Indigenous Harvest Bowls
The main components in these harvest bowls are all foods Indigenous to North America. I was able to source all the ingredients locally, too, which is super important to me. If you can buy your ingredients from a tribe, that is even better. Everything in this bowl complements the other so delightfully. If you cannot find ground bison near you, ground turkey or pumpkin seed tofu (pumfu) will keep the ‘Indigenous’ part of this bowl still intact. I know not all of the spices/oil used are Indigenous to North America, but each main component of the dish is.
For ways that you can support Native Americans, visit: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/indigenous-peoples-day-native-americans-action/
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
Wild Rice
1 cup of wild rice (cultivated in the USA—try and buy directly from a tribe who cultivates it themselves (manoomin))
4 cups of water
1 tsp salt
Squash
1 acorn squash, peeled and sliced into 2-inch chunks (native to North and Central America)
2 tbsp local honey
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Sticky Maple Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
Bison
1 lb ground bison (sourced from North Dakota)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Method:
For the rice: Place 4 cups of water in a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Place your 1 cup of wild rice into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil. Once boiling, drop the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 50 minutes. Once it’s to your desired doneness, cut the heat and fluff the rice. Keep the lid on while you are working on the other components.
For the squash: At the same time you start your rice, preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place your squash chunks on it. Drizzle your honey, oil, and seasonings onto the squash. Toss together to ensure all of the squash is coated evenly, then bake for 25-35 minutes or until tender.
For the sticky maple pumpkin seeds and cranberries: Place all of the ingredients for the sticky maple pumpkin seeds and cranberries in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir to evenly combine. Once the maple starts to bubble, start to stir so it does not burn. Once to mixture feels like it is sticking together and hard to stir, that is when it is done. Remove from heat, and place the pumpkin seed mixture in a bowl off to the side. You can use the same skillet for the bison, just make sure you clean it before using.
For the bison: Place all of your bison ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break the meat up as it cooks. Cook until it is done—bison is naturally lean and will cook quickly, so just keep an eye on it.
Assemble your bowls! I like to do my bowl with 1/2 wild rice, 1/4 squash, 1/4 bison, and sprinkle the sticky maple pumpkin seeds and cranberries all over. Enjoy! :)
