Category: cooking

When you think of hunting and the great outdoors, do you think of ginger curry with venison meatballs? How do these things spring from my brain?

I have had the benefit of living in Houston, Texas the last 10 years and Houston is home to a lot of Asian cuisine as well as hunters. I’ve always liked Thai curry and the sort of Indian-inspired curry you might find served with chips in an Irish pub.

Curry meatballs served with cilantro

I never really went out of my way to get curry until I had the privilege of spending a month in Singapore. I quickly became obsessed with all the different Indian and Thai curries I could get my hands on. Some nights I would decide to eat light at dinner time, head to the hotel with a yogurt, sit quietly in the room and hear the voice of a green curry down the street calling out my name.

The curry was in a food stall stacked along an alley with a nice smattering of cuisines. The worst was the time I opted to order a Tiger beer from the bar a step from the curry stall only to remember that alcohol is almost prohibitively expensive in Singapore. Once the curry addiction was set, I found myself ordering it all the time at lunch back in Houston.

Then, a British expat friend came to visit and she made an Indian curry. Next, my boyfriend’s father remarked that eating a curry once a week is healthy. I started experimenting. The beauty is you can make it up as you go along and not go wrong. Still, I was truly inspired by a Bon Appetit recipe I bookmarked. The picture is mesmerizing due to the rich, deep orange color of the curry.

Using the immersion blender on the curry sauce

Now, here is the key distinction: I used ground venison to make my meatballs. Venison from deer I harvested last January. I have come to love venison because it tastes good, is satisfying without being filling, Because it is lean, you need to add more egg to bind the meat into balls.

The second departure from the recipe I recommend is using a food processor and most definitely not a blender to puree some of the initial ingredients, such as the scallions. (UPDATE: I just made this a second time and used an immersion blender in the cooking pot. See elaboration below.*) First thing first, review the ingredients and decide what you will use and need. The magazine recipe called for 2 pounds of ground beef. I wasn’t about to commit 2 lbs. of venison to an untested recipe and opted to try it with 1 lb. Thus, I needed to cut this recipe in half.

Meatballs:

• Olive oil
• 3 scallions
• 1 jalapeno
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger root, peeled (I used the full amount)
• 1 tablespoon (just used juice of 1 lemon)
• ½ tablespoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lb. of ground venison
• 2 eggs (I always use 2 eggs per pound of ground venison)
• 1 ½ tablespoon plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Curry sauce:

• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 onions (I used one red, one sweet)
• 5 garlic cloves
• another 1 inch chunk of peeled ginger
• 3 dried chiles de arbol (oops, I used 3 instead of 1 ½)
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tablespoon Kosher salt

Adding curry spices to onion and garlic

Recognize that if you halve the recipe, that always throws off things. In other words, when you adapt a recipe, you make it your own. I used the full amount of tomatoes instead of half because what am I going to do with half a small can of tomatoes. Also, I had to add water to the first step because the ingredients did not blend. Then, I had to strain that mixture to get out the extra liquid. Toward the end, after I used the outboard motor to blend the sauce (an immersion blender), I found the taste too spicy hot and added a can of lite coconut milk. The result was an outstanding tasting curry with more volume than needed for the meatballs. The excess sauce was stored separately and eaten with toasted French bread for lunch.

*UPDATE: I just made this again, this time the full recipe with 2 lbs. of ground venison and a 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes. To better bind the meat, I used half a sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers. I also swapped out scallions for sweet onion and skipped the dried peppers. I also used Meyer lemon juice (we have a tree).

Try it!

Cheers,

The Sage Leopard

I’m not a spontaneous person but occasionally force myself out of my comfort zone to advance myself. At these points, I will decide I am compelled to do something specific that involves risk or is indulgent. A small incident stays in my mind as a metaphor for this and I really flubbed it. My then relatively new boyfriend took me to North Georgia to meet his family and a well-meaning relative brought up something from his past that made us both woefully uncomfortable. I was polite while wanting to scream. I wanted to shed this discomfort and decided right then and there, I must race down the dock to dive into the sun-dappled lake. As I pounded bare feet on the boards of the dock, I felt on the precipice of liberation and anticipated the cool, cleansing waters. It would be just like that scene in “On Golden Pond” when the frustrated daughter frees herself by diving in the lake. I got to the end and propelled my body out over the water using my best racing dive from childhood and exulted in the expectation of refreshing cold water. Instead, my body sliced into very warm water that clung to the top of the lake. Because of the racing dive, I slithered into the hot water above the anticline and felt heat embrace me like a warm blanket. Disappointed to say the least, I opted to make the best of it or at least tried. I demonstrated to my boyfriend my chops with the butterfly stroke and enjoyed the view of the lake. I rationalized it was still refreshing to get wet. Sometimes the fantasy is better than the reality. Likewise, sometimes a dream realized takes awhile to manifest in real life. We all have regrets and mistakes we can count. When I first moved to Texas, I knew I was taking a big chance that I would not like it and at first I flubbed some things at work and personally in that I clung to my past and definitions that applied then. When I let go and learned to learn again, I expanded my life. It was like flopping into hot water on the lake but coming to love the place, people and opportunities. Years later, I felt compelled to make another major change, but I did not know how.

