Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this recipe for "Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers" for the first time a little over a year ago.  (I also took this lovely picture way back when as well.  Talk about procrastination!)  It wasn't until a friend just asked me for the recipe that I decided that I should go ahead and add it to my online recipe box.  You know, since I did just type the whole thing out and all.  :)  I plan to make these for dinner really soon, they are really really yummy and the husband enjoyed them a lot. 

INGREDIENTS:

 

olive oil

1/2 lb ground turkey (you can probably use lean ground turkey as well)

1 C chopped onions

1 heaping TBSP of taco seasoning (I used the homemade version)

2 C of cooked rice (I used some Spanish rice I had leftover)

3-4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 C of frozen corn

1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa (or homemade if you have it!)

shredded Cheddar Cheese

 

Toppings:

fresh cilantro

sour cream

sliced avocado

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

 Start the rice.

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the prepped peppers with the olive oil and roast them in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool long enough so they can be handled.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey with the chopped onion and any seasonings of your choice. (I usually like to use a little salt, pepper, and garlic...fresh or powdered.) Drain any excess fat if necessary.

 

When the meat is finished, add in the taco seasoning.  Mix well to combine.  Next, add in the black beans, corn, rice and the salsa.  Mix well.

 

Now, spoon in the turkey mixture into each of the bell pepper halves.  Carefully place them back into the baking dish.  Cook the peppers for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked thru.  Just before removing the dish, sprinkle the top of each pepper with some shredded cheddar cheese.  Place the dish back into the oven long enough for the cheese to melt. 

 

Remove from the oven and top with an additional desired toppings (ex. cilantro, sour cream, avocado...)

 

ENJOY!

 

 

recipe adapted from: simplylovefood.blog.com

Summer Vegetable Torta

(Isn't it pretty!?)

I loved, loved, LOVED this Summer Vegetable Torta. A LOT!  It turned out so pretty and so very tasty! It looked quite impressive in my opinion and it was super easy to toss together!  I ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.  No, I'm not kidding.  I'm anxiously awaiting for a brunch or potluck that I can prepare this for.  I think it'll be a hit!

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
8oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 red peppers, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
8oz. cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
1/4 C heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
3  TBSP fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by spraying the bottom and sides with cooking spray.  Line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray with additional cooking spray. Then wrap the outside with aluminum foil.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh peppers and saute until vegetables just start to become tender (10 minutes or so). 

Then, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Next beat in the eggs until combined.  Now beat in the cream. Stir in the garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

Now, using a slotted spoon, drain off liquid from the vegetables and add them to the egg mixture.  Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.

Spread mixture into the prepared pan and set the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours, until top is golden brown and the center is firm when shaken. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in pan, then run a sharp knife around edges to loosen. Gently remove the pan sides. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. ENJOY!

recipe adapted from: alldayidreamaboutfood.com

Broccoli & Beef

 

I can't take too too much credit for this one since I only altered a few things in this recipe.  Well, who knows, those little changes could have been what made this dish SO FREAKING FANTASTIC!!! So I guess I'll go ahead and toot my own horn for a sec.  "toot toot!"  Ok, done now. 

 I am a huge broccoli  & beef fan.  I've tried making it at home before, only to realize that the Chinese restaurants can make it much better.  The hubster requested broccoli & beef for dinner last night so I decided to go ahead and try out a new recipe that I had pinned a while back.  It turned out SO SO YUMMY!! I will definitely  be make this again and again.  It tasted just as good as a Chinese restaurant without all the MSG.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1.5lbs. flank steak, sliced thin
1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP sherry
3 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 heads of broccoli crowns

DIRECTIONS:

Preparing the beef:

Allow the beef to come to room temperature.  (Mine sat out for about an hour and a half)  Then, using a sharp knife, slice the beef into thin strips making sure to slice against the grain.  If the slices become too long, feel free to cut them in half or even in thirds. 

Preparing the marinade:

In a large bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. Then add the beef strips and thoroughly coat them in the marinade.  Cover the bowl in plastic wrap, set aside and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.  (Now would be a good time to get your rice started)

In the meantime:

Trim your broccoli and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 C low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, flour and sherry. Set aside until the meat is finished marinating.

When the meat is ready:

 Heat 2 TBSP of the sesame oil in a wok or  large sauté pan over high heat.  Next, add the broccoli and sauté in the oil for 4-5 minutes.  (I prefer my broccoli a little on the crunchy side, feel free to cook longer if you like it softer.)  Transfer the broccoli to a dish and set aside. 

Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the remaining 1 TBSP of sesame oil to the pan.  Add the meat to the pan and then pour in half of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture on top.  Saute until the meat is no longer pink, this takes just a few minutes.  When the meat is finished, add the broccoli to the wok with the remainder of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture.  Saute for another minute. 

Serve over steamed white rice. ENJOY!!


