Stuffed Red Peppers

This recipe is almost exactly the same as Paula Deen's recipe for Stuffed Red Peppers. Her recipe got 5 stars, according to the Food Network. When I sat down to eat this, I think I was expecting something a little bit more spectacular - especially because it got such great reviews. I would probably give it a 4 or 4.5. 

Preparation time: 30-45 minutes (active prep) 45-50 minutes (bake time)

Serves: 2-3 people

3 red bell peppers (depending on size)

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp beef bouillon granules

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup salsa

1/4 cup nacho cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

2 tsp soy sauce

3/4 cup hot water

Prepare the peppers by cutting them in half, cleaning them, and removing the seeds and ribs. Do not remove the green stems.

Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Saute beef, pork, onion, garlic, and 1 tsp beef bouillon until meat is fully cooked and onion is soft. Stir in the rice, salsa, cheese, sour cream, green onions, and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Use this filling to stuff the peppers.

Mix 1 tsp beef bouillon with hot water and pour into a medium casserole dish. Place stuffed peppers into this dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and spoon the juice over the peppers. Continue baking for another 15 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

When I lived in Honduras, people ate soup frequently throughout the year - even though it was always very hot outside. Whenever anyone served us soup, they would usually make a joke about who was going to start sweating first. Here in the states, soup is more of a fall or winter dish. I guess sweating just isn't as well-accepted as part of everyday life.

Anyway, my brother and sister-in-law eat soup a lot. This is one of the recipes that they sent when I asked them for some of their best recipes. We also enjoyed it quite a bit.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Serves: 6 people

5 cups chicken broth 

2 cups whipping cream (I prefer evaporated milk)

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, diced

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 to 5 cups chopped kale or spinach

3 to 4 potatoes, washed and cut into small chunks

1 lb mild Italian ground sausage

Cook bacon, cool and crumble into small pieces. Chop vegetables. Place everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shredded Pork Burritos

When I first got my Crock Pot, I didn't use it very often because I felt like a lot of the slow cooker recipes were pretty much the same. Over time, I have found a lot more ways that I can use mine, which have allowed me to use it a lot more often. I actually have two slow cookers now: a small one and a large one. One of the biggest advantages to using a Crock Pot during the summer is that it allows me to slow cook meat so that it is nice and tender, without having the kitchen heat up along with the oven. I make a lot of my most delicious and easiest Mexican-style recipes with meat that I cooked in my slow cooker.

1 1/2 lb pork roast

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Place roast, chicken broth, onion, cilantro, and spices in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred meat with two forks. 

Other great recipes for these burritos are:

Black Beans 

Cilantro Lime rice 

Guacamole

Pico de gallo

Cafe Rio Salad

My husband and I love Cafe Rio and we love copycat recipes, which made this one of our ideal meals. Even though it wasn't identical to Cafe Rio, we were impressed with how close it was. We had been talking about making this meal for several months, but never got around to doing it, so last week I decided to surprise my hubby with it. When he found out what was for dinner he got so excited! I think that is my favorite thing about cooking. I love making things that make other people happy. I created this recipe by taking ideas from a couple of different reciepes that I found online.

Serves about 10 people (depending on how much meat you like on your salad)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 12 hours

Meat:
2-3 lb pork roast
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 can Dr. Pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup brown sugar

Other Salad Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Large tortilla (freshly cooked is best)
Pico de Gallo
Tortilla strips
Guacamole
Black beans
Rice
Cilantro
Cilantro Ranch dressing

Combine brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic and salt, and rub on roast. Cook on low for 3 hours, then add Dr. Pepper, chicken broth and onions and cook for another 8 hours. About an hour before serving, shred roast and add brown sugar; if desired, add more sugar and salt to taste.

Prepare the salad by first placing a large tortilla in a shallow bowl, then add rice, beans, meat, lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Garnish with tortilla strips and cilantro.

Spare Ribs

I found spare ribs on a good sale the other day at the grocery store. Even though I have made baby back ribs quite a few times, I had never made spare ribs before. I was looking for a recipe online when I remembered that my mom has a great one. She actually made it for dinner when we had my husband's family over for the first time, the night before my wedding. My husband said he actually remembered them and that they tasted really good so I called my mom and asked for the recipe. They were very easy and tasted great - just the way I remembered. She served them with scalloped potatoes and salad. Although she makes them in a roaster, they are also great when made in a slow cooker.

