Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I ventured down to Reading Terminal the other day and picked up three avocados for 99 cents and 5 poblano peppers for 99 cents. It seemed like we were destined to have a Mexican inspired dinner! I used my favorite Alton Brown recipe (minus the roma tomatoes) to whip up a spicy batch of guacamole in the molcajete. 

Next up were these lovely stuffed poblano peppers. I cheated a bit and used a package of spanish style rice instead of plain brown rice or other healthy grain. The result was delicious! There was a ton of filling leftover over which we're going to finish either as burritos or a rice bowl. This was a great summer dish to welcome in this fabulous weather we've been having.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

(Pinterest find! Adapted from acouplecooks.com

Ingredients:
5 poblano peppers
1 package spanish style rice
1.5 cups salsa
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 of a small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cayenne to taste

A handful of chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese (Cabot all the way!)
Directions:

1. Cook rice according to directions.

2. Slice peppers in half and remove the ribs and seeds.
3. Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil about 7 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 7 minutes more.
4. In a large skillet combine the beans, onions, salsa, corn, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and cilantro. Heat over low heat. Stir in the cooked rice and mix well.
5. Place the peppers skin side down and spoon in the desired amount of filling. Top with cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Summer Salad

Yum yum! This salad was a nice fresh taste of summer. You get a nice burst of sweetness from the red pepper and corn. A bit of spice from the onion, cumin, and hot sauce plus the earthiness of the black beans to even it all out. I do believe that this dish will be making a return during the summer season.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

(from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:
1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used sriracha)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve.

Taco Taco!

You really can't go wrong with a taco or quesadilla. This recipe did not disappoint. Mr. Lawyer inhaled three of them in rapid succession. Sadly, I only had one because I had eaten half of the guacamole before he got home. It's an addiction. I made it and put it in the fridge so the flavors could mingle. I kept going back, peeling off the plastic wrap, and scooooooooop. I can't get enough of it.

The potatoes were an interesting addition that I wouldn't have thought of. They were good! And nothing beats a onion/pepper/mushroom mixture. The only part I skipped was adding the crema/sour cream to the mixture at the end. I served it as a traditional topping along with the homemade guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheddar.

 Naked Taco!

Fully Loaded Taco!

Poblano, Mushroom, and Potato Taco

(From the Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:
4 medium poblano chile peppers
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 ounces cremini and/or white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
Freshly ground pepper
Corn tortillas, warmed, and assorted toppings, for serving
Directions:1. Roast the poblanos directly over the flame of a gas burner or under the broiler, turning with tongs, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and let steam until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin with a paring knife; remove the stems and seeds. Cut the poblanos into strips and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large nonstick skillet and cover with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes; drain. Wipe the skillet dry.
3. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle with half of the herbs, and salt to taste. Discard the excess oil and wipe out the skillet.
4. Heat the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs and the garlic; cook 1 minute. Add the roasted poblanos, crema, lime juice and a few spoonfuls of water; stir until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the potatoes and mushroom mixture in tortillas with assorted toppings.

Amazing Spicy Sausage Noodles

Let's rate this recipe: Mr. Lawyer had three servings and is planning on having it for breakfast. WINNER. It was simply and pretty quick. I liked that the sauce was light and not overpowering. Even though the sauce was just a slight coating the flavor was banging! The spicy sausage flavor permeates the sauce and the freshness of the peppers was so summery. I used all red peppers instead of red, orange, and yellow because that's what was on sale and it didn't take away from anything. There was a real depth to the flavor. I think it was the spicy sausage flavor and the wine. Delicious! 

Spicy Sausage & Pepper Noodles in Tomato-Wine Sauce

(Pinterest find! Adapted from thecozyapron.com)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed and crumbled
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 peppers (red, yellow, orange), cored and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 box rigatoni noodles
Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, brown the sausage. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Saute the onions in sausage drippings, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.  Then add in the sliced peppers, saute until tender (3 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add the wine and simmer until it's over half reduced. Add the can of undrained diced tomatoes and then return the sausage to the mix. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Cook noodles according to directions on box. Place the noodles in a large bowl and top with the sausage sauce, toss gently.

