Mini Stuffed Peppers

I came across a bag of these wonderful, colorful peppers while grocery shopping the other day and I knew I needed to make something out of them. 

I cooked up some jasmine rice and long grain rice in chicken broth instead of water, to add extra flavor. Then I added some tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and stuffed the peppers to the top. 

I stacked them tightly into a small casserole dish and topped with some shredded cheese. I baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. I only served a couple as a side to my dinner. The rest got gently separated a bit and I placed the whole dish in the freezer for a few hours until they froze slightly. Then I threw them all into a freezer bag and now I have a side that I can pull out anytime for dinner. 

Hindsight:

These would be great with some ground beef added to them. That's the way I usually make stuffed peppers but I wanted a side to go with anything since I was going to use the predominantly for freezing. Trader Joe's has a great blend that I love to use called Harvest Grains that would be wonderful for this as well. It's a hearty mix of couscous, quinoa, rice, buckwheat, and rice. I highly suggest trying that. 

Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I'm far from a vegetarian! But sometimes, a veggie fake out certainly can help your diet. I wanted to try something with a big more flavor and texture than my Meatless Sweet Potato Burgers. These fit the bill.

 

2 cups quinoa, cooked
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp mixed up salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 large egg
2/3 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

 

Recipe Adapted from Prevention RD

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once cooled, mix in a large bowl with all other ingredients. Form six equal sized large balls and press down on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. The longer they are refrigerated, the better they will stay together. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes on each side, flipping once during baking. Serve on a hamburger roll.

For a gluten free burger, use a rice or oat flour instead!

 

These burgers also freeze wonderfully! Just freeze them a bit on the baking sheet and then pop into freezer bags and store in the freezer until ready to cook or defrost.



Pesto Pine Nut Spaghetti Squash

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I love spaghetti squash, if you follow my blog. Cook the squash according to my directions here. Then, mix the squash with your favorite pesto sauce. I made some with fresh herbs from my garden. 

You can use whatever you grow: oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro...and mix it up with minced garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor until you have a thin paste. You can add spinach or arugula as well. Either add the sauce and mix into the squash or do it in a separate bowl and then scoop it back into the squash to make a bowl. Top with pine nuts, some shredded or Parmesan cheese, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

 

Recipe Adapted from Delightful Country Cookin

Roasted Broccolini

I love the tender delicacy of broccolini as an alternative to broccoli. It can be prepared a number of ways, but my favorite is simply steaming it and finishing it with a signature sauce made with butter, garlic, and lemon. 

2-3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/8 Tsp lemon pepper

1/2 Tsp onion powder

zest of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 Tsp cornstarch

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Finely mince garlic cloves and add to the pan. Cook until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and then sprinkle in cornstarch, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Pour immediately over vegetables. 

BLT Pizza

Continuing my homage to the unusual pizzas of the past at California Pizza Kitchen, and I am recreating my favorite discontinued pizzas at home.

I started by prepping a whole wheat dough. It was frozen, so I let it defrost and proof on my counter for several hours before touching it. Then I cleaned the surface I would be working on, made sure it was dry, and poured down some cornmeal. When stretching the dough out, you'll want to use that or semolina, which is more expensive. Coat both sides and ensure that your ball is pretty round. Then stretch it out a bit, flipping it a few times to coat and sticky parts with corneal. Stretch the dough with your fingers and slide the dough in a clockwise, circular motion, keeping your palm off the middle. Keep stretching until you have a fairly good size dough. Then gently pick up the dough and shake off excess cornmeal. Lay down in a pizza pan or on a pizza stone. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

 

Start with spreading about 2 cups of mozzarella cheese onto the crust, paying more attention to the edges, because everything will pool to the center.

Then I added 3 broken up strips of lightly cooked bacon. This pizza is great warm or cold but you should make the decision now how you plan to eat it. If you want to eat it cold, dice up some cherry tomatoes and spread those on as well and then top with a sprinkling of Italian seasoning over the pizza and bake. If you want to eat it warm, right away, I would bake it first and then add the tomatoes. Pizza should bake for 8 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, top evenly with some shredded lettuce. Then, using a pastry bag with a small tip or a Ziploc bag with a small slit cut into it, pipe out some ribbons of mayo on top.

Cut into six or eight slices, twisting your wrist at the end of each pizza slice with the cutter to ensure that the slices separate.

Balsamic Brown Butter Pasta

Put down that jar of tomato, Alfredo, pesto, or vodka sauce for your pasta. I'm about to share something totally awesome and different with you. This pasta dish is glazed with Balsamic Brown Butter. Balsamic (vinegar), brown (sugar), and butter (spread) create this amazing taste that you will not soon forget! 

This dish was so good that when I went to transfer it to a leftover container, I ate a piece...and another...and another, stone cold while I was cleaning the kitchen until I should have just had a plate. I will be making it again, and variations of it, often. In fact, I loved it cold! Maybe I'll have to see about a variation for a pasta salad. Hmm...

I love this line of Barilla Veggie pastas. They not only give you an extra veggie serving, but they are a colorful addition to any dish. You won't be able to tell the difference either. I promise! My only complaint about them is that I can't readily find them in my local Market Basket when I want to buy them. They come in 3 varieties of rotini, farfalle, and penne and I love each one. Do yourself a favor and give these a try. 

1 box of your favorite pasta

1 can or package of salad shrimp

1 lb fresh asparagus

1 Tbsp olive oil

mixed up salt, to taste

mixed up pepper, to taste

1 Tsp brown sugar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp spreadable butter

 

Recipe Adapted from Food And Wine

 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cut hard ends off asparagus and then slice, at an angle, into 1 inch pieces. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until they are bright green. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar with the sugar until it boils. Let it keep heating and reducing, until there are only a few tablespoons left. At this point, stir in the butter and let it melt. Mix well, as soon as the butter is completely melted, remove from heat and stir in the shrimp. Pour directly over the pasta and toss with asparagus. I didn't even use any Parmesan cheese on this dish, the flavors are bold enough!

Sweet Corn Tomalito

Chevy's was one of my husband's favorite Mexican restaurants. When they all closed down, I bought the restaurant's cookbook to try and make him some dishes. 

The first time, I made him a huge sampler platter for Valentines Day. This was back 9 years ago when clearly out relationship was still new and I gladly spent 8 hours in the kitchen cooking something special for him. Now, I just cook a few dishes from time to time, like this one, that he loves. 

This is a great side for almost anything. I usually serve it on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's not hard to make, it's just time consuming. 

You can prepare this ahead of time and cook it later. It freezes well in a Ziploc freezer bag. Just portion it out and then lay the bag flat and expel any air. Defrosts in the fridge overnight or on the counter in about an hour. Don't try to can or jar this! I'm huge on jarring things and this one was a big mistake! The cornmeal expands and will explode everything everywhere. What a mess that was!

 

6 cups drained corn kernels

¾ cup milk

¼ cup melted butter

2/3 cup sugar

¾ cup cornmeal

¾ Tsp baking powder

¾ Tsp salt

¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Blend 3 cups of the corn kernels and the ¾ cup of milk in the blender. Add butter and sugar until smooth (2 minutes). Grind remaining corn kernels slightly in food processor and mix corn mixtures together with remaining ingredients. Pour into a baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Set inside larger baking pan and fill ¾ of the way up with water. Place in oven and cook for 1 ½-2 hrs until hot. Scoop out pudding portions.

Roasted Broccoli

If you check out recipes on Pinterest, you probably have come across this pin. Labeled with things such as "Best Broccoli Ever", I had to try it. Then I saw it! 5-6 Tbsp of oil?!? I don't think so! What's the point of that?

 

Here's a trick! Get a large gallon Ziploc bag, and coat the broccoli in oil in that! It will evenly coat and you won't clog your arteries with massive amounts of oil while trying to eat a vegetable!