Recipe adapted from: Rainydaygal.com

Simple Marinara Sauce (a DG original)

I tend to do a lot of my grocery shopping on my lunch break these days, grabbing things that I'll need for the next day or two.  I often forget things I need due to the lack of a list and being in a rush.  Last week I ran to the grocery store on a lunch break to grab the things I would need for a ravioli bake, one of my quick go to weeknight dinners. I didn't realize until I got home to prepare dinner, that I had forgotten to grab a jar of pasta sauce!!!  At first I panicked since it was getting late and I didn't have a back up meal prepared.  As usual, I reverted to good ol' google! Of course I couldn't find a recipe to suit my needs that included ingredients that I already had on hand.  So I did what I usually do and pick what I like from several recipes to create my own version! Of course if your looking for a recipe for a marinara sauce to use up some of your garden fresh tomatoes, you can always check out my  original recipe for mushroom-garlic marinara sauce here,  but this here is what I ended up with that night and it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! :)

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 onion, minced
2 14.5 oz. cans of petite-cut tomatoes
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1.5 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 C sherry

DIRECTIONS:

using a food processor, puree the garlic and petite-cut tomatoes.  (I only pureed one can because I like my sauce to be a little bit chunky and added the additional can in with the remaining ingredients.)  Set aside.  In a med sauce pan sauté the onion with the olive oil over medium high heat just until softened.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low (stirring occasionally) for 30 min, covered.  To be used in your favorite pasta dish! ENJOY!

Brown Rice Pilaf

I am a bg fan of brown rice, the boys...eh, not so much!  I am on a determined quest to find new ways to prepare brown rice for the whole family to enjoy.  This recipe was attempt #2 (with attempt #1 being the plain ol' boring, basic, brown rice).  Carson ignored the side all together.  Dominic bluntly stated "I HATE mushrooms!".  The hubby politely consumed the side and gave me an unenthusiastic "it was good." I on the other hand LOVED this dish!!!  I thought it went well with the salmon tacos I made that night.  I'll probably make this next when we have company over, or to bring along to someone's house.  I'd like to see how others like this side dish.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 green onions
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 C long grain brown rice
1 C chicken stock
1 C water
1/2 lime

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium skillet heat 2 TBSP. of the olive oil over medium heat add the mushrooms and half of the green onions and season with salt and pepper.  Sautee for 8 minutes until the mushrooms have browned and softened.  Next add the garlic and the remaining .5 TBSP of olive oil.  Sautee for another 2 minutes then add the soy sauce, rice, chicken stock and water.  Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a full boil.  Scrape the rice into a 8x8 glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil, fluff the pilaf with a fork, squeeze the lime over the pilaf and top with the remaining 3 green onions.  ENJOY!

recipe adapted from foodandwine.com

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My eight year old son recently finished up his third grade year.  As a strong student in math, reading is not much of his thing.  During a parent teacher conference, it was suggested to me to continue to read to him before bed each night, but to choose books that are slightly above his reading level.  So I did.

Whenever I am choosing a new read for myself, I tend to gravitate toward books that have been listed on the The New York Times Bestseller List.  So when cruising through the children's book section at Target, I stuck to my usual habits and found this; "Wonder", written by R.J. Palacio.  The cover appeared interesting enough, it had been featured on the bestseller list, and reading the back of the book as well as one random page in the middle, got me to spend $15.99 on this 313 page children's novel.

I cannot express to you how much my son and I both LOVED this book! We both laughed, cried, and rooted for the main character, Auggie, throughout the entire book.  Reading this novel together was such a great bonding experience for us, and it taught us both a thing or two about how we view and treat others.

 Auggie is not your typical fifth grader.  Well, as far as looks go.  Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that kept him from going to a public school until his parents allowed him to when he reached the fifth grade.  Palacio writes each chapter from a different characters perspective to tell the heartfelt story of Auggie's first year in public school and what it had been like for him growing up.  It didn't take long for us to realize how likeable of a kid Auggie is and how much he and my son have many of the same interests in common.  We finished this book up a few months ago, and I find it amazing how often the name "Auggie" still comes up in our conversations.  Auggie has forever left an imprint in our minds and hearts.  This book would make a great gift for any elementary school student.  "Wonder" is a powerful impact of a read that teaches children many great life lessons on trust, fear, real friendships, and what it means to stay true to yourself! 

Salmon Tacos

Who doesn't like a good fish taco on a hot summer evening?  These salmon tacos can be consumed completely guilt free.  They are so yummy and pretty healthy too!  They are also husband approved.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lbs. Salmon fillet
1-2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2-3 TBSP butter
juice of one lime
salt & pepper
8 corn tortillas (I like these)

Topping suggestions:

chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
chopped cabbage
crumbled cotija cheese
sour cream
tapatio
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray and place the salmon fillet on top, skin side down.  Season the fillet with the lemon pepper, salt and pepper.  Cut the butter into small pieces and place them evenly over the top of the fillet.  Squeeze the juice from the lime evenly over the fillet.  Cover with another piece of foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Depending on the thickness of your fillet you may need to adjust your cooking time, the salmon is finished when it flakes off easily with a fork.  In the meantime, chop and prep your toppings.  Just before the salmon fillet is finished, heat a cast iron griddle over Med./High heat and warm your corn tortillas.  When the salmon is finished baking, flake using forks.  Assemble your tacos as desired. ENJOY!