ¼ teaspoon of pepper 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of water 1½ cups of cooked wild rice 1 cup of half-and-half 1 can (16 ounces) of chicken broth ¼ cup of snipped parsley 1/3 cup of toasted slivered almonds How to Cook Wild Rice: Wash 1 cup of wild rice by placing in wire strainer. Run cold water though it, lifting rice with fingers to clean thoroughly. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat 2½ cups of water, the rice and 1 teaspoon of salt, if desired, to boiling stirring once or twice. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cook the rice for about 30 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water, if the rice seems to be sticking to the saucepan. Remove rice from the saucepan and set aside. Stir and cook the carrot, celery, green pepper and onion in butter in 3-quart saucepan until the celery is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in pepper, flour and salt. Stir in chicken broth, water and wild rice. Heat till boiling. Then reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the almonds, parsley and half-and-half. Heat just until hot (do not boil). About Wild Rice: Wild rice is the seed of grass that grows in the marshes. It has a distinctive, nutlike flavor and is dark green and brown in color. Because it can more expensive than other rice like white rice or brown rice, it is sometimes combined with white rice or brown rice to save on cost. One cup of uncooked wild rice equals to about three cups of cooked rice. Wild rice is considered a grain. Some other grains include bulgur, barley, kasha and cracked wheat. Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Recipes [http://recipe-guides.com] Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Wild Game Meats – How Do They Taste?

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:30:27 +0000

Wild game meats are becoming increasingly popular on dinner tables and restaurant menus, not only due to their lower fat and cholesterol content, but also because they are easy to cook. More and more people are trying such wild game meats like buffalo meat, ostrich meat, alligator meat, and even rattlesnake meat, which are all available via online specialty sources. However, the big question most consumers have is – how do wild game meats taste? As developers of one of the top online websites about wild game meats, we’ve tried just about every type imaginable, in various recipes. While you won’t hear us utter the phrase “it tastes just like chicken”, we’ll give you our own personal taste descriptions for 6 popular wild game meats. Buffalo (bison) meat is much like beef with a few notable exceptions.

Buffalo meat is considerably leaner than beef and contains 30% less fat. Buffalo burgers and buffalo steaks benefit from cooking at lower heat levels, and tend to be a denser texture vs. beef. What that means is a serving of buffalo meat will tend to fill you up faster than a regular burger, for example. Buffalo meat is just a bit sweeter than beef as well. It can be cooked exactly the same way as beef, and can easily be substituted in recipes. Alligator meat has been a staple of Florida menus for years, with good reason. Alligator meat tastes great! It’s usually served as tenders or nuggets, but is also available to consumers as steaks. With a taste similar to veal, alligator meat is a white meat with roughly the same consistency as chicken breast but denser in flavor and somewhat more chewy, but not tough.

Elk are a part of the deer family, and elk roasts, burgers, and steaks are now available. Elk, like most wild game meats, is extremely low fat. Elk meat is dark, usually a deep amber color, and offers a pleasant somewhat sweet taste. Some say it tastes similar to venison. Pheasant: Most have heard of pheasant under glass, but pheasant meat can be prepared in the same manner as any poultry. Pheasant is very mild, similar in taste to a cornish hen. The meat is pink-white and very lean. Ostrich is a very lean meat with low fat content. We likened our ostrich burgers to lean ground sirloin burgers. Best cooked under low heat to medium rare, ostrich burgers are also very low in cholesterol. Lastly, rattlesnake meat. Rattlesnake is often found on southwestern menus as you might expect. In fact, rattlesnake chili is quite popular although rattlesnake can be prepared several ways. Rattlesnake is slightly chewy, similar to chicken breast and the same type of white meat. You shouldn’t be intimidated of wild game meats at all.

These meats available to consumers have been raised under specific state regulated conditions and are intended for individual consumers. In addition to their savory taste and healthy qualities, wild game meats are easy to prepare and increasingly available via online shipment.

Wild game meats like buffalo meat, elk meat, alligator meat, and rattlesnake meat are increasing in popularity due to their savory taste and low fat content. For free wild game meat recipes and more information, be sure to visit http://www.squidoo.com/wildgamemeats

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Hofman

Exotic Wild Game Meats – Here Are a Few New Varieties to Try

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:28:29 +0000

Wild game and exotic meats are surging in popularity due to their great taste and health benefits compared to traditional cuts of meat. They are also versatile and easy to prepare as burgers, steaks, chops, and stews. Let’s take a closer look at a few new varieties you’ll want to try.