4 lbs. spare ribs 

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 Tbsp lemon juice

4 Tbsp brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

1/2 cup celery, chopped

Cook ribs in an open pan at 425° for 30 minutes to brown. Drain fat. Transfer to roaster (or slow cooker) and cover with sauce. Cook at 325° for 2 hours or 275° for 3-4 hours. 

Fried Rice

This is the best fried rice I have ever tasted. I was watching Man vs. Food Nation with my husband a few weeks ago. Actually, I think it was the Thanksgiving episode. They visited a restaurant in Hawaii who claimed to have great fried rice. Although they didn't give away their secret recipe to the entire viewing audience, they did mention a few key ingredients, which we quickly wrote down and vowed to incorporate the next time we made fried rice. I am including rough estimates of the amounts that we used, although we didn't actually measure things out this precisely.

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into 1" pieces

1/4 lb. chorizo, cut into small pieces

2-3 Tbsp canola oil 

4 cups cold prepared white rice

1/2-3/4 cup peas and carrots

3-4 Tbsp oyster sauce (according to preference)

2 eggs

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a wok or large skillet, cook bacon and chorizo over medium-high heat. When it is fully cooked add oil and rice. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add oyster sauce. Stir in peas, carrots and green onions. Push rice to the side and scramble eggs, stirring them into rice when they are finished cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Zucchini

This past weekend my husband and I went to the local Farmer's Market with some friends. In addition to some of the best raspberries that I have ever had, we bought corn on the cob, fresh green beans, summer squash, and a huge zucchini. At one of the booths, the zucchinis were fifty cents each. Although I could have chosen one that was somewhat regular size, I couldn't resist picking one of the largest in the bunch. I asked the girl who was working there what I should make with such a big zucchini and she suggested either zucchini bread or stuffed zucchini. Since I had never made stuffed zucchini the decision was made. So today I went online and looked at a variety of recipes for ideas. According to what I read, I created a recipe using my favorite ingredients and - voila! An amazing gourmet dinner. With artisan sourdough bread, fresh green beans, and sparkling lemonade this was a great dinner (and very romantic too...).

1 HUGE zucchini (or about 4 regular ones I am guessing)
1/2 lb. sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
mozzarella cheese, sliced

Prepare the zucchini by rinsing thoroughly. Cut off each end and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove seeds and fleshy interior. Be sure to leave at least 1/4" on each side so that the zucchini can support the filling. Chop the zucchini so it can be added to the filling.

Preheat medium skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Roast garlic for 20-30 seconds before adding onions and peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes before adding meat. Season with thyme, oregano, and parsley. When the meat has cooked thoroughly, add tomatoes and excess zucchini interior. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for another few minutes. Drain excess liquid. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes then stir in egg. Spoon filling into zucchini and bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes. After the first 20 minutes place sliced cheese over top and allow to cook the rest of the way. You will know when it is ready because the zucchini is soft and the cheese has begun to brown.

Baked Shells with Bolognese Sauce

This was a little pasta dish that I came up with on the fly when I was trying to save money by using the ingredients we had in our home already. Luckily, we had some pretty good ingredients lying around. I used the jumbo conchiglie (shells) pasta, but if I were to make it again I would use the smaller shells or some other type of bite-sized pasta. The sauce is similar to a bolognese sauce, but just a little different because of time and some ingredient constraints - close enough, though.

Bolognese Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage or ground pork

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste 

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

White Sauce:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

2 cups dried conchiglie (shells)

2 Tbsp dried Italian style bread crumbs

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds before adding in onions, carrots, peppers, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, then add meat. Cook, stirring frequently until there is no pink left in the meat. Season with oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk (or cream) and turn down heat. Taste and add seasonings according to preference.

While Bolognese sauce is simmering, boil pasta according to the directions on the package. Preheat the oven to 375°.

