1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb ground water buffalo

3 cups button mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 Tsp dried thyme

1/2 Tsp paprika

1/2 Tsp salt

1/4 Tsp pepper

2 cups green lentils, cooked

1/3 cup white wine or stock

1 cup parsley, chopped

1 cup sour cream

2/3 cup stock

cooked egg noddles

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add ground meat and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned (do not over cook)

Stir in mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid.

Stir in cooked lentils and white wine.  Simmer for 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, stir in parsley, sout cream and stock.  Cook for 3 minutes, just until the sour cream is warm through.  Be careful not to boil.

Serve with hot buttered egg noodles

Ingredients

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tbsp parsley flakes

3 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground pepper (white preferred)

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (optional)

Blend all ingredients except hot pepper sauce in blender until well mixed. Add hot pepper sauce and blend for another 30 seconds

Pour over meat.  Cover.  Refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

Cook the meat as you like.

(Remember do not overcook Water Buffalo Meat)

Wendy Eastman, Guelph, ON  "Here is the recipe I used the water buffalo in. It was delicious….I made 3 smaller loaves, and cooked it less time. The tomatoes and roasted onions are worth the effort."

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion

2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 tsp vegetable oil

3/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 large egg

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 3/4 lb ground water buffalo

6 shallots, cut into 1/3-inch wedges

6 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges

1/3 cup water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until onion is softened. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, parsley, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir in water buffalo (do not overmix) and form mixture into a 10- by 4-inch oval loaf in a large shallow metal baking pan. Toss shallots and tomatoes with remaining teaspoon oil and salt and pepper to taste, then scatter around meat loaf. Bake in middle of oven 45 min - 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into center registers 160°F. Transfer meat loaf and vegetables to a platter and let stand 10 minutes.

While meat loaf is standing, deglaze baking pan with water over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits, and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Serve meat loaf with shallots, tomatoes, and sauce.

Joyce Byers, Acton, ON "Do what you need to do to shout from the roof tops that the water buffalo was a hit with the pickiest of picky eaters.

Ken loved the meat. Liked that it wasn’t chewy as some ground beef can be. An almost melt in your mouth kind of taste.

Mike too. I really can’t say enough about it.  Grace even had thirds.

I am so impressed. Need to order more."

Stew

1 lb ground meat

4 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 small onions, diced

half bag of frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots)

1 vegetable boullion cube.

1/2 tablespoon mixed dried herbs such as Club House (blue lid)

2 cups water.

Brown meat, onions. Add water, cube and spices, and potatoes, simmer for 20 minutes, add frozen veggies, and simmer until all veggies are soft.

This is the basis of our stew. My family is picky, Add whatever your family likes.

Spanish Rice

1 lb ground meat

1 can tomatoes, 14 oz

2 packages of Spanish Rice, Sidekicks (used no name brand) prepared as to                                                                                                                              package directions

1 onion

3 stalks celery

1 tablespoon chili powder

pepper (no salt)

1 diced red pepper

Brown the meat, onion, celery and red pepper. Add tomatoes. Add prepared rice.

Simmer for 10-20 minutes, until thickened.

Serve on warm tortillas or on toast.

My family hate spicy things, this is just the basis for ours, you can add whatever you like to spice up your dish.

Water Buffalo and marinade:

150ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tsp salt

1kg (2.2lbs) stew meat or steak cut into small chunks

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp turmeric

Curry:

10 sprays non-stick spray

1 large onion

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1.5 tablespoon ground cumin

6 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 dried whole chillies

1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger – peeled and minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef stock (water plus 2 stock cubes or 2 tsp bouillon for gluten free is fine)

1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Place the meat and marinade ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix together until everything is combined. I like to use my hands to massage the yogurt into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinade for 1-2 hours (or overnight).

Place a large frying pan over a high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Add in the meat and cook for 5-6 minutes until sealed. You'll probably notice watery liquid coming off the meat and marinade as you cook. Drain off most of it (otherwise you'll just be boiling the meat). It's fine to leave a little in there though.

Once the meat is sealed, add in the onion and turn the heat down to medium. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add in the coriander, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper, whole and chopped chillies, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times until the spices start to release their aroma.

Stir in the tomato paste, stock, chopped tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to your slow cooked and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.

Once cooked, test and add salt and pepper if required. Serve over rice with some freshly chopped coriander.