6. Serve with fresh basil, parsley, or parmesan. 

Chinese Leftovers

I'm back with a recipe! Well, sort of. It's more like reinvented leftovers. When you order chinese food do you always have leftover rice or sauce? We do. We don't have any real food in the apartment either but I did have some leftover chinese and frozen veggies. I sauteed up the peppers and onions, threw in the rice, and added the leftover dumpling sauce. It was a fine dish to start some holiday detoxing.

I think I should start a guess the fiesta color competition!

On the docket for tomorrow: turkey soup!

Vietnamese Hoagies

Wow. You may not change one thing about this recipe. Unless you can't find a daikon radish in which case a regular one would suffice. I am madly in love with this dish. I was so excited when I saw this and it didn't disappoint. It's a Vietnamese Banh Mi which is basically a hoagie. Um, two of my favorite things combined?! I love a good sandwich hoagie (which is why Danny's Market is my favorite place back home) and I have a soft spot for almost any type of Asian cuisine. 

Anyway, don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients! It's really not a lot and it's totally work it. I was skeptical of pickling the veggies but they added a nice sweetness to the sandwich to balance out the spicy mayo and jalapenos. Plus it was super easy: pickle veggies, leave for work, come home and bam! We all know I'm a sucker for Sriracha mayo and it was perfect for this dish. The meatballs were divine and reminded me of the filling from some dumplings I've had. Good flavor and sauteing them in the sesame oil adds a little something special.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

(From Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:
Hot Chili Mayo
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
Meatballs
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Pickled Veggies
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon radish (or other radish)
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
4 10-inch-long individual baguettes
Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
16 large fresh cilantro sprigs
Directions:

1. Pickle your veggies an hour in advance. Mix together rice vinegar and sugar. Pour over the carrots and daikon. I kept mine separate so the daikon didn't turn orange. Let them sit at least an hour and then drain the juice.

2. Make your hot chili mayo by combining mayo, hot chili sauce, and green onions. Season with salt to taste.
3. Meatball time! Gently mix all meatball ingredients together, do not over mix! Roll mixture into small one inch meatballs (about a tablespoon of meat), set aside on a tray. These can be made one day ahead and refrigerated.
4. Heat sesame oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Saute meatballs until brown and cooked through, turning often, about 10-15 minutes. You may have to make them in batches depending on the size of your pan.
5. Slice each baguette and pull out some bread from each half. Spread chili mayo on each side. Add jalapenos and cilantro to bottom half. Fill will desired amount of meatballs and top with pickled veggies. Press down the baguette tops and enjoy!

The Condiments!

Spicy Mayo, Daikon, Carrot, Jalapeno, and Cilantro

The Frittata Save!

It's a good thing I had this frittata as my main dish because Mr. Lawyer was not a fan of the spring roll texture. A frittata is always a good bet. Plus the leftovers will make a good breakfast which is key because I may have forgotten to pick up the Mister's cereal at the store today. This frittata was not as fluffy as my previous one (which had three more eggs and a half cup of milk). I must say that I liked the fluffy version a little more. The taste was spot on though....except the feta cheese didn't shine through as much as I would have liked. One thing I did change was the amount of cumin. Cumin is not one of my favorite spices and I feel that it can overwhelm a dish very quickly. Instead of 1/2 teaspoon I just did three quick little dashes and it was the perfect amount.

Mushroom-Poblano Frittata

(from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. assorted mushrooms thinly sliced
1 large fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced into strips
1 cup chopped scallions or 1/2 cup chopped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I used less)
1/3 cup crumbled low-fat or fat-free feta
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and poblano are lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Add scallions, season with salt and pepper, and remove pan from heat.
2. Whisk eggs, cilantro, and cumin in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour eggs evenly over mushroom mixture and use a heatproof spatula to evenly disperse ingredients. Sprinkle feta over top. Cook until bottom is set, about 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until eggs are just set, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes. (OR place eggs and veggies in a oven proof bowl and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.)
3. Run heatproof spatula around edge of pan to release frittata. Slide frittata onto a warmed plate and cut into wedges to serve.

Tuscan Chicken

In honor of Mr. Lawyer's parents who are off galavanting around Italy and torturing us with amazing photographs I picked out this Tuscan inspired dish for Mr. Lawyer to make. He has mentioned that he misses cooking and after his chicken parm freak out I decided that he could cook this weekend. It came out great! I'm sure it can't compare to all the delicious grub that the parental units are indulging in but it was perfect for a cold rainy Sunday!

