The Monster Island Theater Prehistoric Recipes
If you take a Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, what can you expect to eat?
- Trilobite Creole
- Smoked Fish Stew
- Pepita-Grilled Venison Chops
- Nettle Pudding
- Brachiosaurus Forage Slaw
- Dinosaur Cookies
- Royal Chocolate with Chile
Trilobite Creole
| 2 lb | fresh trilobites* |
| 4 C | water |
| 1/2 C | vegetable oil |
| 3 | medium yellow onions, chopped |
| 2 | large bell peppers (red, green or yellow), chopped |
| 5 | celery stalks, finely chopped |
| 10 | large tomatoes, peeled and seeded |
| 2 tsp | salt |
| 1 tsp | ground red pepper |
| 1/2 tsp | ground black pepper |
| 1/2 tsp | ground white pepper |
| 2 tsp | dried thyme |
| 2 tsp | dried basil |
| 1 1/2 tsp | sugar |
| 5 | bay leaves |
| 1 C | green onions, chopped |
| 1 C | parsley, chopped |
| 1 tsp | tabasco sauce (or more to taste) |
*If trilobites are out of season or extinct in your area, shrimp or crawfish may be substituted.
Peel and devein the trilobites. Place heads (if you still have them), and peels in a small saucepan and add water. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat and boil slowly for 15-20 minutes. Strain and discard the heads and peels. Retain the stock.
Place the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot and place over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers and celery and saute, stirring often, until the vegetables are very soft, about 45 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, peppers, herbs, sugar and shrimp stock and return to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. This is your creole sauce and it can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and stored in the 'fridge. The flavors improve after sitting a couple of days.
When you are ready to serve, return the sauce to a simmer and add the trilobites. Cook until they turn pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the green onions and parsley and let cook for 1 minute more. Serve over rice.
Yield: 6 servings.
Recipe courtesy of RecipeSource.com. http://www.recipesource.com
Smoked Fish Stew
| 1/4 lb | bacon |
| 2 | leeks, (white and pale green parts only) well washed and chopped |
| 1 lb | any smoked fish |
| 4 C | milk |
| 1 C | cream |
| chives, to taste | |
| 1 tsp | salt |
Fry the bacon until the fat comes away from it and add the chopped leeks. Cook until tender. Add the fillets of fish and cover with the milk. Slowly cook in a pot near the fire until the fish is cooked, which is about 30 minutes. Pour in the cream, along with the chopped chives and salt.
Recipe courtesy of channel4.com. http://www.channel4.com
Pepita-Grilled Venison Chops
| 5 T | pepitas (pumpkin seeds) |
| 3 cloves | garlic |
| 1 T | red chile powder |
| 1/2 C | tomato paste |
| 1/4 C | vegetable oil |
| 3 T | lemon juice or vinegar |
| 4 | thick-cut venison chops (or substitute thick lamb chops) |
Purée all the ingredients, except the venison, in a blender. Paint the chops with this mixture and marinate at room temperature for an hour.
Grill the chops over a charcoal and piñon wood fire until done, basting with the remaining marinade.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe courtesy of fiery-foods.com. http://www.fiery-foods.com
Nettle Pudding
| 1 bunch | sorrel |
| 1 bunch | watercress |
| 1 bunch | dandelion leaves |
| 2 bunches | young nettle leaves |
| chives | |
| 1 C | barley flour |
| 1 tsp | salt |
Chop the greens finely and mix in the barley flour and salt. Add enough water to bind it together and place in the center of a linen or muslin cloth. Tie the cloth securely and add to a pot of simmering venison or wild boar (a pork joint will do just as well). Leave in the pot until the meat is cooked and serve with chunks of bread.
Recipe courtesy of channel4.com. http://www.channel4.com
Brachiosaurus Forage Slaw
| 1/2 C | sliced almonds, toasted |
| 2 T | sesame seeds, toasted |
| 1 pkg | chicken-flavored Top Ramen or Maruchan noodles (reserve flavor packet) |
| 1 bag | cabbage-carrot slaw |
| green onions, chopped (optional) | |
| 1/4 C | vegetable oil |
| 2 T | vinegar |
Put sliced almonds and sesame seeds on baking sheet in 300° oven and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
Break up the uncooked noodles while still in the package. Pour broken noodles into bowl. Add the cabbage-carrot slaw. Add chopped green onions, if desired.
Mix oil, vinegar and chicken flavoring packet by shaking in a covered jar. Add to vegetable-noodle mixture.
Sprinkle with toasted almonds and sesame seeds.
Recipe courtesy of Pittsburg Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com
Dinosaur Cookies
| 1/4 C | butter |
| 1/2 C | white sugar |
| 1/2 C | dark molasses |
| 3 1/2 C | flour |
| 1 tsp | baking soda |
| 1/4 tsp | cloves |
| 1/2 tsp | cinnamon |
| 1 tsp | ginger |
| 1/2 tsp | salt |
| 1/4 C | water |
Cream butter and sugar. Mix in molasses. Combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with water. Chill two hours. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on lightly floured surface.
Make dinosaur shaped cookies, using a dinosaur-shaped cookie cutter or cutting around a dinosaur stencil. (You can find dinosaur patterns here. at http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20030727dinocutterp9.asp.) Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350° for 5-6 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of The Curry School of Education. http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu
Royal Chocolate with Chile
| 1 1/2 C | water |
| 1/4 C | cocoa |
| 1 tbls | honey |
| 1/4 tsp | hot chile powder (such as piquin) |
| 1 | vanilla bean pod |
In a pan, heat the water to boiling. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Serve immediately with the vanilla bean for garnish in the drink.
Yield: 1 serving
Recipe courtesy of fiery-foods.com. http://www.fiery-foods.com
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