Peppers Stuffed with Pork

Cheese, beef, veggies, rice and lentils...those are just a few ways I've stuffed peppers over the years. This version, by Nigel Slater, caught my eye because the peppers are stuffed with a simple ground pork filling.  Nigel goes on to say that he's tried lots of fillings for peppers, but that this pork filling is his favorite.  I can see why.  These stuffed peppers were succulent and flavorful.  A go to recipe that I will be making again and again.   

It all begins with by combining onion, garlic, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning until it breaks down in the pan and becomes a saucy mixture. 

Then you simply add the raw ground pork to the pan, along with the breadcrumbs, and mix until everything is combined.  Halve and seed the peppers, boil them for about 5 minutes, then place on a baking sheet and fill with the pork mixture. Bake for 35 minutes and you're all set for one delicious dinner!  Really couldn't be easier.

Peppers Stuffed with Pork

Adapted from Tender

by Nigel Slater

Enough for 4

a large onion

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more

2 cloves garlic

rosemary or other Italian herbs

2 large tomatoes

1 pound ground pork

1 cup breadcrumbs

6 smallish bell peppers

grated Parmesan, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Peel and finely chop the onion, then put it into a large, shallow pan with the oil over medium heat.  Let the onion soften without coloring.  Peel and slice the garlic, chop the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary (or other Italian herbs), and add to the onion. When all is soft and fragrant, chop the tomatoes and stir them in.  Continue cooking until the tomatoes have collapsed into the sauce.  Season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the ground pork and the breadcrumbs.  Remove from the heat.  Note: Pork will be raw at this point.  It will cook in the oven.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, then lower them into a pan of boiling water and cook for six to eight minutes, until they are slightly limp.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them, skin side down, in an ovenproof baking dish.

Divide the pork mixture among the peppers, then moisten with a little olive oil.  Scatter grated Parmesan over the top and bake for thirty-five minutes, until sizzling.

Theme: Mediterranean Magic!

A Family Friendly Lunch: {Mini Meatball Sammies; Veggies with Mint; and Oatmeal, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies}

Are you familiar with The Incredible Hulk? If so then you are likely picturing images of The Hulk busting out of his clothing and screaming at the top of his lungs. That is what my children turn into when they are hungry and wanting to eat. It's as if they need to convey their intense hunger to everyone within a 500 miles radius.     

Now I love having my kiddos home with me in the summertime, but feeding them is a real issue.  There are two constant battles.  The first issue being that they are always hungry.  The second being that they crave junk constantly.  It is a constant battle to keep enough healthy food in the house that they are willing to eat.

This is definitely a family friendly meal that worked for us.  The kids were tricked into eating the meatballs because they were placed inside a fluffy, soft, sweet little roll.  Plus, ketchup and kids just go together.  Put a little ketchup on that meatball and you're good to go.  Zucchini and summer squash are somewhat mild in flavor and I can almost always get my kiddos to eat them.  It helps that they love the yellow and green color. Of course, if for any reason they refuse the veggies, then I go ahead and bribe them with the cookies.  At least the cookies have oats and dried fruit and don't come from a package or the ice cream truck. It's all about compromise!

Mini Meatball Sammies

Adapted from Weeknights With Giada

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

1/4 cup finely crushed corn flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons ketchup, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese

8 ounces ground beef, lean 90%

salt and pepper, to taste

12 (2-1/2 inch) sweet dinner rolls, such as King's Hawaiian, halved

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium bowl, stir together the corn flakes, parsley, egg, oil, 2 tablespoons ketchup, the romano cheese, salt and pepper.  Add the ground beef and gently stir to combine.  With damp hands, roll the mixture into 12 mini meatballs.  Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through.  Cool for 10 minutes.

Make an indentation in the center of the bottom halves of the rolls.  Slice the meatballs in half and place two halves in each indentation.  Add about 1 teaspoon of ketchup to each one and place the top half of the roll on top.  Arrange sandwiches on a platter and serve. 

Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash with Mint

Adapted from Weeknights with Giada

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray

3 medium zucchini

3 medium yellow summer squash

1 leek, sliced into rings or 1 onion, quartered and sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven.  Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil. 