In another pan, cook the white sauce by melting the butter in a pan, then adding flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add milk slowly, whisking to combine until sauce is smooth and thick. Season, then remove pan from heat. 

Drain pasta and put it into a casserole dish. Pour Bolognese sauce over top and stir to mix. Beat the egg into the white sauce and pour over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs and bake on 375° for 15-20 minutes

Biscuits and Gravy

Almost every time we go to Denny's for breakfast, I order biscuits and gravy. It is one of the least expensive things on the menu and it tastes great. Over the past few months, my husband has made them from scratch several times and I finally decided to take a picture and preserve the recipe that he uses. He got the original recipe from allrecipes.com, but he never is exact about the way he follows it so it tastes slightly different every time. 

Biscuits:

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp butter, melted

Gravy:

1/2 lb. pork sausage

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 3/4 cup milk

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine milk and butter then add in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir just until blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

While the biscuits are baking, cook sausage over medium heat until it is no longer pink. Stir in butter until it is melted, then add flour and stir until it is completely combined with butter. Slowly add milk, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for two more minutes. Serve over freshly baked biscuits

Swedish Meatballs

Ever since we got married, my husband has been talking about how his old roommate's cousin (who was from Sweden) used to go to their apartment sometimes and make them Swedish Meatballs. They would all pitch in to buy the ingredients and she would make dinner. Rather than eating their meatballs over rice, they would eat them with fried potatoes, and she would also make some kind of Swedish cake as well. I was hoping to somehow replicate the experience so I asked him to get the recipe from his friend. Well, it turns out that his friend didn't have the original recipe, but he did give us this one, which we really liked. But my husband has promised to find that cousin over facebook and ask for the recipe so that we can have the real thing sometime.

Meatballs:

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3/4 lb ground beef

3/4 lb ground pork (not sausage)

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp butter

Gravy:

1/4 cup flour

3 cups beef broth

1/4 cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 200°. Also, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and soft. Combine bread crumbs, milk, ground beef, ground pork, egg yolks, 1 tsp salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Then, shape the mixture into meatballs that are approximately one oz, or about 1 1/2" in diameter.

Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and saute the meatballs until they are golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Reserve leftover butter and place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake, approximately 20 minutes or until they are completely cooked. 

Meanwhile, prepare gravy by adding flour to the pan. Whisk until it is lightly browned. Then add beef broth gradually, stirring constantly, and allow sauce to thicken. Add milk and stir until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

Fiesta Pork

This is kind of a variation of a recipe that I made a couple of months ago that was called Salsa Chicken. The biggest difference was that I made it over the stove and that it has a few different ingredients. I really liked it a lot. I think it would also be great with chicken. It took a very short time to make and tasted great.

4-6 boneless pork chops

1 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 can corn, drained

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups salsa

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat with the olive oil. Add minced garlic and pork chops; cook until pork chops are brown. Then add onion and bell pepper. Cook for another 2-4 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes to help flavors combine and to ensure that all ingredients are cooked thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Golden Mushroom Pork

One of my friends made a dish for us a few years ago that used a Campbell's soup called "Golden Mushroom." That is the only time I had tasted that soup, to my knowledge, but when I noticed it at the grocery store the other day I decided to buy some. This is my very first time cooking with golden mushroom, but it turned out really well and I think I'll look for other ways to incorporate it into my cooking.

4-6 pork chops
2 cans golden mushroom
Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

Place pork chops (I prefer boneless because they are easier to eat) in the Crock Pot. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and pour one can of golden mushroom over top and then the sliced onions. Top with the other can of golden mushroom and the fresh mushrooms. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. I think you could also do this in the oven by cooking it at 350° for about an hour.

Potstickers

My husband and I don't make a lot of Chinese food. Every time we have tried to make something Chinese it has taken us about two hours to make - which is a lot of time when you are only cooking for two. We searched potsticker recipes online and found one on about.com. The recipe looked simple enough; surely we'd be able to do it pretty fast. Unfortunately that was not the case. It was another two hour dinner. But it was so good that we would definitely make it again.


Dumpling Dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water

Filling:
8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
3 tsp salt, divided
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash white pepper
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Other:
2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.