Morrocan Spiced Stuffed Red Peppers

This is from Whole Food’s recipe section of their website.  I love that store. Despite being referred to around here as “Whole Paycheck’, you can find some surprisingly good deals there. I’m lucky enough to live close to this Austin based company’s flagship store in downtown Austin, TX.

 

I made this recipe last night. It was such an interesting combination of spices. But everything played nicely together. If you try this one out, really try to use the ground lamb. It brings such a different flavor to the party then ground anything else. It was really good. We just topped it with a little Feta cheese and a side of hummus. Yummy!!

Moroccan Spiced Stuffed Peppers

 

2 red bell peppers, cut down the center, cored and seeded

1/2 pound ground lamb

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup cooked short grain brown rice

2 cups chicken broth, divided

 

In a large saucepan, cover peppers with boiling salted water. Cover and simmer on low 5 minutes. Drain peppers upside down on towels.

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown lamb and garlic, breaking up lamb. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, mint, spices, cooked rice and 3/4 cup of the broth. Stuff peppers with mixture.

 

Stand stuffed peppers in remaining broth in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15-20 minutes until peppers are just tender.

 

 

Greek Salad & dressing

This isn’t really a recipe, more of a rough guide. This is my favorite salad in the world. I really just have a love for all things Greek. So here is my go-to salad that I love.

Greek Salad & dressing

 

Salad

 

Romaine lettuce

Tomato

Cucumber

Red onion

Pitted Kalamata olives

Pepperoncini peppers

Feta Cheese

 

Do the ingredients in whatever quantity you like. Just chop everything and combine.

 

Dressing

 

Red Wine Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Greek Seasoning (should be able to find this at your normal grocery)

 

I usually do 1:1 ratio on the vinegar & olive oil. Add the lemon juice & Greek seasoning to taste.

 

I just throw it all in a Ziploc bag and shake around to coat everything.

 

Mahi Mahi Tacos

I had been looking for a good fish taco recipe when Janae’s popped up in my Google Reader. I added a bit more cayenne to kick it up just a little more and did some normal taco toppers. Next time I make this, I’m for sure going to use Janae’s Avocado salsa as well. Enjoy!!

 

 Mahi Mahi Tacos

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
12 ounces Mahi Mahi cut into ½ inch cubes
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
8 corn tortillas
2 limes, halved
Taco Toppers: cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped avocado, crumbled Cojita cheese

 In a small bowl, combine cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and coriander. Rub spice mixture generously on both sides of the Mahi Mahi. Heat a nonstick pan on the stove over high heat. When pan is smoking hot, add olive oil, wait 10 seconds, then add Mahi Mahi. Cook until fish is white.

Heat up the corn tortillas in the microwave, or in a pan! To serve, fill all 8 taco shells with Mahi Mahi and squeeze a spritz of lime juice overtop. Add your toppers. Serve immediately.

Arroz Con Pollo

The first time I’ve ever had Arroz Con Pollo was when our neighbor brought some over for us to try. This was authentic, delicious, and hard to beat. When I saw this recipe from Tricia pop up in my Google Reader, I knew I had to get brave and try it out. The only thing I changed from Tricia’s was that she used boneless skinless chicken breasts & I used skin-on chicken thighs. Maybe not the healthiest route, but I think thighs add a little more flavor & richness.

The Goya Sazon & Sofrito really make this dish work. If you are going to make this, be sure to hit up your International aisle at the grocery store or you can always hit up their web site. It’s worth it.

Arroz Con Pollo

 

Small package of chicken thighs (our came with 4)

oil

2 packets Goya Sazon

3 1/2 cups water

about 1/2 cup Goya Sofrito, or more to taste (1/4 - 1/2 of the jar)

1 Tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp garlic powder (or more to taste)

3 cups long grain rice

Diced jalapeno to taste - for spicy, add about 2 heaping spoonfuls (we used jarred diced jalapenos)

Heat oil in large nonstick pot. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until cooked through.

