American Indian Cooking
BREADS
Buckskin Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 400
Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl
Quickly mix in te water
Press dough into a greased 9 inch pie plate
Bake bread for about 30 minutes, until very lightly browned on top
Turn bread out and let cool on a rack
Makes One Loaf
Cheyenne Batter Bread
1quart milk or water
2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
3 eggs separated
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 375
Bring milk to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat
Gradually stir in cornmeal and cook
Stir for a few minutes until thickened
Beat in egg yolks, butter and seasonings
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks
Fold whites into corn mixture and pour into a 2 quart baking dish
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown on top
Serves 6
Adobe Bread
1 1/4 ounce pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached flour
Preheat oven to 375
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside
In a large mixing bowl, combine hot water, lard, sugar, and salt
Add 1cup flour and beat well
Stir in yeast until thoroughly combined
Add 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour, beating thoroughly
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes
Add more flour, if necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel
Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour
Punch down and divide dough in half
Place in 2 smaller greased ovenproof bowls
Turn once so the tops are greased
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tops are nicely browned
Turn loaves out and let cool on a rack
Makes 2 Loaves Or 12 Servings
Arapaho Jebedanutch Fry Bread
1/2 cup dry milk
1/3 cup baking powder
7 cups flour
1/4-1/2 cup salt
3-1/2 cups water
Oil or grease
Fill fry pan with oil or grease 1-1/2 inches deep
Sprinkle a little salt in oil to keep it from burning
In a large bowl combine dry milk, baking powder, flour and salt
Add enough of the water to make a dough
Pull off pieces of dough and roll in a little flour and flatten slightly
Fry in oil until brown on one side
Turn and brown on the other side
Drain on paper towels
Eat Soon After Frying
MEATS
Plains Pemmican
2 cups shredded buffalo jerky or beef jerky
1 cup chopped dried chokecherries or tart red cherries
6 tablespoons melted tallow, beef fat or butter
Combine all ingredients and form 6 patties
Refrigerate until serving
Serves 6
The Sioux Considered Pemmican Sacred
It Was An Honor To Receive It
Pueblo Rabbit
1med. sized rabbit, approximately 4lbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 cups chicken broth and 4cups water
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon medium hot ground New Mexican red chili, salt to taste
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal or ground sunflower seeds
Tortillas or Adobe bread for serving
Cut rabbit into serving pieces
Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven and brown rabbit pieces well
Add onion, broth, water,vinegar and chili
Simmer, partially covered for 1/2 hour
Cook until rabbit is tender
Season with salt
Slowly pour in cornmeal, stirring constantly
Let simmer, uncovered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes
Simmer until thesauce is slightly thickened
Serve with tortillas or adobe bread
Serves 4
Pawnee Roast Prairie Chicken
2 Prairie chickens, preferably free-range
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups diced celery
2 cups chopped onion
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 3 to 4 teaspoons dried
6 tablespoons honey or molasses
4 medium size sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon hulled sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
Preheat oven to 350
Rinse prairie chickens and pat dry
Place them in roasting pan
Season cavities with salt and pepper
Mix celery, onion, and sage together and stuff cavities
Truss birds and baste each with 1 tablespoon of honey
Roast for 2 minutes per lb.
