Grilled Bison with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Blue Cheese and Fresh Sage

Pastured American bison is salted and allowed to air-dry overnight, then rolled in cracked, tri-color peppercorns before being grilled over an open wood fire.  Served over a bed of caramelized onions with crimini mushrooms, melted  blue cheese and fresh sage..

Grilled Bison with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Blue Cheese & Fresh Sage

For the Steaks

American bison sirloin steak(s), cut 1 inch-thick
approx. 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt per 8oz steak
approx. 2 teaspoons freshly-cracked black, green and pink peppercorns per steak
peanut oil

Coat both sides of each steak with sea salt, wrap loosely in butchers’ paper and refrigerate.  Remove steaks  from refrigerator, then rub off any remaining salt (the surface should feel dry to the touch).  Coat each steak with cracked pepper and allow to come to room temperature as you prepare the fire.

Once the flames have died down and the embers are glowing red, lightly oil the steaks then grill for about 5 minutes on the 1st side and 4 minutes on the 2nd side for medium rare.  Remove steaks and allow to rest a full 5 minutes before serving on top of sauce.

For the Sauce (inspired by a recipe by Ree Drummond)

2 tablespoons pastured butter
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1 small yellow onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh, heavy cream
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves (substitute 1 teaspoon rubbed sage)

Melt butter and bacon drippings in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add slices onions and stir to coat.  Stirring only often enough to prevent burning, cook onions until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté 5 minutes, stirring continuously.  Add cream, Worcestershire and sage, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

Sweet and russet potatoes are boiled and mashed with sprouted wheat flour, pastured egg, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and served in a sauce of fried sage, shallots and garlic with fresh cream, steamed nettles and grated Parmesan.  Topped with toasted pine nuts and shaved Asiago..

Sweet

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

For the Gnocchi

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour
1 large, pastured egg
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
bowl of ice water
olive oil

Boil potatoes until soft then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a cutting board (reserve cooking water). Mash the still-hot potatoes with ricer or a large fork until mostly smooth, then allow to cool 5-10 minutes.

Gather the potatoes into a mound and create a well in the center. Sprinkle the flour over the top, then crack an egg into the center.  Add salt and pepper and stir into the flour and potatoes as you would regular pasta. Knead gently until nearly dry, about 4 minutes.

Roll dough into 3/4″ diameter cylinders, then cut into 1″ lengths. Squish each gnocchi against the back of a fork then drop into boiling water and cook until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath and allow to cool.  Drain, lightly coat with olive oil and hold until ready to use.

For the Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 clove garlic, slivered
8 fresh sage leaves, torn
1 tablespoon butter
1 oz white wine
1 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups fresh nettles, steamed, drained and chopped as you would for fresh spinach
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add shallot, garlic and sage and fry until slightly crisp. Add wine and reduce until nearly dry. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly whisk in cream. Cook until reduced in volume by about 1/3, then stir in Parmesan and nettles.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the gnocchi to the pan and heat through.

To serve, spoon gnocchi and cream sauce onto a plate or shallow bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved asiago.

This post is part of Meatless Monday!

Conchiglie al Formaggio

Baked seashells with artisan cheeses, mustard and fresh cream with spring onions, grape tomatoes and bits of spicy sausage..

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Conchiglie al Formaggio

1 1/2 cups conchiglie pasta, cooked and drained
1-2 spring onions, sliced or 1/2 yellow onion, diced
1-2 spicy cooking sausages (such as Spanish chorizo), sliced
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cheese (Manchego, Parmesan, etc.), grated
1 cup fresh whole milk, more-or-less
1 cup fresh cream
1 pastured egg
3 tablespoons grass-fed cultured butter, divided
2 tablespoons sprouted wheat flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk in flour and mustard and cook, stirring continuously until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Slowly whisk in cream and stir until combined, then thin with milk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit, then whisk in the egg and set aside.

Quickly brown sausage and onions in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until some of the fat has rendered, then add tomatoes and cook until softened.  Drain any excess grease, then fold into the cheese sauce along with the parsley and oregano.  Fold in pasta and adjust taste with salt and pepper.

Turn pasta mixture into a buttered casserole, then top with fresh bread crumbs and bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Serve with a green salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio if desired.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday, in support of freedom of choice for farmers and consumers everywhere

Who’s invited?  Raw milk producers and their consumers, grass based farmers fed up with the low commodity milk prices looking for alternatives, folks that have seen healthier days, Future Farmers of America wanting to check out the buzz about direct sales of raw milk,  constitutional scholars and lawyers looking for work that makes a difference, mother and fathers looking for answers to their children’s chronic health and obesity problems, college students cutting classes and stumbling into some life changing information, new couples considering having  family, doctors and dentists interested in pragmatic prevention based solutions, teachers and parents concerned with sugared milk in school lunches and YOU!

Roasted Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Ripe bananas roasted with raw brown sugar, walnut butter and a touch of fresh cream..

Roast Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Roasted Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Makes 2-3 servings, no ice cream machine needed

4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch sections
2 heaping tablespoons walnut butter
2 tablespoons (more-or-less) unrefined high-molasses sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Slice bananas into 1/2 inch pieces, sprinkle with sugar and roast in a 400 degree oven until caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool, then freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pulse frozen bananas with walnut butter, lemon juice and cream.  Place mixture in a seal-able container and freeze at least 2 hours (longer is better).




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Salmon Casserole en Croute

Salmon casserole has been a favorite in my family for some years now.  Here’s a simple, frugal version that doesn’t skimp on flavor..

Salmon Casserole en Croûte

Salmon Casserole en Croûte

For 2 servings

1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 oz dry white wine
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon Shichimi Togarashi (optional)
sea salt & freshly-ground pepper

1 can premium quality wild Alaskan salmon

1 cup spelt or quinoa pasta (optional)

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Prepare pasta, if using, leaving it very slightly underdone.  Drain and set aside.

To make roux, melt the butter in a non-reactive pan, whisk in flour and cook stirring continuously until the raw flour taste is gone, about 5 minutes.

Heat the cream in another pan until simmering, then whisk in the roux and cook until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Reduce heat, add lemon juice, wine and the liquid from the salmon and simmer a few minutes more.

Add tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper and togarishi (if using).  Stir to combine, then remove from heat.

Combine pasta, salmon, celery, chives and cream sauce in a bowl, taking care not to mash up the salmon.

Spoon salmon mixture into a buttered casserole, loosely filling the dish almost to the top.  Pour a little more white sauce over the top of the salmon.

Roll out puff pastry dough to 1/4 inch thickness and 1 inch greater in diameter than the casserole itself.

Brush the outer inch of the dough with some egg beaten with water, then flip it up and over the casserole so that the egg mixture is on the inside, against the sides of the casserole.

Brush the rest of the egg & water over the top of the dough, then cut several vent holes with the tip of a knife.

Bake casserole in a 350 degree oven until the dough has risen and is golden brown in color, about 30 minutes.

Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

The post is part of the Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet


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