Open 1 packet of Sazon and sprinkle half of the packet over the chicken. Stir to coat.

Add water, the rest of the 2 packets of Sazon, the Sofrito, salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir. This is when you start tasting. You're aiming for a salty, garlicky seasoned taste. I added 1 Tbsp of kosher flake salt and felt it needed some more. If you undersalt, you can always add salt to your individual serving when it's done.

Once you have a nicely seasoned pot of water, add in your rice and jalapenos and stir. If your rice starts to stick, add some extra oil. Because we used chicken thighs, I guess they we’re enough to keep the rice from sticking. Keep stirring over medium-low heat until about 1/2 of the water is absorbed. Cover and set the heat to low.

Stir every 5 minutes and re-cover - but here's the tricky part - after all of the water is absorbed, the rice in the bottom of the pot will begin to get crispy. You want to avoid stirring the crispy rice into the rest of the rice. Unless, of course, you like crispy rice. So when you stir, do so gently when reaching to the bottom of the pot.

After about 20-30 minutes, your rice should be steamed perfectly - once you get to 20 minutes, just start tasting it to check for doneness.

 

Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions

“Uh…You’re using maple syrup & cider vinegar?” My husband was not expecting this to come out like it did. In fact, I think he was a little scared when he saw what was going in it. I’ve got to tell you though, we both really liked how this came out. It’s a pretty interesting combination of flavors.

I’m finding quite a few good recipes from Culinary in the Desert. Check out the site for lots of unique ideas.

Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions

1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
16 ounces trimmed pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 1" medallions
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

In a large Ziploc bag, combine chili powder, salt and chipotle. Add sliced pork medallions to bag and shake until covered.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add the pork and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in cider, syrup and vinegar. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning the pork occasionally to coat, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze, about 1 to 3 minutes.

Serve the pork medallions with a drizzle of the glaze.

Summer Chili

This came from Lauren’s blog. I, liked her, was a little bit weary of using beer in chili as I am definitely not a beer girl. However, the beer, the lime juice, & the honey all play so nicely with the rest of the ingredients. We had this over brown rice & it was delicious.

Summer Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 pound ground turkey

½ - ¾ cup summer ale (we used Corona)

1 can black beans

1 can of pink beans

1 zucchini, roughly diced

1 1/2-2 cups tomato sauce

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 - 3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

1 ½ - 2 tablespoons honey

Splash of lime juice (optional, but try it, it’s yummy)

Toppers: Cheddar cheese, green onions, chopped tomatoes, cilantro

 

Heat your pan to medium; put the olive oil into the pan. Toss in the chopped onion. Brown your ground turkey.

Pour in the beer and cook for a few minutes to let the alcohol cook out.

Drop the heat back to medium and add in everything else, no particular order (except for the toppings, of course!). Then, let simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.

At the very last second – cut a lime in half and squeeze the juice over the chili.

Serve warm over rice with your choice of toppings. We used green onion, chopped tomato, cilantro, and shredded Colby-jack.

Buffalo Wing Burgers

These are so easy & fast. It’s like naughty, greasy chicken wings, but way better for you. I saw these on another cooking blog called LovesToEat’s weblog. I changed her recipe up just a little bit, but be sure to check out the original as well.

Buffalo Wing Burgers

1lb ground chicken

1/4 – 1/2 cup hot sauce (Franks Buffalo Hot Sauce is great)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 – 1/2 cup bread crumbs (use these to help hold it all together)
Burger buns (if you’re watchin’ your carbs, skip these)

 

Combine the ground chicken, hot sauce, blue cheese and bread crumbs.

Shape into patties.

Grill until done and serve on burger buns.

 

Cowboy Chicken Spaghetti

I tried this recipe after digging through Pioneer Woman’s cooking section. I love this lady. You’ll have to check out her site. The way she writes about her cooking, her kids, and her life is so direct, comical, & just plain friendly. Plus, her recipes all seem to look amazing.