Or until juices from thickest part of thigh run clear when pricked
Baste occasionally with pan juices
Scrub potatoes and prick once or twice with a fork
Roast potatoes in oven with chicken for 45 to 60 minutes
Roast until fork tender
When roast is done
Slit the potatoes on top and push ends in to plump open
Drizzle with remaining honey
Sprinkle with chives and suflower seeds
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Serves 4 To 6
DESSERTS
Cactus Fruit Jelly
6 to 10 red ripe prickly pear cactus fruits
Enough to make 3 1/2 cups of juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 3-fluid oz. pkg. liguid fruit pectin
Carefully remove thorns from fruit by wiping with a paper towel
Then brush with a vegetable brush under water
Put fruit in a saucepan with enough water to cover
Boil for 15 to 20 minutes
Pour off water and discard
Mash or puree fruit through a strainer lined with doubled cheesecloth
Strain juice into a large measuring cup
Let juice sit for at least 30 minutes to allow sediment to settle to the bottom
Pour off juice carefully
You should have 3 1/2 cups
In a saucepan combine fruit juice, lemon juice, and sugar
Bring to a boil 1minute
Sir in pectin and boil for 1 minute longer
Remove from heat
Stir and skim foam off the top
Spoon into sterilized jelly jars and seal
Makes 3 Cups
NavajoPeach Crisp
6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced, 5 to 6cups
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons pinon nuts, pignoli, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a 1 1/2 to 2 quart baking dish
Toss the peaches with granulated sugar and cinnamon
In a mixing bowl combine flour, brown sugar, and salt
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal
Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the peaches
Sprinkle the top with nuts
Bake for 30 to 40minutes until golden brown on top
Serves 4 To 6
Paselitos
Little Fruit Pies
Dough: 1 1/2cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled
3 to 4 tablespoons water
1 egg
1tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 400
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl
Cut in lard until mixture resembles fine meal
Slowly add water until dough is easy to roll
Roll out 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 4 inch rounds
Put 1 tablespoon of fruit filling on one half of each round
Fold over the other half of the round, and pinch edges together firmly
Prick the tops in several places with a fork
Mix egg with milk and brush on the tops of the pies
Bake for 15minutes or until lightly browned
Makes 10 Paselitos
Indian Pudding
4 cups milk
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup cornnmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups dried currants or raisans
Ice cream, optional
Preheat oven to 300
Butter a 2quart casserole dish
In a saucepan
Combine 3 cups of milk and the maple syrup over medium heat
Heat until just boiling and add butter
In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, ginger, and nutmeg
Gradually mix cornmeal mixture into hot milk
Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 10minutes
Fold in currants
Spoon mixture into the casserole
Pour remaining milk over pudding, do not stir
Bake pudding 2 1/2 hours
Or until all of the milk has been absorbed and top is golden brown
Serve warm and top with ice cream, if desired
Serves 6
Kickapoo Berry Syrup
1 Quart berry juice, Blackberry, Strawberry, Etc.
1 pint sugar
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
Mix all ingredients in pan and bring to a boil
Boil about 15 to 20 minutes, remove from heat
Put in jars, seal and keep for future use
SOUPS AND STEWS
Elk Stew With Acorn Dumplings
4 slices bacon, halved
1 1/2lb. elk or beef chuck steak, trimmed and cubed
1 quart plus 1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt, optional
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large turnip, diced
1/4 cup acorn meal or finely ground hazelnuts
Acorn Dumplings
1/2 cup acorn meal or finely ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg,beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a large skillet over medium heat
Cook the bacon until some of it's fat is rendered
Add elk and brown with the bacon
Add 1 quart of water, onion, bay leaves, and salt
Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours
Add potatoes, carrots and turnip and cook 30 minutes longer
Combine remaining water with acorn meal
Stir into the simmering stew
In a bowl, combine dumpling ingredients and beat until smooth
Drop by tablespoons into the simmering stew
Cover tightly and steam 12 to 15 minutes
Serves 6
Iroquois Soup
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped green or yellow onions
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 lb. haddock, trout or bass fillets
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh lima beans
4 to 6 wild mushrooms, morels, crimini or shiitake, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and ground pepper
Place broth in a large saucepan
Add green onions and cornmeal
Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes
Add fish fillets, lima beans and mushrooms
Continue cooking for 25 minutes
Stir occasionally and breaking fish into small pieces
Add parsley and dill
Cook for 1 minute longer
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve
Serves 4 To 6
Cherokee Pepper Pot Soup
1lb. venison or beef short ribs or shanks
2 quarts water
2 large onions, quartered
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large sweet bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen okra
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped celery
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Catsup to taste
Put meat, water and onions in a heavy soup kettle
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours
Remove meat, let cool and discard bones
Return the meat back into the pot
Stir in remaining vegetables
Simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours
Season with salt, pepper and catsup
Serves 4 To 6
COPYRIGHT © 2000-
RASKY'S VIETNAM MEMORIAL
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED