First Nations Recipes for Native Heritage Month

First Nations Recipes for Native Heritage Month

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and its time to get your best recipes ready to impress your families and friends!! Here are some great ideas to bring some Native theme dishes to your Thanksgiving table.

Go to their website to access their, “easy to prepare”, Native themed dishes!
www.firstnations.org/recipes

“There is a major shift occurring in Indian Country as Native people are producing their own traditional foods on their own lands to sustain themselves, their families and their communities. This movement to improve health on our own terms is an act of sovereignty and will contribute to having sustainable sources of healthy foods that are safe and nutritious, which should lead to healthier Native communities in the coming years. We sincerely thank our community partners for providing these recipes this year.” (firstnations.org)

Here's a sample recipe from their Native themed recipes!
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WILD GITIGAN SALAD
From Diane Wilson



Six talented Native youth leaders from Dream of Wild Health created this salad using ingredients important to their Native American cultures as well as vegetables grown at their Hugo, Minnesota, farm. The youth promoted this salad at Minnesota Twins baseball games as part of a healthy food initiative called Roots for the Home Team that encourages local youth groups with entrepreneurial projects.

Cherry tomatoes are delicious in this salad, but if you can find ground cherries at a farmers' market or grow your own, they are amazing! Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.

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For the salad:

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 1½ cups whole wild rice
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup cooked black beans (if using dried beans, 1/3 cup dried yields 1 cup cooked)
  • 2 bunches (about 8 cups) kale
  • 1 cup baby tomatoes or ground cherries, rinsed and halved
  • ½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese or parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cook the black beans. Either soak beans overnight or use the quick-boil method. Then, add beans to a pot of fresh water, and boil until done, about 1-2 hours. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the wild rice. Rinse the rice well in a bowl of cold water and drain. Add rice, vegetable broth, and thyme to a pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let the rice stand in the pot, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the thyme stems and fluff the rice with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Wash the kale and remove the ribs. Thinly slice the kale into ribbons. Using a salad spinner, spin until most of the water is gone.

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In a large serving bowl, add the kale, a drizzle of olive oil, and a little salt. Massage the kale until it starts to soften and wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper, and ¼ cup of olive oil.

To serve, add the wild rice, black beans, tomatoes or ground cherries, and sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss to combine.

Last Updated on February 5, 2024 by Paul G


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