Navajo Blue Corn Recipes

Navajo Blue Corn Recipes

Traditional Background: Juniper Ash The juniper tree, aka. “Medicine Tree” provided Native American people with food and medicine, fuel, wood for shelter or utensils, jewelry, and for ceremonial purposes.

To this day, blue corn mush with juniper ash, is a favorite dish among many Native American tribes. Also, juniper ash is being used instead of baking soda in many dishes.

Juniper ash can be made into juniper water for medicinal purposes.

Many Navajo people are lactose intolerant. Because dairy isn’t a viable source of nutrients, they’ve relied on juniper ash. To create this natural supplement, they simply burn branches from the juniper tree and collect the ash (check out the video below). One gram of ash contains about as much calcium as a glass of milk, and can be easily stirred into traditional dishes. In the case of blue corn mush, cooks add about a teaspoon of this nutritious powder to the pot.

Juniper ash is an alkaline substance, and exposing it to corn initiates a process called “nixtamalization.” Nixtamalization breaks down the outer shell of the corn, enhancing flavor and increasing the amount of absorbable calcium, niacin, and vitamin B3.

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Traditional Background: Blue Corn Blue corn is also known as Hopi maize, Yoeme Blue, Tarahumara Maiz Azul, and Rio Grande Blue. It has been used for centuries by people from Central Mexico all the to Southeastern United States. Native peoples of the areas were using it well before the arrival of European settlers. Most blue corns grown in the Southwest are flour corns. The kernels are made of soft, floury endosperm covered by a hard shell.

A thin layer of the outer cells contain blue pigment, giving the corn its color. Traditionally hand planted, hand cultivated, and hand harvested (because of a tendency for the fully loaded stalks to fall over in the fields), and consequently more scarce and more expensive than white and yellow corn, blue corn, until recently, rarely appeared outside the Southwest.

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Navajo Blue Corn Mush Recipe

Ingredients: 1 cup roasted blue cornmeal 1 teaspoon juniper ash 3 cups water Optional toppings – honey, chia seeds, fruits, butter, salt

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Navajo Blue Corn Mush Recipe Directions: In a medium sized saucepan, boil 2 cups of water with juniper ash.

In a medium sized cup, add in blue corn meal and 1 cup water and mix thoroughly Turn heat down to medium low and slowly add in blue corn mixture into boiling water and stir until fully combined Continue to stir blue corn mush for 3 minutes to make sure there aren’t any lumps.

Let it boil for another 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and top with your favorite toppings

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Navajo Blue Corn Crepes Recipe Ingredients: ¼ cup roasted blue corn ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 tbsp granulated sugar ¼ cup heavy cream ¾ cup water 2 eggs 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter, cooled Pinch of salt Equipment: Food processor or blender Crepe pan or a good non-stick pan Navajo Blue Corn Recipes Navajo Blue Corn Recipes 12

Navajo Blue Corn Crepes Recipe Directions: In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients until equally combined On a medium heat, warm up crepe pan Ladle out ¼ cup batter and pour into the center of pan. Quickly lift pan from heat and evenly spread out batter so that crepe spreads out about 6-7 inches wide.

Once bubbles start to form in the center of the crepe (about 1-2 minutes), flip over and cook the other side for 30-60 seconds.

Serve alone or with your favorite syrup Navajo Blue Corn Recipes Navajo Blue Corn Recipes 14

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Navajo Blue Corn CookiesRecipe Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Unsalted Cold Butter 1 Egg 3/4 Cup Sugar 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon Juniper Ash (Optional) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 1/2 Cup Flour 1 ¼ Cup Blue Cornmeal

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Navajo Blue Corn CookiesRecipe Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mat In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy Add in vanilla and egg until thoroughly combined Add in baking soda, juniper ash, and salt until thoroughly combined Add in Flour and Blue Corn Meal in ¼ cup increments until combined Prepare cookie dough for baking, they can be rolled out in ¼ inch thickness, or scooped and pressed down *see notes if using room temperature butter* Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Let cool for 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Cookies should mostly be blue and the edges slightly brown. If the cookies are mostly brown,

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