Very Dirty Rice

Very Dirty Rice (with Venison) see with Turkey, below

The first recipe uses Venison and some other ingredients that everyone may not have in their cabinet. Of course, I cannot even begin to calculate the cost of the venison my husband brings home but between license fees, gear and time, believe me when I say that venison is far from free! There is also a turkey version below but this venison version would be great with bison or lean beef as well.

COST: $1.26 per serving (8 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup Pearl Barley, organic (Arrowhead Mills)
• 1 cup Brown Rice, long grain, organic (Nature's Promise)
• 2 cup Chicken stock, home made
• 2 fluid ounce Wine, white
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, extra virgin (all brands)
• 1 large Onions, chopped
• 2 ounce Celery, chopped
• 4 ounce Green Peppers, chopped
• 1 pepper Sweet yellow peppers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoon Garlic, fresh
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1.5 ounce Beef liver, very finely chopped*
• 1.5 pound Venison
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 0.5 cup Cilantro (coriander leaves), fresh, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1 – In a large saucepan, combine ½ cup pearl barley with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

2 – Add chicken stock, wine and a cup of water to the pan and return to a boil.

3 – Add brown rice and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for approximately fifteen minutes.

4 – In a large pan, sauté onions, celery, peppers, pepper flakes and garlic, over a medium heat, stirring often, until they have begun to become tender. Add in venison and liver. When it is browned, place contents of entire pan into the pot with the rice and the barley.

5 – Add balsamic vinegar and return lid to pot, cooking for an additional ten minutes.

6 – Remove lid and cook until grains are tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

7 – Toss with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with your favorite Louisiana hot sauce.

* NOTE: I pureed the liver in the blender with a bit of water and added it to the boiling rice. I wanted the flavor but NOT actual bites of liver. It is very high in iron, low in cost and worth throwing in. I promise you WON’T think liver when you taste the finished dish but it does add depth of flavor. And did I mention iron? Just checking.

Per 1 cup serving:

Very Dirty Turkey Rice

So bad it’s good! This has a slightly different nutritional value than the venison version; both are nutrient rich.

COST: $1.47 per serving (makes 7 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup Pearl Barley, organic (Arrowhead Mills)
• 1 cup Brown Rice, long grain, organic (Nature's Promise)
• 2 cup Chicken broth, canned, reduced sodium
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, extra virgin (all brands)
• 1 large Onions, chopped
• 2 ounce Celery, chopped
• 10 ounce Green Peppers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoon Garlic, fresh
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 3 ounce Chicken liver
• 1 pound Ground Turkey Breast, extra lean
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 0.5 cup Parsley, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1 – In a large saucepan, combine ½ cup pearl barley with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

2 – Add chicken broth and a 1 ½ cups of water to the pan and return to a boil.

3 – Add brown rice and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for approximately fifteen minutes.

4 – In a large pan, sauté onions, celery, peppers, pepper flakes and garlic, over a medium heat, stirring often, until they have begun to become tender. Add in turkey and liver (see note above nutritional info, about optional liver preparation). When it is browned, place contents of entire pan into the pot with the rice and the barley.

5 – Add balsamic vinegar and return lid to pot, cooking for an additional ten minutes.

6 – Remove lid and cook until grains are tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

7 – Toss with fresh parsley and serve immediately with your favorite Louisiana hot sauce.