Paleo Moose and Veggie Meatloaf

A year ago I made a moose meatloaf from Nourishing Traditions and it was lovely. I need to make it more often as it's a tasty and easy way to get protein. I made a similar one a few days ago and have been enjoying a bit of it daily - mostly cut up cold in salads or as an accompaniment to veggies. This is the food that keeps me OFF the sweet stuff.

Moose Veggie Meatloaf

1/2 lb ground meat (I used moose)

1 teaspoon olive oil or butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 small stalk celery, finely chopped

1/4 finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup packed spinach, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Himalayan salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Cayenne, to taste

1 egg

2-4 tablespoons ground flax seed

4-5 tablespoons tomato paste or thinly sliced tomato

Saute onions, carrot, and celery in the oil or butter until almost soft. Add the spinach and saute until all veggies are soft. Add the seasonings and stir.

Add the meat, cooked veggies, egg & flax to a large bowl. Mix all together. 

Press the mixture into a small pan or ramekins. 

Spread a thin layer of tomato paste on top.

Bake in a 350F oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on what vessel you cook in). Cut a slit to see if it's cooked through (NO pink). 

Canadian Moose Bourguignon

A few weeks ago I made Beef Bourguignon - with moose, and it was incredible! Years ago I made it despite the fact I was a vegan and didn't eat it, so this time it was nice to be able to indulge in my efforts. This particular recipe comes from Ina Garten, from The Food Network. The only changes I made were to swap the regular flour for millet flour, and of course, use moose instead of beef. The dish takes a few hours, but makes a large batch, sure to keep you fed for days. 

Beef Bourguignon

Copyright Ina Garten, All rights reserved

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley