Oh Deer!

I love dear meat, and I'm fortunate enough to have  friends who occasionally donate some to me (Props to Debbie and Garry Hale!).  Most recently, I took the last hunk of it and prepared it thusly....

Thawed it.  Soaked it in cold water overnight (this gets the "gamey-ness out of it, I think), tenderized it with Adoph's meat (not meet) tenderizer and salt and pepper.
Marinated it in red wine, balsamic vinegar, and put it in the fridge in a sealed Tupperware.  By the time I remembered it three days later, it was well tenderized. 

Semi-cooked some bacon (God, I love bacon!)....then used the same cast iron fry pan and got that bacon grease real hot.  Wrapped chunks of that deer in bacon, stuck 'em with toothpicks, and smacked those bad boys in the frying pan til they were done to my excellent taste.

Served on a bed of brown and wild rice (from the "Fiber is our Friend" chapter), voila!  A really good din din that's pretty low in fat, fairly high in fiber and definitely has plenty of protein.  

Eggplant, and Eggplant Part Deux

Preparation seems to be the key.......

So remember how I taught you to make a bunch of hamburger patties then freeze them?  What???  You don't???  Prepare to be flogged!!!  But since chances are I can't get to you quick enough, just read back a bit to my chapter called "Getting Preppy" from 08/06/11 (wow!  I've writing in here off and for a long time!)  

A couple of nights ago, I thawed out one of the hamburger patties and melted plenty of cheese on top.  Garnished with some bread and butter pickles.  Since there was plenty of cheese, I let some just cook "flat" the pan so I could have like a big "cheese chip" with which to garnish the burger and to put in mah belly!  But the eggplant part...pretty stinkin' clever of myself if I do say so myself (flashed on Austin Powers as I said that.  Whoa).

I chopped up an eggplant into about one inch cubes (that's one inch by the ruler, not one inch by "man" measurements) and rolled them in some Italian bread crumbs and Old Bay.  No egg wash, just the breadcrumb mixture.

Roasted them for an hour-ish at 350, till the breadcrumbs seems a little crispy.  Sprinkled some fresh grated Parmesan on top and it was pretty dadgummed good!  I just love it when I impress myself!

Part Deux:  So what to do with the leftover eggplant.....taking a lesson from one of besties, I figured I make a healthy version of a sammich with it.  Took a whole wheat sandwich wrap (see "Fiber is our Friend" from a few entries ago.  Synchronicity, man.  Awesome album from The Police and a good thing in general).  Spread that bad boy with some of the low fat/garlic/cilantro/lime spread in that same chapter, pile on the eggplant and a little bit of bacon that just HAPPENED to be leftover from getting for a potluck.  :grin:  Wrap it up, I'll take it.  YUMMALICIOUS!  

Eggplant is good for you.  Looky here if you don't believe me:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22