If you’ve never tried wild game or exotic meats, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at their great taste and ease of preparation. Bison meat is probably the most common variety available, but many others can also be purchased through specialty online retailers. In addition to their mild flavor, exotic meats are much healthier for you than traditional cuts of meat like beef, pork, or even chicken. They are exceptionally low in fat, cholesterol, and calories.

Here are three new varieties of wild game meats to try:

Alligator

You may have seen alligator fritters available in restaurants in the southeastern United States. Two cuts of alligator are available to consumers, the tenderloin and the sirloin.

Alligator is a versatile white meat that can be used for appetizers or in slow roasted or braised dishes. Cook it like you would calamari, meaning searing or pan fried, or slowly under a low heat in a roaster or crock pot. We prefer the latter approach, mixed in a jambalaya and served over rice.

Elk

Elk, a member of the deer family, is an exceptionally mild meat that is very low fat. It is a grass fed animal whose meat is very tender when prepared properly.

Usually available as a tenderloin, rack, or as steaks, we like to prepare elk by grilling or sauteeing to medium rare. In general, you don’t want to overcook exotic meats due to their low fat content. Marinating isn’t necessary unless you want a special flavor because the meat is so tender. You can also find elk available as sausages or burgers.

Because elk is very deep red in color, it will look rare when it is actually approaching medium, and when it turns pink it is approaching well done. We recommend just heating the meat through by grilling it lightly under relatively low flame.

Wild Boar

Wild boar is beginning to show up on creative restaurant menus, but don’t be intimidated, it is quite easy to prepare at home. It has a sweeter, slightly richer taste than regular pork and has less fat.

You will find wild boar available as roasts, patties, ribs, and loin cuts. We recommend searing over high heat until medium rare and serving with a glass of your favorite wine.

Summary

For a new taste sensation and a healthy addition to your diet, try these interesting cuts of exotic meats. Alligator, elk, and wild boar are tender, tasty, and easy to prepare. You will find them in a wide variety of cuts from specialty online retailers.

Wild game meats are becoming more popular due to their great taste, ease of preparation, and health benefits. Our exotic meats resource site has cooking tips, recipes, and information why they are such a healthy alternative to traditional cuts. To learn more about all the varieties of wild game and exotic meats available, visit us today at: http://www.squidoo.com/wildgamemeats

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Hofman

Wild Game Meats – Three Choices You’ve Never Considered

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:27:40 +0000

Wild game meats are becoming more popular due to their lower fat content and great flavor. And while many have tried bison meat, here are a few new choices you’ve probably never considered.

Why Wild Game Meats Are Increasingly Popular

Wild game meats aren’t new, but it certainly seems that way. While such meats as bison, antelope, and alligator have been enjoyed for centuries, these meats are just now becoming more mainstream.

For years, the public was cautious of wild game meat, primarily due to a lack of familiarity. The tide has turned recently as more diners discover the great flavor and health advantages of bison and other non traditional meats.

One of the biggest advantages of these meats is the low fat content. We typically think of chicken as a healthy choice since it is low in fat. Interestingly, the same quantity of bison and most other exotic meat is just as low or lower in fat content.

More restaurants have wild game creations on their menus than ever. Not only are they a unique experience, they are delicious when prepared properly. Once you’ve tasted a variety of wild game meat, you become motivated to try more and more!

If you’re ready for some new taste sensations, here are three varieties you’ve likely never encountered before:

Rattlesnake

Rattlesnake meat is becoming more and more popular because it tastes like, well you guessed it, chicken. It is easy to cook, and in fact you can prepare it just as you would a chicken cutlet. The meat is slightly chewy so it’s a good idea to marinate it for two to three hours before preparation. One popular way to prepare rattlesnake meat is to cut it in bite size pieces, batter it with flour or any other coating, and lightly fry it. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce as an appetizer.

Python

Staying with the snake theme, python meat is available in filet portions, typically eight to ten ounces. It too is similar to chicken in taste. You can prepare python on the grill, brushed with a citrus or barbecue marinade and served as you would a steak. Just be careful not to overcook it, much as you would with chicken.