 

1 large head of broccoli, cut
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp mixed up salt
1/2 tsp mixed up pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
zest and juice from 1 lemon

Recipe Adapted from The Gingered Whisk

 

Using the above Ziploc bag method, mix broccoli with oil and garlic. Lay out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with mixed up salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss to mix it up. Squeeze the lemon juice on top and then disperse the lemon zest evenly over broccoli. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Roast an additional 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.



Pancetta Asparagus

Who doesn't love pancetta? Maybe not the price tag! But, it's a salted meat that is a gourmet substitute for bacon. Just try to keep telling yourself that the vegetables you are eating equal that part out!

 

2 oz pancetta, diced

1 Tbsp spreadable butter

1 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed off

2 cloves garlic, minced

squirt of lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 Tsp orange zest

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

pepper, to taste

 

Recipe Adapted from Food 52

 

Cut asparagus into one inch pieces, diagonally. In a large skillet, saute pancetta until golden. Add the butter to the pan and, once melted, add asparagus.

Cover and let it steam on medium low for 3-4 minutes. Then, mix in the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Mashed Cauliflower

I was so happy when restaurants started serving this as an alternative to mashed potatoes. Sadly, as the Atkins craze started to fizzle, most restaurants pulled the side from their menus. I still like to make it though, and have gotten a few people hooked on it. 

The key to this dish is to give it enough spice that it isn't bland. I've tried all kinds of different cheeses in this dish and never had it turn out bad. Feel free to try anything from American cheese slices to diet powdered "Cheese Buds". 

1 medium head cauliflower

1Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 Tbsp spreadable butter

Cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces and boil in a pot of salted water until tender (20-25 minutes). I find that the longer it boils, the better. Drain the cauliflower well in a colander. Transfer to a stand mixer or bowl to mix it with a hand mixer. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. 

You can freeze this side dish in freezer bags and defrost on the counter in about an hour or overnight in the fridge. The photo above is defrosted from my freezer, which is why it appears a bit runny. Heat it back up in the oven and give it a good stir, and it will be good as new. 

Stuffed Artichokes

I think a lot of people don't try to eat or make full artichokes because they can look very intimidating. They are actually fairly easy to make and taste great made with almost any stuffing. Those artichoke hearts that they sell pickled in a grocery store, not even the best part! And spinach artichoke dip is surely mostly spinach everywhere you go. Give them a try. You really can't mess these up unless you let the water boil away too much while they are steaming and burn your pan. 

I learned all about artichokes at a young age from my Auntie Linda. We made them sometimes for Sunday dinners. The only other friend I have known brave enough to make them was my friend Chris and the ones he made us were super deadly! They were oh so good and stuffed with sausage, cheese, and everything but the kitchen sink but, oh did our stomachs take a beating after that! That was quite the interesting night and ride home. So I never tried them that way!

You really can use any seasonings you like but here's what I use:

oregano

basil

parsley

garlic, minced

onion, minced

breadcrumbs

Parmesan cheese

bacon bits

topping of some shredded cheese blend

First, cut the stem off. Cut both ends off that and then stand it up and cut the sides off, squaring on four sides and trim off anything else that is still the outside of the stem. 

Next, cut the artichoke bottom so it will sit flat. Pull off and discard any leaves on the bottom that are looking black or damaged. Then, with kitchen shears, cut the pointy tips off each leaf, working your way around the vegetable. Gently pull the leaves away from the center the higher you get to the top. When you've gone almost to the top and all the leftover leaves are fairly even and tight, lay it on its side and lop off the top. 

Gently pull it out from the center until all the leaves are feathered out. Then, run it under water and fill it up a few times with water and drain. Not only are you cleaning the vegetable, but the water will help the seasonings stick. 

Mix the seasonings to your taste in a small bowl. Spoon it over the artichoke and make sure you get something between all the leaves, paying closer attention to the outsides. 

Lay them in a pot with a lid, standing up and throw in the stems. Fill the pot with about an inch of water (you could also try a broth).

 

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cover, steaming for about 45 minutes to an hour. Check to make sure water has not boiled away periodically and add more if needed.

When an outside leaf pulls off easily, cover with the shredded cheese and steam 5 minutes more. 