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
4. While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
6. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Stir Frying Away!

A few months ago Melissa asked me what cuisine I wanted to learn more about. Deep down I'm a pasta and bread girl but I feel like good Italian food is very accessible for the home cook. The two things I randomly crave but I have clue about are Asian and Mexican. I love a good stir fry from China Town, spicy peanut sauces from Thai places and nothing beats a good enchilada or quesadilla. So here it goes: Wicket, The General and I got busy in the kitchen tonight.

I'm pretty happy with how my first attempt at stir frying went. I decided to stick with veggies because the whole thing is rather intimidating without meat so the simpler the better. I picked out some of my favorite veggies: mushrooms, pepper, baby bok choy, broccoli and a little bit of leftover shallot. I found a recipe for a basic stir fry sauce and augmented it with a few ingredients from a szechuan sauce recipe: white pepper, red pepper flakes and a good squirt of sriracha sauce. My favorite was when you would get a bite with a ginger chunk in it. Yum!

Brown Garlic Sauce

(adapted from food.com)

I used this recipe more as a guideline for ingredients and directions, not for proportions.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup soy sauce (add slowly, to taste)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup rice wine or dry sherry
3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
3. Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
4. Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

For the stir fry I heated up the pan and oil, swirled it around, tossed in my veggies and bam! Stir frying away! Right at the end you're suppose to add the sauce or else it can burn.  I also had fun grinding up the white pepper and red pepper flakes with my mortar and pestle. 

Mr. Lawyer approved and cleaned his plate!

Fast Fish!

This dish was fast and good. It was a light dish and loaded with veggies. Perfect for detoxing after a week long eating fest! I ended up using my Hendrickson's Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil salad dressing because we didn't have any Italian (and the last thing I need is another bottle in my fridge!). It added a nice sweetness to it but it would have been interesting to have the zestiness from Italian. I think I'm finally getting the hang of cooking fish and knowing when it's done. This batch was perfectly moist and only semi-mangled.

Fast Fish Skillet

(adapted from Kraft Food & Family)

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets (1 lb.)
1/4 cup Italian Vinaigrette Dressing made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 tablespoon pesto
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise, then crosswise into slices
1 cup grape tomatoes
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil
Directions:
1. Brush fish with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Cook in skillet on medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork. Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.
2. Add remaining dressing, pesto, vegetables and tomatoes to skillet; cook 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Spoon over fish.
3. Top with basil.

There were a ton of veggies! I just dumped everything on one big platter.

Lovely Leftovers

Today we ventured down to Reading Terminal for lunch and veggie shopping. We ended up splitting the Turkey/Stuffing/Cranberry on sourdough sandwich from Original Turkey. Delicious! And good eating preparation for Thanksgiving. Iovine Brothers has gorgeous looking fruits and veggies on the cheap so we grabbed a few things for tonight's dinner. I got some amazing corn and black bean salsa from Whole Foods to top it off (store brand so it was cheap!).

Steak Fajitas

(from our kitchen!)

Ingredients:
Leftover Steak, sliced up
2 peppers (any color), sliced long
1 red onion, sliced long
1 long hot pepper or jalapeno, minced
Cabot Cheddar, shredded
Corn and black bean salsa
Tortillas
Olive Oil
Directions:
1. Heat up 1-2 tablespoons oil on medium heat in a large frying pan.
2. Saute the onion and peppers to desired crisp/softness. We like them a bit on the crunchy side.
3. Add the steak to warm it up.
4. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
5. Assemble your fajita!

Fridge Leftovers

There was a ton of leftover chicken. There were peppers about to go soft. What's a girl to do? Make Chicken Stuffed Peppers of course! This was pretty good. Not sure if I would make it again although I love the stuffing (heck it's just chicken and cheese, what's not to love!). I guess maybe it was the sauce? Good but a lot of work and I wanted something spicy! Mr. Lawyer broke out some tabasco. But it smelled so delicious and winter-homey while it was simmering. Maybe I need some new chili powder. 

Things I changed: I used bell peppers because that's what I had. Our chicken was already cooked so I just tossed it with some taco seasoning. Of course I changed the cheese. Everyone knows that monterey jack is weakling of cheese, I amped it up with some Cabot Cheddar (no surprise there right?).

Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
4 large Anaheim chile peppers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons hot chili powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 (1 ounce) square bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Place the chicken, taco seasoning mix, and water into a resealable plastic zipper bag, seal, and massage the bag with your fingers to mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.
2. Cut the stem and top 1/2 inch from the top of each pepper, and carefully remove the seeds without cutting holes or breaking skin of the peppers. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and immerse the peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes; cool immediately in a bowl of cold water. Drain the peppers and set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and chili powder, and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the chocolate until it melts and blends into the sauce. Allow the sauce to gently simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain the marinated chicken breasts, and place into a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes; remove chicken to a bowl, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, and lightly mix in a bowl with Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, and cilantro. Stuff each pepper with 1/4 of the chicken mixture, and place on a baking sheet.
5. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
6. Broil the stuffed peppers until blistered and hot, about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

Pre-sauce. Look at that golden cheddar. 

Some like it Spicy!

You need to make this dish. It's hard to have a favorite but this might be a favorite. I use to make huge batches all the time in Syracuse and then eat it all week. It's delicious. I had Mr. Lawyer over one time and he ate it politely and then told me that he wasn't a huge fan of peanut sauces so I had held off on making it on Philly....which is why I had Amanda over tonight because she appreciates peanut sauces! (and brings me crescent rolls and cookies) Then lo and behold Mr. Lawyer marches through the door, grabs a plate and devours it! He has now decided that this batch wasn't as peanut-y or that he might now like peanut sauces. Silly boys. Anyway, peanut sauce, spiciness, and shrimp! All on noodles! What's not to be in love with?
Recipe notes: I always double the sauce because if you save some, the noodles so it all up. I also keep the sauce and noodles separate for leftover purposes so I don't run into that soaked up all the sauce noodle problem. Watch your jalapenos! The first time I made this it was hot hot hot! Which is good because I'm kind of a glutton for punishment when it comes to things like this but not everyone likes having to take a drink or bite of roll in between ever forkful. Speaking of which Pillsbury Crescent Rolls go amazingly well with this dish. It must be the texture but I highly recommend them. I also like to use pre-cooked shrimp (medium size) because it's less gross than raw shrimp and I normally just add the whole bag of frozen shrimp because life is more fun with shrimp.

Linguine with Spicy Shrimp Sauce

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
8 oz linguine
12 oz shrimp (de-tailed)
2 red peppers
3 scallions
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil (I always use 2)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta according to directions.
2. Cut peppers into bite sized pieces (for less spice, seed the jalapeno)
3. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan, cover and simmer on low heat (stirring occasionally) until shrimp is cooked.

We're Saucy!

So Mr. Lawyer's mom loaded us up with all sorts of goodies this past weekend which included our own tray of eggplant parm (thanks Mrs. T!). I had hoped that it would last us a few days but alas, Mr. Lawyer ate half of it the first night and then had some for breakfast. So it only lasted us two days. Sad story.

Yum!

There was a random comment about eating meatless two nights in a row so I decided to treat the boy plus we had a bunch of peppers (thanks again Mrs. T!). Look at the pretty colors!

When we started cooking together in Syracuse this was one of the first recipes we tried. It's quick, easy and other than the beef and peppers, you probably have everything in your kitchen. It's very versatile: you can eat it with rice or in a tortilla, use whatever color peppers you want, you can easily increase or decrease the amount of peppers or meat, and you can experiment with flavors of bbq sauce. The first time we used brown sugar hickory sauce and this time we used Sweet Baby Ray's, both were delicious.

Saucy Pepper Steak

(Kraft Food and Family Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 each green, red and yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, well trimmed, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
2 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice
Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onions, cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large bow and keep warm.
2. Add meat, garlic and black pepper to skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add soy sauce; cook 1 minute or until meat is done. Stir in barbecue sauce; cook 2 to 3 min. or until heated through.
3. Combine meat and veggies, serve over rice.

Night 1: with spanish rice!

 Night 2: leftovers on tortillas!

The Harvest!

Now I just need something to do with the teeny tiny lonely golden bell pepper from my itsy bitsy balcony garden.

Pepper Break!

Last summer I was over run by peppers. One night for dinner all I ate was stuffed peppers. This recipe was quick and easy. I used my Hungarian Inferno peppers. This recipe helped mellow out the spiciness. I also ended up canning some of them and boy were they zippy!

