Monday, December 21, 2009

Dark Days Challenge Week Five

Meat and potatoes... That's what the local meal was all about this week. My husband picked up some beefalo at the store and that was the inspiration for the meal. Local eating can be adventurous, but sometimes you just want the basics.

Of course, the first question my children asked was, what is it? Beefalo is a combination between bison (also commonly known as buffalo) and cattle. According to our source (Beefalo Meats in Ellensburg, WA), beefalo has up to 6 times less cholesterol, half the calories, and four times less fat. All I know is that it was gobbled up in moments by my children who loved the flavor!

The beefalo was grilled on the barbecue and we had potatoes (Oregon) and veggies to go with it. I had some kale and cabbage in the fridge, so I did a quick Internet search and found something to accommodate my ingredients. I have never cooked with kale before and my husband refers to it as the vegetable that decorates most salad bars, so I needed a little help. I ended up with a Kale-Cabbage Saute recipe adapted from Cooking Light. The beefalo, potatoes, and vegetables were all local. The spices and oils were not. Most importantly, both kids tried a little kale and cabbage - not their favorite vegetables, but at least they tasted them!
Kale-Cabbage Saute
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 cups chopped kale
2 cups presliced green cabbage
2 tablespoons water

Preparation: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds; cook 1 minute. Add ginger; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in jalapeño and the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until kale is tender; stir occasionally.


2 comments:

  1. Never heard of Beefalo but, after seeing your blog and the Beefalo website, sounds like something worth trying. Well Done, AMLD

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  2. We'll have to invite you over for a beefalo dinner one of these days!

    ReplyDelete