Kangaroo

Kangaroo is a very lean red meat that is best served as filet medallions. Since it is so low in fat, it is best cooked and served medium rare. You will be hard pressed to differentiate it from any other type of lean red meat. Australians are well versed in eating kangaroo burgers, and the meat is available ground in addition to filets.

Summary

More new and interesting varieties of wild game meats are now available. They are an excellent choice for health conscious diners and chefs with a creative, experimental mindset. While you will likely have difficulty finding them at your local grocer, you can order most varieties through specialty online retailers.

Several new and interesting varieties of wild game meats are now available. Not only are they low in fat and easy to prepare, they are great for wine dinners and dinner parties. Learn more and find out where to buy wild game meats at: http://www.squidoo.com/wildgamemeats.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Hofman

Wild Greens Can Make a Spring-time Treat

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:40:30 +0000

We are so inured to shop-bought factory-farmed foods that we forget that all our foodstuffs originated in the wild. Indeed, everything we eat today started out life as a wild plant. Due to selective breeding cabbages and kale may not look much like their wild ancestors any more. Which is not to say that those wild ancestors don’t exist and remain perfectly edible.

If you know what to look for and how to recognize the plants then the wild harvest can provide many completely free delights for your table. What’s more wild foods are truly and completely seasonal and provide a sense of what our ancestors used to eat.

With spring just around the corner it’s time for all serious foragers and anyone curious about wild foods to venture out once more. We’re about to enter the season of fresh spring greens where dandelions, mustard greens, stinging nettles, deadnettles, ramsons (wild garlic), bedstraw and many other edible delights are at their very best.

Here are two recipes that will show-off many of these wild spring greens to their very best:

Wild Garlic and Wild Mustard Greens Pesto

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, chopped

sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

150g wild mustard greens, washed and with leaves shredded

12 ramson (wild garlic) leaves, chopped

100g pine nuts, very lightly toasted

100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

extra virgin olive oil

a small squeeze of lemon juice

Method:

Add the garlic, wild mustard greens and ramsons to a food processor and pulse to a puree. Add the pine nuts and pulse once again. Tip into a bowl and add half the Parmesan. Stir gently and begin adding the olive oil. Add just enough so that the mixture is bound together and you achieve a thick but pliable consistency (a bit like mud). Add the lemon juice and most of the remaining cheese. Season to taste then add a little more olive oil. Alternate adding oil and cheese until you are happy with both the consistency and the taste.

This is best used fresh, but will store for a week if placed in a jar and stored in the fridge.

Nettle Soup

Ingredients:

900g young nettle tips (you need to pick these when the nettles are about 6 to 10 cm tall. May is a good time)
(
900g spinach
(
900ml chicken or vegetable stock
(
3 tbsp flour
(
60ml cold milk
(
4 cold, cooked, sausages
(
3 tbsp sour cream

salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Be careful when picking the nettles as even the young tips can still sting. Also only pick young, fresh, nettles as they become very bitter as they age. Wash the nettles when you have enough then blanch them in boiling water (this removes the formic acid). Drain the nettles and return them to the pot along with the spinach. Pour in the hot stock, season and allow to simmer for 4 minutes (add more stock if the mixture becomes too dry).

Set the soup aside to cool then purée in batches in a blender. Meanwhile mix the flour and milk to a smooth paste. Return the soup and the milk mixture to the pot and return to a boil. Chop the sausages into small rounds and add to the soup. Add the sour cream, swirl and serve immediately.

These are only two recipes of the many thousands possible and they feature only two of the many hundreds of edible plants that are all around us in the countryside. Why not begin exploring the culinary possibilities of your own backyard today?

Dyfed Lloyd Evans is the author of the Celtnet Guide to Edible Wild Plants and the recipes to accompany this guide have been collected in his Wild Food Recipes. He also writes articles on wild foods and wild food cooking at Celtnet Articles

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Wild Foods – Adding a Little Variety to Your Plate

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:41:51 +0000

Often those who advocate wild foods and wild ingredients are seen as either slightly worthy or slightly weird. It can frequently be perceived that such proponents of wild foods want you to whole-heartedly and completely change your lifestyle to eating nothing but wild foods.

You are welcome to do this, if you so desire, but that’s definitely not the point of the wild food movement at all. It’s partly about increasing people’s views of nature and the natural world. After all, if you naturally add wild ingredients to your overall larder then you will appreciate nature and what it can do for your. Nature no longer becomes an enemy or something you have to fight with. Rather the wild world becomes an extension of your environment. Something useful that you can dip into to extend the types of food available to you.

