World Famous Recipes

Buffalo Hump Chili

3 lb. ground buffalo (bison)
4 TB vegetable or olive oil
2 medium onions
3 cans (10 oz.ea.) Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained
4-1/2 TB New Mexico chile powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
Water
3 fresh poblano peppers, chopped
Juice of 1 fresh lime

Brown the bison meat in a large pan. Bison is lean and clumpy, so add oil and break it up as you brown it.

Add finely chopped onions and garlic. When onions are clear, add tomatoes and spices. Add water to about an inch depth, and simmer until meat is tender, adding water as needed.

Add chopped poblanos for last 20 minutes of simmer, and stir in lime juice before serving.

You’re really gonna be surprised! Note: 1 or 2 cans of rinsed, drained kidney beans may be added.

Baked Spinach Casserole

3 Tbsp. butter
2 cups light cream (1/2 & 1/2)
3 Tbsp. grated onion
2 packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb. chopped mushrooms
3 Tbsp. grated Swiss cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
For the mushroom sauce, saute the onions and mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes. Blend in the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Gradually add the cream, stirring to boiling point. Turn off heat and taste for seasoning.

In a buttered casserole, spread half of the spinach; cover with half of the mushroom sauce, then repeat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Set in pan of hot water. Bake for 40 minutes.

Yields: 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1 hour

SPINACH & SHRIMP SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 package fresh leaf spinach (equivalent of 1 head lettuce)
2 cups whole shrimp; cooked, peeled, & cut to bite size chunks
1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 medium red onion; thinly sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes; halved
1 small bunch alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1 egg; hard boiled
1 bottle Italian dressing (* Viva Italian by Seven Seas)
* freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In small bowl combine tomatoes and onion with 1/4 cup dressing
and marinate in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Also marinate shrimp pieces in a separate bowl with 1/4 cup
dressing for same length of time. Thoroughly wash spinach and
pat dry. Just before ready to serve tear leaves into serving
size pieces and lightly toss with 1/8 cup of dressing to barely
coat. For best presentation arrange spinach on shallow serving
platter. Drain marinated vegetables and shrimp then combine
with mushrooms and toss together with a few teaspoons of fresh
dressing. Evenly distribute the mixture over spinach and sprinkle
with crumbled egg, sprouts, and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper Soup

2 Tbs butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound of broccoli (chop both florets and stems)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into quarters
2-3 tablespoons of yogurt (if you like)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onion
until it becomes translucent. Put all the broccoli (except
one cup of the florets) into the saucepan and cook until
the broccoli begins to soften. Add the vegetable stock and
bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and allow to
simmer for about 20 minutes.

While this is simmering, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a
boil and add the remaining florets until they become
tender. Remove the florets and place them in cool water
(this helps them keep their bright color).

On a broiler pan, place the red peppers shiny-side up and
broil them for about 10 minutes or until the skin becomes
blistered. Turn them over fairly often so as to avoid
burning. Remove the peppers from the broiler, allow to
cool, and remove the skin. Chop them into small pieces.

When the soup mixture is done simmering, place it in
batches into a blender and puree it until it is smooth.
Return it to the saucepan and add the yogurt if you choose
to do so and the remaining florets.

Serve in soup bowls with the red bell peppers sprinkled
over the top as a garnish.

Venetian Apricot Chicken

Garlic Herb Seasoning (see recipe below)
Apricot Sauce (see recipe below)
Tomato Mixture (see recipe below)
1 bunch asparagus (remove bottom inch of stems)
1/2 pound Broccoli florets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 (6 to 7 ounces each) chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless*
Chopped parsley for garnish

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as food agencies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, advises against washing poultry. Rinsing chicken will not remove or kill much bacteria, and the splashing of water around the sink can spread the bacteria found in raw chicken. Cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit effectively destroys the most common culprits behind food-borne illness.

Prepare Garlic Herb Seasoning, Apricot Sauce, and Tomato Mixture; set aside until ready to use.

Blanch asparagus and broccoli for 1 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Transfer immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process; set aside.

Preheat barbecue grill (spray grill with vegetable-oil cooking spray). Place chicken onto hot grill. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and cook 20 to 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife); turning once. Remove from grill and place on a large serving platter or individual serving plates.

In a large saute pan or frying pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add cooled asparagus, cooled broccoli, and tomato mixture (keeping ingredients separated in the pan). Heat until mixture is hot (do not overcook, just heat). Remove from heat.

To serve, place asparagus and broccoli on platter or serving plates next to the grilled chicken. Sprinkle Garlic Herb Seasoning on broccoli. Pour tomato mixture on top of the asparagus and broccoli. Top chicken breasts with Apricot Sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Wine recommendation: Light and fruity white wine, such as pinot gris or pinot blanc or an Oregon pinot noir.

Garlic Herb Seasoning:
3 teaspoons garlic pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic pepper and Italian seasoning; set aside.

Apricot Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup apricot preserves
Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken stock and apricot preserves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat; set aside.

Tomato Mixture:
1/2 pound Roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 basil leaves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
Salt to taste.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepper, and salt; set aside.