Are you growing tired of the same old Thanksgiving dinner? You know the typical turkey with cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie! Well, me neither. My stomach’s growling and my mouth watering just thinking about the savory meal! But for those adventurous types out there, do you want to mix things up this turkey day? Why not try a “buggy Thanksgiving!” It’s called entomophagy, or the art of eating insects, and it can offer a rather nutritional twist to your Thanksgiving dinner. Here are a few bug dishes you can serve this Thanksgiving: Main Dish: Deep Fried Scorpion On A Stick We eat turkeys for Thanksgiving; turkeys love eating scorpions; thus we eat scorpions for Thanksgiving. Why not skip the middle man (or middle turkey), and go straight for the scorpions. If you want to get really technical, scorpions are not bugs. They are, however, equally as delicious! ***WARNING: Consuming scorpions can be dangerous. High heat is supposed to de-nature the proteins that compose the scorpion venom, but still, ingest at your own risk. Ingredients: 20-30 large scorpions 5 skewers 2-3 cups frying oil 2 eggs 1 cup cornmeal Directions: Freeze scorpions for 30 minutes prior to cooking to euthanize them (warning: some scorpions have been known to re-animate once thawed.) Remove tips of scorpion stingers to avoid some venom Thread scorpions on skewers, about 6 per Beat eggs Put cornmeal in paper bag Heat oil in large deep skillet Coat scorpion skewers in the egg wash Next, toss the skewers in a paper bag w/ cornmeal and shake gently until coated Toss coated scorpion skewers in skillet and flip occasionally Cook 5-7 minutes, completely submerging scorpions, until crispy Serve hot and crispy Side Dish: Mealworm & Cornbread Stuffing The quintessential Thanksgiving side dish is of course, stuffing. For a delicious insect option, mix mealworms in with your stuffing. Mealworms have an earthy taste, and will add a unique depth and texture to your holiday favorite. ***Note: If you have an old box of stuffing in your cupboard; I’m talking older than three years, then you may already be set. Their may be insects crawling inside already. Yum! Ingredients: 3 cups dried crumbled corn bread pieces 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup mealworms 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 small onion 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons dried sage Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery and onion until soft. In a large bowl, combine the mealworms, celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Veggie Side Dish: Stir Fry Crickets, Veggies & Peas I’m not that big of a veggie guy, but we do need some color to our plate. Why not crickets, veggies, and peas for our veggie side? Ingredients: 1 cup crickets 1 cup chopped snap peas 1 cup veggies of your choice 1 cup chopped red cabbage 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 crushed clove of garlic Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Chop snap peas and cabbage. Heat oil in frying pan or small wok. Begin stir-frying veggies and crickets. After 1 minute or so, add crushed garlic. Once cooked to desired level of crunchiness, add salt and pepper. Dessert: Cricket Pecan Pie The final element of the perfect “buggy” Thanksgiving meal is of course pie… cricket pecan pie! Because crickets are pan roasted, they taste a lot like the toasted pecans used in pecan pie; and have a similar crunch! They really are the perfect buggy substitute. Ingredients: 1 cup light corn syrup 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) toasted crickets 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen deep-dish pie crust Directions: Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in toasted crickets. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven at 350 degrees F, for 60 to 70 minutes Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you’ll be eating a traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, or looking to try something a little more adventurous like cricket pecan pie; may your day be filled with family, friends, good food, and football. Happy Thanksgiving! Related articles Thanksgiving Side Dishes- Traditional Favorites and some Random Surprises A Buggy Thanksgiving: Insects Come to the Table 5 Tips to a Healthy Thanksgiving Anthony Ball If you enjoyed this article, Get email updates (It’s Free) Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast) Bug Dishes You Can Serve This Thanksgiving, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 16:51:42 +0000
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