You can build a meal based on nothing but wild foods. Or, you can go into the wild and source things like young linden (lime tree) leaves or wild herbs for use in a salad or recipe as a simple addition.

Here I present two wild food dishes. A salad that includes almost nothing but wild-sourced foods and a main course includes a few wild-sourced ingredients as additions to he list of overall ingredients.

Winter Salad

Ingredients:
1 large bunch wintercress
1 large bunch bittercress
1 large bunch chickweed
handful of gorse flowers (if available)
10 sheep’s sorrel leaves (or wood sorrel if it’s a mild winter)
4 tbsp melted clarified butter
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 finely-chopped small onion

Method:
Wash the herbs thoroughly and place in a bowl. Finely-chop the sheep’s sorrel (or wood sorrel) and add to a lidded jar along with the onion, melted butter, vinegar and seasonings.

Shake to mix thoroughly then arrange the greens in a bowl, pour the dressing over them, toss and serve.

Spicy Chicken and Goosegrass

Ingredients:
600g chicken breasts, cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 small onions, sliced
butter or oil for frying
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper(1/2 tsp freshly-milled black pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
4 whole cloves
10 tomatoes, chopped
200g goosegrass leaves
salt, to taste

Method:
Add the chicken and a little oil to a pan and stir-fry until nicely browned. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Now add a little more oil to the pan and use this to gently fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes before adding the spices (except the garam masala). Fry for a few minutes more then return the chicken to the pan along with the tomatoes and about 400ml water.

Season with salt then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a very low simmer, cover and continue cooking for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Raise the heat at the end of this time and stir-in the goosegrass.

Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat, add the garam masala and serve on a bed of rice.

I hope that these recipes have shown that incorporating wild foods into your diet does not need to be complex or ‘worthy’ all you need to do is go out, find some ingredients and use them!

Dyfed Lloyd Evans has a love of food and cookery and a particular passion for incorporating more wild-sourced ingredients into modern cooking. He has created a Guide to Wild Foods which is free for all to browse and you can find many more recipes incorporating wild ingredients in his Wild Food Recipes pages.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dyfed_Lloyd_Evans

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup with Chicken, Fresh Mushrooms and Sherry

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:37:28 +0000

Wild rice is the state grain of Minnesota. For hundreds of years wild rice was a staple food for the Chippewa and the Sioux. They harvested rice from canoes and used long sticks to shake the grain into boats. Some Native Americans still raise and harvest rice this way. However, most wild rice is raised by farmers and harvested with giant combines.

Wild rice is high in protein and low in fat. A little goes a long way. One cup of uncooked rice makes about three cups of cooked rice. You can add flavor by cooking the rice in beef, chicken, or vegetable stock. The rice tastes best when slightly crunchy, so keep track of the time. Overcooked rice is mushy and looks like popcorn.

Minnesotans love wild rice. We make wild rice pancakes, breads, salads, soups, side dishes, and desserts. Recently I bought some bratwurst with wild rice and it was delicious. I love wild rice with dried cranberries, caramelized onions, and orange zest . One day, though, I hankered for a steaming bowl of wild rice soup.

Fortunately, I had leftover wild rice and chicken on hand. The other ingredients came from the vegetable bin, freezer and pantry. Since I had made wild rice soup before I was familiar with the method. You may eliminate the sherry if you wish, but it gives give the soup added punch of flavor. Cubed ham may be substituted for chicken. Minnesota Wild Rice Soup with Chicken, Fresh Mushrooms and Sherry is a meal in a bowl.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked wild rice (cooked al dente)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)

1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 cooked chicken breast halves, cubed

1 carton (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup frozen chopped onions

6 ounces (half a package) petite carrots

1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, snipped

1 32-ounce carton chicken stock

3 packets very low sodium chicken bullion

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) low sodium mushroom soup

2 soup cans of water (more if needed)

METHOD

Prepare wild rice and chicken the day before. Refrigerate.

Melt butter with olive oil in a soup kettle. Saute mushrooms over high heat until slightly brown. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Just before serving add 1/4 cup very dry sherry to soup. Makes 8-10 servings.

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find other reviews on the American Hospice Foundation Web site (“School Corner” heading) and the Health Ministries Association Web site.

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