C gets his first taste of Latin America today. He’s had a wide variety of flavors, and we’re turning him into a junior foodie, but so far, nothing from south of the border. So last night I made him some – what I refer to as búfalo con arroz y frijoles. For those of you Spanish-challenged, it means buffalo with rice and beans. Not very original, but most anything sounds better in a different language. Anyways, I finished after he went to bed last night, but mommy should be letting him try some for lunch. If he doesn’t like it, I know what we’re having for dinner tonight. Honestly, I think sometimes I spend more time and effort on his meals than I do on my own.
It has a little kick to it, which he’s never had, but I’m sure he’ll handle it okay. If he inherited my taste buds, we may just have the makings of a right little Mexican (yes, I know that’s probably not politically correct, but I’m not using it in a derogatory manner, so I’m not apologizing. [I come from strong German heritage, and I’d make the same comment if he were eating sauerkraut and potatoes] Frankly, I think political correctness is turning this country into a nation of weenies. It seems like people go out of their way to come up with new ways to be offended – lighten up and have some fun! But I digress… a lot). The recipe:
1 pound ground local bison
1 fresh jalapeno
1 small onion, chopped
Corn (I cut the kernels off two ears, but you can use frozen)
1 cup or so of beans (I used a mix of black and chili; I also used dry and cooked them – canned is much quicker, but dry is cheaper)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 can of tomato sauce
Generous handful of fresh cilantro
Cook the bison in a large skillet, and add the onions and pepper. After about five minutes, add the corn and cook for a few more minutes. Add the beans, rice, and tomato sauce. Finally, add the chopped cilantro, and mix well.
The directions really should read “Cook everything, throw it all into a pot, and mix,” but some people like more specific directions. So there you go.
One final note – if this is for small children, obviously make sure you chop and dice everything up pretty small. If you’re feeding it to people with molars, go crazy. This was made for the boy, but it’s certainly perfectly suitable for big people too. I’d probably just add a little salt and maybe some chili powder, and serve on tortillas or stuff something with it.
In addition to this great meal, we also taught him how to say “Olé” and “¿Perdón, donde esta mí botella?” What can I say – the kid’s a fast learner.
And there are no pictures of this one because it all just ends up in little frozen blobs. Presentation is not something C appreciates yet. He wants it unfrozen, and he wants it now.
He had a bowlful at lunch and loved it! Does that come as a surprise though with this kid?
Yeah, I remember these days. Soon your little foodie can eat whatever you eat. Lots easier that way.
I used to make something my husband called Sumo Stew, which was basically pureed beef stew, with potatoes and carrots and onions and all. It was called Sumo Stew because our son would eat CRAZY amounts of it, like a sumo wrestler stuffing himself to gain.
It worked, though. Cubby is really tall for his age. Not, thankfully, as fat as a sumo wrestler, however.