The sign that called to me to make changes

I was working in an office building downtown and would ritualistically make my way to lunch in Houston’s tunnel system. Typically, I wouldn’t venture far and go to my favorite Vietnamese place for pho. I became addicted to the tofu curry too. Across the way from the lunch table was a store that sold all kinds of cutesy accessories, like koozies for wine glasses and cheap bangles. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about: pink and green zebra print picture frames and the whole genre. A faux chalkboard paint sign beckoned to me, day in and day out. It says, “Go Jump In The Lake.” This tended to make me smile or grimace when recalling the hot water incident. Then I reflected on the temptation to go jump in a lake. The need to go jump in the lake of life. The desire to make another major change. I just didn’t know what it should be. But I would worry too about poor choices past and how sometimes there is no recourse. The anxiety and inertia would hold me in the comfortable place. One day my boss asked to speak to me privately. The conversation was surprising and yet logical. The upshot was I had an amazing opportunity for which I am very grateful. Had this change in direction not be considered, I would not have jumped into the next lake. I’m still swimming around in water that sometimes doesn’t feel as comfortable as I would like and trying out different strokes. Later, I started my own business and just keep taking more strokes. And, oh yeah, I went back to buy that “Go Jump in the Lake” sign. Don’t hold yourself back. Reclaim your life.

The Sage Leopard

Every time we go to our neighborhood Mexican restaurant, I order their desebrada, a shredded beef stewed in tomatoes and spices. Well, it tastes and looks like tomato. I order this for dinner as well as breakfast (Texas is the land of breakfast tacos). The beef tastes amazing cradled in soft tacos. I keep saying I will try to make this at home. Why put off today for another day and another day, etc.? Desebrada is traditionally made with goat meat. I’ve opted for chuck beef, which is shoulder meat.

Searing the chuck roast in a cast-iron skillet with oil

Before I get to the ingredients and recipe steps, I want to stress the importance of the right equipment. For this recipe, I have a cast-iron skillet and a crock pot slow cooker. In lieu of a skillet, I recommend a Dutch oven to sear the meat. While you’re cooking, you can sing out “Desebrada” to the tune of “Desperado!” (my boyfriend’s idea).

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pound chuck roast
• vegetable oil

  All the ingredients assembled in the slow cooker, including red wine and Rotel

• 1 can Rotel
• 1 cup red wine
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 jalapeños
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 Texas sweet onion
• chili power, cumin, salt and pepper
• freshly chopped cilantro
• Optional garnishes/sides: homemade coleslaw (just mix mayo, lime juice and Rice wine vinegar and toss in a bag of shredded cabbage); avocado; shredded cheese; sour cream, jalapeños (freshly sliced or pickled) and hot sauce

Directions: Heat vegetable oil in big skillet over medium-high heat. Start prepping non-meat ingredients. Peel and smash garlic on cutting board with French chef knife. Place in slow cooker. Peel, slice and chop onion and place in cooker. Drop in a bay leaf or two. Put on gloves and cut, core, slice and dice the jalapeños. Place diced pepper in the cooker. Added a teaspoon each of chili pepper and cumin. Freshly grind salt and pepper over the rest of the ingredients in the cooker. Now, remove meat from package and place in hot skillet with oil. Brown it all the way around. You might have to cut it into two or three pieces to easily move it around in the skillet and prepare to fit with the other ingredients in the slow cooker. When browned, place it in the cooker and pour over it the wine and Rotel. Sprinkle a hearty handful of chopped cilantro over it and cover the cooker.

Cumin and chili powder atop garlic, onion and chopped jalapeño

Turn to high heat. Once it is hot, lower to the low setting and let it slow cook for about 8 hours. Check on it every few hours and after 8 or so hours, see if it pulls apart with a fork. If so, turn off heat and let temperature drop to a level you can stand while shredding the meat into the sauce. I used a dinner fork and a spatula. Now, you can serve it all at once or freeze some portions for a savory and satisfying weeknight dinner. This shredded meat is perfect for tacos. You’ll want to serve it with more fresh chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños, fresh lime, shredded Mexican cheese, perhaps a dollop of sour cream, hot sauce, etc. Maybe some sliced bell peppers and rice.

