Tangy Stuffed Peppers

I got this recipe from a co-worker and I have no idea where it is from, but it was delicious.  Four out of the five in my family asked for seconds.  It's simple and a perfect fall side dish.

4 large green peppers (or any color, I actually used red, orange, and yellow)
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons water
additional Parmesan cheese

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds.  Chop pepper tops and sauté in saucepan with ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink.  Remove from heat and stir in rice, cheese, 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and salt.

In a large saucepan, cook whole peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Spook rice and meat mixture into peppers.

Place in greased baking dish.  If needed slice a little off bottom of pepper so it will stand up straight.  Combine tomato sauce, water, and remaining Worcestershire sauce, drizzle generously over peppers and spindle with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.  Cover and cooke for 20 minutes and then uncover and cooke for 5 more minutes.

**I have been substituting ground turkey for ground beef in all recipes lately.  I just add a little extra seasoning to boost the flavor.  For this recipe I added 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.  It was perfect**

PW Pasta Salad with tomatoes, zucchini, and feta

Shawn and I wanted something light, quick and fresh for dinner the other night.  I've been wanting to try this Pioneer Woman recipe for a while.  It was exactly what we were looking for and would be a great meal for a summer BBW with some grilled chicken or fish.

12 ounces Farfalle (bowtie) pasta (I used orecchiette pasta)

2 T. olive oil

1 whole lemon (more to taste)

salt

fresh groun black pepper

2 whole zucchini, cut into small wedges

10 ounces grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta and drain.  Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Stir in chopped tomatoes, zucchini, parsley and feta.  Toss salad and put in fridge.  Best if refrigerated several hours.  Garnish with feta cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Sweet & Spicy Cucs

I grew up eating this snack during the hot summer months. It has mixed reviews among my family members, but I think its great.  It is perfect if you like spicy/vinegary snacks that are healthy.

1-1/2 lbs cucumber (about 3 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c rice vinegar, seasoned or regular

1/2 c water

3 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbs minced red onion

  

Place cucumber slices in a colander sitting over a bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss well.  Let sit for 1 hour refrigerated.  While cucumber slices are draining, prepare marinade below.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and red pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to a 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes).  If for some reason you boil for too long, just add a little water until you have 1/3 C. Remove reduction from heat and add onion.  Let mixture cool to room temp.  (** I don't always have the patience to wait until the marinade reduces.  So, I often just turn the heat on long enough to melt down the sugar, heat up the pepper flakes, and get everything nice and mixed.)

When the cucumbers are done resting, combine with the vinegar reduction.  This can be served immediately, but I love to leave it in the fridge for a couple hours and get them crispy and cold.

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

Shawn really likes mushrooms, which I think is weird, but anyway I try to find ways to cook with them.  This recipe makes a nice flavorful side dish.  

recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt butter in an oven safe large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms have softened and released their liquid, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the sherry, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, barley, and basil; bring to a boil over high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Cover the Dutch oven, and place into the preheated oven. Bake until the barley is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in chopped parsley before serving.

ENJOY!

Baked Yam and Potato Casserole

This is a great vegetable side dish. A little prep with all the slicing, but worth it.

• 2 large sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 large potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In the prepared dish, make a single layer of sweet potato slices. Place a few onion slices on top, dot with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat, alternating layers of white and sweet potatoes.
3. In a small bowl, or measuring cup, combine flour and broth. Pour over potatoes.
4. Sprinkle cheese, bread crumbs and parsley over the potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Cover.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until potatoes and onions are soft.

Much to the dismay of my husband I don't usually follow directions exactly, specifically when it comes to measuring ingredients. I made a few small changes here also. First I didn't actually measure the potatoes and yams, I just cut a bunch and layered them in the dish and I didn't measure the butter either. I just dotted each layer with a few pieces of butter. I used Italian flavored bread crumbs so I didn't use any parsley. Other than that, I followed the recipe and it turned out great :)

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

I made this for Thanksgiving this year with a few misgivings--how could I give up the tried and true Cream of Mushroom and French Fried Onion casserole? Boy, was I glad I did. A friend said that this was the best green bean casserole they've ever had. I got the recipe and picture from allrecipes. I'll be making this for Christmas dinner too (on the Sunday after Christmas).

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Zucchini Pasta

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked pasta shells
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped (I used two zucchinis because I like mine loaded)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 ounce diced roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta shells in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Mix in the zucchini, and season with oregano, salt and pepper, and red pepper. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.

Stir the chicken broth into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the chicken, roasted red peppers, and cream cheese, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Dump pasta into skillet with sauce and mix. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Red Skinned Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes are so good, I could eat them all the time.

1 1/4 lbs. red skinned potatoes, washed and quartered
2 1/2-3 cups water (you might need to add a little more depending on the size of the potatoes)
3 cubes chicken bouillon
7 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Place potatoes in large pan. Add water and bouillon and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain liquid, reserving a little, and then mash the potatoes. Add roasted garlic and the cream cheese in while mashing. Gradually add extra liquid from pan to potatoes to get as fluffy as you like and then sprinkle the parsley on top.

Roasted Garlic: Slice the end of a garlic bulb off. Place on tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap garlic clove in the tinfoil and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until garlic is soft. When done press garlic cloves out and add to potatoes. You can buy jars of roasted garlic in the store, but they just aren't the same compared to the fresh ones.