Stuffed Hot Peppers

(allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground Italian sausage
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 tablespoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 Hungarian hot peppers, cored and seeded
Directions:
1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, cream cheese, garlic salt, Romano cheese, oregano, basil, bread crumbs and olive oil.
4. Stuff the peppers with the sausage mixture. Place on a baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes, until the stuffing is lightly brown and bubbly.

I grew these!

Baby Dill Steak

I lied. I felt guilty about not cooking and we had all this dill left over from the dill biscuits and a bunch of steaks in the freezer so I dug up this fabulous recipe from the internet. We were incredibly surprised with how well it turned out, just the right amount of dill flavor and perfectly cooked. I did the research and prep work (look at those knife cuts! Thank you Food Network!) and the lawyer did the cooking and dishes (Score!).

Baby Dill Steak

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1/2 cup fresh baby dill
1 cup fresh scallions, chopped
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Butter
Directions:
1. Heat pan with a light coating of olive oil on low heat, add dill, scallions and peppers. Cook for a few minutes.
2. Season steak with salt and pepper before adding it to the pan (with the veggies!), cover and cook for a few minutes depending on the size and then flip the steak and cook a few more. We did 7 minutes on the first side and 5 on the second side.
3. After you plate your steak and veggies, add a pat of butter to your steak.

Doing his thing.

Also, Go 'Cuuuuuuuse!!!!

Tasty Thai

So as my Dad always said "It's homemade because I made it in the house!" or something along that lines. This meal was not from scratch but I still loved it. I found some Tasty Thai Noodle Meal Kits by Spaa Natural Foods at Homegoods the other week. They were only a couple bucks but I would consider paying full price if I saw them again. I love Thai food but have always been a little bit scared about making it from scratch so this was a good way to start!

The kit comes with rice noodles and a sauce, you add whatever meat and veggies you want. I purchased Pad Thai Noodles (with delicious sweet sauce and a touch of spice) and Peanut Satay Noodles (with rich and creamy sauce, a savory blend of fresh coconut and roasted peanuts) both were given a "mild" spice rating however the Pad Thai was significantly hotter while the Peanut Satay was not spicy at all. Both were yummy though! I thought the Peanut Satay tasted more like the Pad Thai you would get in a restaurant.
And we had a special kitchen guest! Because of her love of Thai food we had Amanda over for our experiment! She brought over shrimp (yum!), mushrooms and green peppers to stir fry for our dishes. We were also very brave and added egg to our stir fry to make it more traditional. It all came out delicious!

Tasty Thai Pad Thai Noodles and Peanut Satay Noodles

(By Spaa Natural Foods)

Ingredients:
Noodle Kit with Sauce
Your choice of meat and veggies!
2 Eggs
Oil for stir frying
Directions:
1. Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat. Soak noodles for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. (Easy enough but our noodles were very al dente. In the future I would cook them a bit more. Completely my fault as I am not familiar with rice noodles and forgot to sample one!)
2. Stir-fry meat and veggies on high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add egg and mix in.
3. Combine Stir Fry, Noodles and Sauce.
4. Done. Eat. Enjoy.

Bread, Cinnamon Rolls and Sausage, Oh My!

What is better than homemade bread and cinnamon rolls on a freezing cold Sunday? Not much, other than the boy making dinner! Today's experiment was a new recipe for Amish bread. My loaf came out like a demented football but it tasted nice and sweet but slightly on the dense side. Nice crust. I split my batch into one loaf and one batch of 12 cinnamon rolls which were amazing! I used a Cinnabun clone recipe for the inside goo and top frosting and it was fabulous. The clone recipe did have a different, sweeter dough recipe with it but the Amish bread was perfect with it.

Amish White Bread

(allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 to 2/3 cup white sugar (the more sugar, the sweeter and denser the bread. I used 1/4)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Cinnabun Clones

(allrecipes.com)

Cinnabun Goo:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
Cinnabun Topping:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cinnabun Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Aaaaaand since Mr. Lawyer made us a dinner fit for a football game (because that's what's been on all afternoon) I must feature it. He grilled up some yummy Spicy Italian Sausage from Whole Foods with peppers and onions on my new Christmas Grill Pan. I then did a quick toast on the rolls in the grill pan once he had everything out and we topped them with some spicy german mustard (which has horseradish!) They were delicious and I actually kind of felt like we were at the game.