Native American Frybread Taco

It's the International Incident Party - Tacos hosted by Jeroxie!

This is my first time participating in an IIP and I decided to share another Native American recipe which fits perfectly.

Native Americans have long enjoyed frybread, which is their version of the taco. It is a celebrated dish at many gatherings for different tribes, and can even be turned into a dessert. It is normally prepared with lard and then the different taco ingredients are layered on top. I also chose to use venison which is an original meat enjoyed by tribes, but bison would pair nicely as well. Venison is a mellow flavored meat, but slightly tougher than beef. I enjoy venison and bison, which are lean and high in protein and healthy fats.

Native American Frybread Taco

Printable Recipe

Frybread

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
Lard or peanut oil for frying (1" deep)

Mix together the dry ingredients and then add the water, mixing with a fork. Flour your hands well and continue to mix the dough, adding flour if needed to make it not stick to your hands. Tear into three equal pieces and rotate into a ball. Add the oil to a deep pan and put on high heat, at least 350*F. Then stretch the dough into flat pieces between 5" to 7" around. Add to the hot oil and release away from you. Allow to cook up to 1 min per side until the frybread is a light brown. Use tongs to flip the frybread and remove from the oil.

Taco

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground venison
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
shredded cabbage
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans
2 fresh corn ears
salsa
sour cream
shredded cheese

In a large skillet, add the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add venison and cook for 10 min making sure all pieces are fully cooked. Add the spices at the end and stir together. Add on top of frybread, then layer all ingredients as desired.

~Yields 3 frybread tacos.

~Adapted from Navajo recipes.

I hope you enjoy this frybread soon, and be sure to view all the other IIP creations as well!

Cherokee Grape Dumplings

A few weeks ago, a fellow food blogger, Casey from Eating, Gardening & Living in Bulgaria, asked bloggers to volunteer to participant in an event "America Day". Food bloggers were supposed to share recipes of foods they think defines America, which is a good question. What is American cuisine? The United States is such a melting pot it's difficult to separate foreign cuisine from original. However, only one cuisine is truly authentic: Native American.

Being part Cherokee from my great-grandparents, I think maintaining the original history of native peoples to this land is very important. So much Native American history was lost that it's imperative we continue to learn from the tribes and their cultures. They are the people who knew how to cultivate food on this soil, who learned the patterns of animals and wild game, and who first taught foreigners how to survive here. Although I did not grow up in a tribe, I do have several Cherokee "cookbooks" and know how to make many traditional foods.

This is a great time of year to try a Cherokee recipe since it's the season for the Green Corn Ceremony to celebrate the ripening of the corn. This ceremony is the second of six for the tribe every year; however, I thought I'd share a simple, modernized recipe: Grape Dumplings. This dessert is usually made in the fall from wild possum grapes that grow along creeks in the woods, but grape juice can be used as well to enjoy year round. The closest equivalent to compare this dessert to is a deconstructed cobbler. It's updated to make preparation easier, although I'd love to share the original recipe one day.

Grape Dumplings

Printable Recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp turbinado
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 1/4 cups grape juice, divided

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the coconut oil. Next stir in 1/4 cup grape juice. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick and cut into 1/2" strips (you can also make pea size balls instead of strips).

Bring 2 cups grape juice to a low boil and add the strips, cooking for 10 - 12 min and stirring occasionally. Grape dumplings can be served with or without the condensed grape juice.

~Adapted from Cherokee recipes.

This photo shows how thick the dessert really gets!

Blog Anniversary Giveaway - Palm Leaf Plates

Congrats to Tami on winning the jar of organic raw honey! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I love mine!

In honor of the blog anniversary, I'm holding another giveaway for my readers thanks to Marx Foods! After the amazing shipment of mushrooms I received, they kindly offered to let me try their Palm Leaf Plates. The plates are made from naturally discarded Adaka palm tree leaves, collected after they have fallen from the trees. They are rinsed several times and then air dried. Finally, they are stretched and flattened into different shapes and sun-dried before shipping. These plates are literally leaves, so they are biodegradable and compostable. 

Amazingly, they are the most durable temporary plate I've used. They stand up to foods that are soupy and meats that need cutting, all without having to worry about sturdiness. It's even possible to wash them and use again before resigning them to the compost pile after some meals. The plates are surprisingly thick, but as light as a feather. They have "grip" to them from the natural texture of the leaves, which allows you to keep a firm grasp on the plate, and the food does not slide around.

The ladies at book club got to enjoy them as well the other night while we enjoyed our snacks over discussing the last Stieg Larsson novel (::sniff::), and the consensus was pleasantly positive. We loved having a different type of plate around the table to add character to our meal.

I love the natural grain look and the uneven texture of the plates. It's a great conversation piece and it does give you a good feeling not to be adding junk to the trash. Plus it's picnic season! This would be a great contribution to any outdoor party.

The giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering!

To officially enter the giveaway for 25 Palm Leaf Plates, visit Marx Foods and leave a comment about what other product you'd like to try. Anyone is welcome to enter, but I must be able to contact you via email. The plates can only be shipped to the United States or Canada (but for International readers, if you have a US or Canadian shipping address, you can still enter!).

Bonus:

You can be entered more than once by completing the following steps below - but you still must leave a comment (one per action per person) to receive multiple entries.

1. Follow Marx Foods on Twitter.

2. Become a fan of Marx Foods on Facebook.

3. Become a follower of Le Grand Fromage.

4. Follow Le Grand Fromage on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Win @MarxFoods' Palm Leaf Plates via @BLeGrandFromage: http://tinyurl.com/28rd8e4

5. Become a fan of Le Grand Fromage on Facebook.

If you already have completed any of these actions, still leave a comment letting me know to receive your extra entries!

The giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering!

The giveaway will end on July 9, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Any comments received after this time will not be included in the giveaway. The winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 24 hours to respond, otherwise another winner will be selected.

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: Marx Foods provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.