Cowboy Chicken Spaghetti

2 Cups of cooked chicken

2 Cans of Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 Cups of grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

¼ Cup of finely diced green pepper

½ Cup of finely diced onion

4oz jar of diced pimentos, drained

3 Cups of dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces

2 Cups of reserved chicken broth from pot

1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

1/8 – ¼ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 additional Cup of grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

 

Cut up fryer chicken and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook Spaghetti in the same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, drain & then combine with remaining ingredients except for the 1 additional Cup of grated Sharp Cheddar.

 

Place mixture in a casserole pan and then top with remaining Sharp Cheddar. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until bubbly. (If the cheese starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.)

Fat Free Mini Cheescake Bites

This is guilt free loveliness. These little cheesecake bites will satisfy a sweet tooth with really low calories & hardly any fat. Doesn’t get much better than that. I came across this recipe on SparkRecipes.

Fat Free Mini Cheescake Bites

¾ C Fat Free Cool Whip

5 Tbsp Fat Free Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp granular Splenda (I also added a sprinkle of Cinnamon)

 

Slightly melt the cream cheese in the microwave (about 30 seconds will do it)

Stir in Cool Whip & Splenda (& Cinnamon) until the mixture is creamy.

I used mini cupcake liners in a mini cupcake pan and spooned the mixture into these before allowing to freeze in the freezer.

You can top these with anything; chocolate syrup, butterscotch, jam….

 

Farmer's market, How I'll miss you....

So Fall is coming to Texas before you know it. I know this because our Round Rock Farmer's market is done for the season. There are a few others in towns around here that I will have to explore. If you haven't been to a local farmers market, I recomend you try it. so many local, homeade goodies...



This picture is from a week when we got a gigantic head of garlic, red potatoes, tomatoes pulled out a garden that morning, fresh corn, homemade bread, and homemade strawberry wine jelly. Yum!!

Here is a link to the Georgetown Farmer's Market web site. Georgetown & Sun City's markets run through November.

Grilled Zucchini & Red Onion

Easiest Side Dish Ever…  I made these one weekend when we were grilling with some friends. Super Simple and pretty light.

Grilled Zucchini & Red Onion

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 medium red onion, chopped

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

Feta Cheese

 

In a large Ziploc bag, add vegetables & just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Shake around until everything is coated.

 

Spread out on a piece of Foil and fold the ends up and in to make a Foil packet.

 

Cook on the top rack of a grill with whatever else you are grilling that day. It takes about 20 minutes for everything to be tender. When you serve, sprinkle some Feta cheese on top.

 

 

 

Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Boil

OK, so this is about as easy as it gets. Change this up, add what you like. It is best with fresh shrimp, but when you are landlocked, frozen will do just fine. Enjoy!!

Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Boil

Old Bay liquid seasoning & dry seasoning

Diced Potatoes

2 ears of corn

Cajun sausage link

As much shrimp as you like

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in a few tablespoons of liquid Old Bay. Add in diced potatoes & corn. After about 5 minutes add sausage. When everything is mostly cooked, add shrimp just to heat through.

Drain into a colander and dish up. Sprinkle with dry Old Bay seasoning before serving.

 

 

West Coast Grilled Veggie Pizza

So I came across this recipe on Ashley's site. It looked great. We ended up making a shortcut version of this for lunch on a hot Texas summer afternoon. Definitely try out the original, but if you are short on time, I think our version came out pretty tasty.

West Coast Grilled Veggie Pizza

2 burrito size tortillas

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Heat grill to medium. Spray tops & bottoms of tortillas with Fat Free Spray Oil.

Scatter tortillas with tomatoes, scallion whites, and cheese; season with salt and pepper, and slide onto grill. Cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and cheese begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, avocado, scallion greens, vinegar, and remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Pile mixture onto pizzas; halve, and serve.