Shredded beef after several hours in the slow cooker

The list goes on. Get creative. There is a lot you can do with this meat, including putting it in a casserole or mac-n-cheese. For us, tacos are in order, maybe even for breakfast.

Cheers,

The Sage Leopard

Venison steaks (top plate) accompanied by drunken mushrooms, baked potatoes, grilled veggies and tomatoes.

We don’t need a label on our meat to tell us it’s organic. We know it is because we shopped at nature’s grocery. We took this meat in the field. Deer hunting isn’t easy, but it is rewarding, especially when it results in a freezer full of organic, lean meat. Venison is delicious, not “gamey,” if properly prepared. The first time I tasted it many years ago, the particular dish did taste gamey to me. But, it is really all a matter of preparation that begins in the field. A clean shot ensures the deer is humanely dispatched and there is no adrenaline rush that would impact the meat flavor. A clean shot is when the hunter is 100% certain the shot will be immediately effective. A responsible hunter doesn’t take the shot if he or she is not absolutely sure it is a clean shot. This is why it is called hunting, not taking. Hunting is not easy and requires a lot of preparation and patience. Some people take offense about hunting and yet buy meat at the supermarket. If you are going to eat meat, why not bring a healthy alternative into the mix.

Sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt, drizzled with olive oil and dressed with green onion.

It’s gotten to the point that I really don’t care for beef because my palate acclimated to the taste of venison. I think now this is what meat is supposed to taste like and love that is hasn’t had antibiotics or steroids or whatever else might be in other meats. The preparation of our venison is a simple process. After field dressing, the meat is placed in ice chests packed full of ice. Over the next couple of days, the ice water is drained and ice replenished until the ice water is virtually clear. This ensures most blood is drained and that is why our meat does not taste gamey. What we ate tonight were venison steak medallions and they were out of this world. My boyfriend seasoned them with a spice rub and butter before grilling them. Venison must be kept moist when grilling and butter or sesame oil both work great at sealing in the moisture. For the rest of the meal, I sliced tomatoes, including the first one from our patio tomato plant, sautéed mushrooms, and baked potatoes. I also deglazed the mushrooms with red wine. For the potatoes, I added onion dip seasoning to sour cream. Finally, I added some leftover grilled veggies. The meal was complete with the company of my boyfriend, who taught me to hunt.

Cheers,
The Sage Leopard

Spring is the time to celebrate the return of things we love, such as bluebonnets in Texas, as well as a good time to try something new.

Leaves emerging for the first time on a young tulip magnolia

This weekend we enjoyed two new things: leaves on the tulip magnolia we planted last fall, and homemade red lentil curry dahl. We also enjoyed the return of bluebonnets and citrus blossoms in our garden.

The bluebonnet is the Texas state flower and makes its return each spring

Some things renew on their own. Here come the elephant ears, without prompting. A friend was once so overwhelmed by her elephant ears that she yanked a bunch out by the roots and put them in a huge bucket, which she left on our front porch. We were out of town and did not immediately attend to the bucket when we got back. Eventually, we planted them. They not only made it after the transplanting, they thrived. Then, they took over some beds. I yanked a bunch, and yet, a couple of years later, here they come again.

There are other things that need help. The caterpillars that will become Monach butterflies showed up and ate just about all the milkweed that had started to grow back. We rushed out to a nursery that fortunately was carrying milkweed and bought several little plants. As soon as they were in the ground, the caterpillars converged. We counted several.

Tomatoes are not something we lucked out on last year, our first attempt with tomatoes. For Valentine’s Day, we placed two tomato plants in the vegetable bed, fertilized them and crossed our fingers. Each one now has a tiny tomato growing, which bodes well.

The veggie bed is in the side yard with citrus trees. It all started with a mystery shrub, or so it appeared. Eventually, the plant emerged as an impressive Meyer lemon tree.

Meyer lemons can be consumed when green or yellow

It became so prolific over recent years that we took to freezing the juice. Not too long ago a heavy rain came while it was overloaded with lemons and tree was uprooted, undermined by floodwater and its own weight. We had only been picking a few lemons at a time to have fresh ones in the kitchen. Live and learn. My boyfriend cut off several broken limbs and righted the tree’s trunk with a pitchfork as a temporary brace. I’m happy to report the tree survived and is growing again. Looking back, the amount of lemons I harvested from the broken limbs was comical. The neighbors all got some and there still is some of that juice in the freezer.