Now to eat them! Basically, you are scraping the "meat" off the leaves with your teeth. I find it's easier to position the inside facing side of a leaf upside down and pull in with my bottom teeth, but you'll figure it out. You can eat all the leaves this way. As you get closer to the inside, they get softer. When you come to a prickly center bottom, STOP! Scoop this out with a spoon and discard, it's pretty nasty. Under that is the heart and it should be very flavorful if you were good at seasoning. You can cut this up and enjoy it along with the stem. 

Once you make and eat these once, you will get the hang of it, I promise. 

Potato Skin Stuffed Mushrooms

 Okay, stop the presses! I had to share this one right away before someone steals my idea. Did you ever see an awesome recipe and say, "now why didn't I think of that?" I think I just invented this out of nothing! Google images and Pinterest searches return nothing for it, so I'm calling it mine!!!

There are no potato skins in this at all. It's just the great taste of potato skins shoved into a healthier form! And the mix of cheeses...prompts memories of fondue yuminess. 

half a dozen mushrooms, peeled and cored

bacon bits

2 Tbsp crumbled bleu cheese

2-3 Tbsp breadcrumbs

1/4 cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend

1/8 cup shredded cheese, pizza blend

1 scallion, minced

In a microwaveable mixing bowl, mix the cheeses together and microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir your gooey mixture. Add just enough breadcrumbs to stop it from being very sticky and clinging to the sides of the bowl. Scoop into each mushroom. Top with bacon bits and scallions...done! Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. 

Hindsight: When I make these again, I'm going to try some variations on them. Maybe sauteing them first in some olive oil or even flouring them before that so they get a "potato skin" crispness to them!

Asian Inspired Peapods

I spent a bit of time tweaking my blog yesterday and I seemed to have fixed the glitch in the settings that was preventing so many people from commenting. It should be super easy to comment now if you don't have one of the types of accounts usually associated with Blogger. Just use the Name/Url selection on the drop down menu and comment away. I can't wait to hear what everyone has to say now!!!

You can add a meat to this for some stir fry or serve with some rice. I made this as a side for Ahi Tuna.

 

1/2 package snow pea pea pods

1 Tsp fresh ginger, zested

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1/8 cup water

2-3 scallions, minced

Add soy sauce to a preheated skillet that has a cover. Add scallions and saute for a few minutes. Zest ginger into pan. Add pea pods and mix well. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes until pods start to get a bit tender. Add water and cover, simmering on low for 15-20 minutes. This will steam the pea pods, keeping them a bit crispy and give you a nice sauce for them. 

Vegetable Stuffed Shepherd's Pie

This recipe takes traditional Shepherd's Pie and stuffs it completely full of vegetables! It's more veggies than anything else and the layered flavors taste wonderful! I apologize in advance for the sheer number of ingredients, but I promise you, this dish is awesome. All the veggies that you really have to admit to are the peas if you chop things really small. A wonderful dish for kids!

 

1 Tbsp butter

2 sweet potatoes

1 large roasting potato

1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey

2-3 shallots

1 celery stalk

1/2 small pepper

1 garlic glove

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1 Tbsp cilantro

1 carrot

10-12 cherry tomatoes

1 bag frozen peas, thawed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup milk

1 Tsp thyme

1/8 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp Dijon mustard

 

Peel potato, sweet potatoes, and carrot and dice into pieces. Boil in a pan of water on the stove top until soft, 20-25 minutes. Drain and mash in a food processor with milk. Set aside.



Heat oil in a skillet. Chop shallots, celery, pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and add to heated skillet. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add meat to skillet and mix thoroughly. Cook until meat is cooked all the way through, about 10-15 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients, except the peas and potato mixture, and mix thoroughly.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Empty in meat mixture and flatten down. Empty in bag of peas. Spread evenly over meat mixture and press down. Spoon potato mixture evenly on top. Score top of casserole with a fork. Take butter and cut into small squares. Lay out around the top of the casserole, spread equally apart, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until the crests begin to brown.