These Laxota recipes will appeal to everyone at your table this holiday season
November is Native American Heritage Month and it’s an important opportunity to recognize and honor the original inhabitants of North America. Help kids (and their grown-ups) make that connection by filling their tummies with indigenous cuisine. These Native American recipes are also great for cooking with kids. We caught up with Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart of Etiquette Catering in Rapid City, SD for some mouth-watering menu items that incorporate traditional Lakota ingredients.
“As the original inhabitants of this land, it is important to teach all children the significance of indigenous foods, history, and existence,” says Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart. “We all reside upon the ancestral lands of indigenous people.”
With full recipes below, Chef Tilsen-Brave Heart has curated a special menu for Native American Heritage Month and beyond. The following mouth-watering dishes incorporate ingredients like pumpkin and bison, which are major food staples for the Lakota people. You’ll also find foods like cranberries and rice that are also indigenous ingredients.
Magic Pumpkin Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
1 stick of butter
1 medium yellow onion
1 can organic pumpkin puree
2 cups coconut milk
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
Roasted pumpkin seeds (for topping)
Instructions:
Roast a large peeled and cubed butternut squash at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of garlic powder, sprinkle kosher salt, and cracked black pepper
Toss with olive oil and put in on a baking sheet before putting in the oven
1 stick of butter melted with a chopped medium yellow onion, sprinkle with some salt until translucent.
Add 1 can of organic pumpkin puree
Add 2 cups of coconut milk
Add 4 cups of chicken broth or vegetable stock
Add the roasted butternut squash
Simmer for 30 minutes
Then blend with an immersion blender
Top with roasted pumpkin seeds
Related: 10 Ways to Honor Native American Heritage Month with Your Kids
Wild Rice, Cranberry, and Bison Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 lb ground bison
1 lb Italian sausage
3 tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion
6-8 baby portabella mushrooms
Qtr. cup dried cranberries
1 cup wild rice {optional: purchase wild rice from: https://redlakenationfoods.com}
2 cups bone broth or vegetable stock
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt 3 tbsp. of butter with a half-chopped yellow onion Sauté
Wash and clean 6-8 baby portabellas remove stems and chop add to the butter and yellow onion
Add qtr. cup of dried cranberries
Add 1 cup of wild rice, and continue to saute all together (you are popping the wild rice, so it will become fragrant)
Add 2 cups of bone broth or vegetable stock, lower heat, and cover to simmer; set timer for 25 minutes
In another pan saute 2 tbsp of butter and the other half of your chopped yellow onion, cook until translucent
Add 1 lb of ground bison, 1 lb of Italian sausage, and 1 tbsp of garlic
Cook until brown over medium heat
Add wild rice and bison mixture together
Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt over portabellas
Stuff with bison wild rice mixture
Bake for 15 minutes; serve warm
Related: 13 Children’s Books That Celebrate Native American Cultures & Authors
Bison Stew
Ingredients:
2 lbs buffalo meat
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3-4 bay leaves
Mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery)
6-8 cups of beef broth/stock or water
6-8 russet potatoes
Instructions:
Braise 2 lbs of Buffalo meat (1-inch cubes) with half an onion (fine chop), in a warmed stockpot with 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
Spice 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, and 3-4 bay leaves
After browned, add Mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery), and a can of diced tomatoes
Add 2 cups of water or stock/broth and simmer on medium-low heat for 30-45 mins or until tender. (Stir occasionally, more water or stick/broth may be needed) times will vary with the size of the meat and location
When meat is tender add 6-8 cups of beef broth/stock or water and bring back to boil 6-8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces or bigger
Cook an additional 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender
Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes, serve
Related: 7 Places to Visit to Responsibly Experience Native American Culture
Buffalo, Cranberry, and Wild Rice Meatballs with Blackberry Wojape
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 lb Buffalo (Can be substituted with beef)
1/4 lb Italian Sausage
1 cup Wild Rice
1/2 cup Yellow Onion
3 cups of Chicken Bone broth
1/2 cup Rehydrated Cranberries
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Dash of Paprika
Blackberry Wojape
1 cup Berries
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cups Water
Instructions:
Meatballs
Clean wild rice with cold water
Saute wild rice with 1/2 cup of yellow onion and some oil for 5 minutes, allowing the rice to gently pop
Add in 3 cups of bone broth per 1 cup of wild rice
Add in rehydrated cranberries, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes
Add in 1 cup finished wild rice to buffalo
Add 2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
Add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (optional)
Add 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and a dash of paprika
Place meatballs on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until internal temp is 165 degrees
Blackberry Wojape
Add into a pan: 1 cup of berries (of your choosing), 1 cup of sugar, and 1 tbsp. of cornstarch and 1 1/2 cups of water
Render down for about 10 minutes
Drizzle blackberry wojape on top of the meatballs and enjoy
