Bambi Burgers--with Bacon!

Native Roots just started carrying ground venison and elk! Yay! Tonight, I had my first voyage into cooking up Bambi, and he was every bit as tasty as I thought he would be.

Bambi & Bacon Burgers

(Makes 4-5)

-2 - 3 oz bacon, minced

-1 clove (1/2 tsp) garlic, minced

-1 shallot, minced

-1 lb ground venison

-1 - 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 tsp dried parsley

-1 egg, beaten

-Salt & pepper to taste

Over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon to a large bowl, reserving bacon grease in the pan. Add garlic and shallots to the bacon grease, and saute until soft, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add garlic/shallots to the bowl with the bacon, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Add venison and remaining ingredients to bowl, knead with hands until thoroughly mixed. Form meat into 4-5 balls, and lightly press into patties.

Cook on griddle, grill, or in a skillet until thoroughly cooked, flipping every few minutes to prevent burning.

I ate mine (as pictured) with spinach and artichoke hearts, lightly sauteed in clarified butter with a little garlic and red pepper flakes, and the combo was really, really nice. Next time, I'll probably saute onions and mushrooms with some bacon; one can never have too much bacon.

Yay Bambi!

~Losterman

Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

Another Gordon Ramsay adaptation. This dish is super flavorful and exciting, and most of all, the tangy sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes balances out the salt in the dish really well, so don't let the anchovies scare you off. Despite my love for salt, I find anchovies pretty repulsive in isolation, but they work really, really well in the context of this dish.

Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

(Serves 2)

-2 cloves (1 tsp) garlic, minced

-1 shallot, finely chopped

-1 dried chili, finely chopped

-1 tin anchovies, sliced

-4-5 sundried tomatoes (jarred, in olive oil), finely chopped

-2 tbsp capers

-4-5 large green olives, sliced

-1 tsp dried basil

-2 - 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (prep instructions here)

-1-2 tsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots, and chili pepper, and saute briefly, until shallots begin to soften. Add tomatoes and anchovies, and mix thoroughly (make sure that you break up the anchovies well--otherwise you'll end up with big mouthfuls of it, and that's a lot of salt). Add capers, olives, and basil, mix well. Finally, add spaghetti squash, mix well with other ingredients, and cook until heated through.

Lovely!

~Losterman