Meyer lemon harvest

Grapefruit blossom

We liked the lemon tree so much that we added a Satsuma, a grapefruit and a lime tree. The grapefruit tree was a slow grower, but amazingly started reaching skyward once we planted a more robust companion grapefruit tree a couple of yards away. Both are blossoming, literally.

To wrap up the weekend, we ate a traditional Sunday dinner with pasta and meatballs cooked in tomato sauce. Some people call this Sunday sauce. My grandmother called it tomato gravy.

Meatballs cooking through in tomato sauce after browning

She would serve the meat separate from the pasta, with the meat accompanied by Boston lettuce salad. The pasta was served in bowls, the lettuce on salad plates and the meat on the entree plate. Not sure what she would make of us eating the meatballs in the pasta bowls while sitting on the couch watching TV. This dish is a family tradition and brings much comfort. The other night I tried something completely new to us, at least at home: dalh. I had bought a lot of bags of dried legumes, including green and red lentils. An internet search led me to a recipe for red lentil curry dahl. I’ve made many curries before and ad libbed some as well, so I wasn’t intimidated.

Red lentil dahl with red curry

The ginger and red curry combine so well it’s no wonder how popular the combination is. We liked it so much, I have a feeling that this dish may become as much as a staple around here as the meatballs.

The Sage Leopard

You would think we could pinpoint the moment the obsession started, but all I remember is we both like Mexican pottery, specifically the Talavera style pottery with vibrant colors. Now, the backyard garden is a veritable menagerie of Mexican pottery animals.

Talavera armadillo

Some of the creatures mark a special time, such as the armadillo birthday present and the bunny rabbit from a Laredo trip. I recall one squirrel we picked up after a BBQ outing. I don’t recall how the other squirrel got here.

Talavera bunny

I suspect some of the animals came home because of a healthy addiction. My boyfriend must be sneaking them in at night. He knows where the pottery purveyors set up shop along specific Houston roads and flea market stalls. He seeks out the unique, such as the snake. None of these animals scare away real creatures the way a fake owl or a scarecrow does.

Talavera alligator

Our yard is the playground of opossums, frogs, toads, caterpillars and Monarchs, doves, mockingbirds and stray cats. We really ought to find a possum version of Mexican pottery because the possums here walk along the top of the back fence about five times per week, setting the Sage Leopard (our Catahoula leopard dog) into a frenzy. If anyone knows where to find a pottery possum, be sure to advise. Our collection will surely continue to expand and we really ought to have a brightly-colored marsupial hanging around for authenticity’s sake.

The Sage Leopard

Talavera sun

Talavera frog

Talavera butterfly and salamander

Mexican-style pottery Longhorns

Talavera snake

Talavera squirrel

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Veggie curry and salad brighten up a rainy Saturday night

After hosting a group of ladies for a Mary Kay party this afternoon, I had absolutely no desire to cook. My man was on his way back from a fishing outing without fish when he called from the intersection nearest our Kroger. I was tempted to suggest pizza, but didn’t really want something that heavy. A container of frozen homemade vegetable curry called out from the freezer and I asked him to buy a rotisserie chicken. Typically, I don’t really want that either when it comes to quick food. But he picked out a great one. I defrosted the curry, cooked up brown rice and made a salad. It was a very good dinner. It was well-rounded and dressed up with mango pickle and mint chutney for the curry, and Greek yogurt dressing for the salad. (Feta dill for me, blue cheese for him). I’m not specifically advocating for veggie curry or any curry for that matter. The point is always have great standby dishes in the freezer. It does not have to be the entire meal. Curry does provide a wonderful, warm focal point. Other freezer standby dishes I favor are: portions of homemade tomato sauce made in batches, chili, Mexican bean soup, baked chicken and crock pot shredded pork.

Ingredients for veggie curry:

green lentils

diced sweet potato

green beans

red bell pepper

canned tomatoes

onion

curry powder and/or paste (I like Madras curry rather than yellow curry)

Directions (off the top of my head given I pulled this out of the freezer tonight): Saute onion in a saucepan in olive oil or butter. Separately, cook the lentils in water, per the bag instructions. Add curry powder and/or curry paste to onions and stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in diced sweet potato, drained green beans, chopped bell pepper and canned tomatoes. Fold in lentils. Simmer for about 20 minutes to let flavors combine. When serving, you could ladle some into a serving bowl and add buttermilk or light coconut milk there. I think I prefer it without the milk and it stores better without it. The beauty of curry is you can make it with whatever veggies you like or have on hand. Enjoy.