Trim the zucchini and squash, and then cut each one in half lengthwise.  Cut the halves crosswise into 1-inch half moons.

Arrange the zucchini, squash, leek/onion, and garlic in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn the vegetables over and continue to bake for 5 minutes longer.  (Be careful not to roast for too long or the veggies will become very soft).

Transfer the vegetables to a platter.  Add the mint, toss to combine, and serve.

Oatmeal, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from Weeknights with Giada

by Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 12 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temp

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

1 (4-ounce) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate bar*

*Notes: I used regular semisweet chocolate and bought Ghiradelli 

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.  With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture.  Add the oats, cranberries, and chocolate chunks.  Mix until just incorporated; it will be stiff.

Using a 4-ounce cookie scoop or 1/4-cup measure, scoop 12 (2-inch) slightly rounded mounds of the dough.  Place 6 balls of dough, spaced evenly apart, on each baking sheet.  Using the back of a spoon, flatten the tops slightly.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges.  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

June Potluck at I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Souper Sundays every Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen

Asparagus Tarts with Lemon and Cream

When my friend Susan, of The Spice Garden, shared these Asparagus Tarts with Lemon and Cream I knew I had to make them straight away.  The combination of glorious fresh spring asparagus, a creamy parmesan cheese sauce, and crispy flaky puff pastry.  Ooh la la!  This dish is the very definition of spring eating!

We enjoyed these tarts all on their own, but I think they would be wonderful served alongside some scrambled eggs.  A little mimosa, glass of champagne, white wine, or maybe even a peach bellini would be a nice way to top things off.

Asapargus Tarts with Lemon and Cream

Recipe by Nigel Slater, also found at

The Spice Garden

Makes 5

Ingredients

1 box puff pastry sheets, cut into five rectangular strips about 3" wide and longer than the asparagus

10 perfect asparagus spears, blanced for 2 minutes in boiling water and place in an ice bath 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon yellow mustard, or to taste* Optional

flat leaf parsley, a few sprigs, finely chopped

zest of ½ lemon

Note: I added a teaspoon or so or mustard to the cheese and cream base.

Making the Tarts 

 Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the puff pastry strips on a rimmed cookie sheet and score a rectangular "frame" in the dough with a sharp knife. Dry the blanched asparagus spears on paper towels while you make the cream sauce.  Place the cream and cheese in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the cheese is almost melted. Drizzle a generous teaspoon of the sauce on the inner rectangle space of each pastry strip.  Lay the spears atop the sauce, and drizzle the rest of the sauce over top the spears.  Sprinkle on the black pepper.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until the pastry is golden and the sauce is bubbly and golden.  Serve right from oven. 

 

 

Theme: Let's Do Brunch!

Nigel Slater's Green Chicken Minestrone

Nothing like starting off your Memorial Day Weekend with a nice case of the flu.  Not just a silly case of the stomach flu either.  The real flu.  As in Strain B.  So yeah, that cough I thought was just allergies.  Not so much.  It was the real deal flu.  My doctor was baffled.  Said he never saw a case of the flu so late in the year.  

Now I work at the schools and so the general consensus was that I picked up the flu from work, but funny enough that wasn't the case.  A quick glance through my facebook feed revealed the real culprit.  The Jazzercise Center.  Can you believe I got the flu from working out?  Turns out I wasn't the only one with the flu.  There were several of us from the center that were down for the count.  The funny part?  My doctor's married to the instructor who owns the Jazzercise center.  Something tells me he saw a few more patients with the flu as the week wore on.   

All week long I fantasized about eating a nice healing bowl of soup. So my first foray back into the kitchen is in fact a huge pot of soup filled with green veggies, beans, pasta, and tender chicken.  In fact, the name Green Chicken Minestrone just sounds like it should nurse you back to health, doesn't it?  I know I certainly feel better after enjoying a bowl. Good thing cause I gotta get my strength back up so I can return to Jazzercise tomorrow. 

Green Chicken Minestrone

 by Nigel Slater

recipe found on The Guardian

Serves 3-4

The recipe: Season four chicken thighs then brown them on both sides in a little oil in a casserole or heavy deep-sided pan. Roughly chop and thoroughly wash two small leeks, an onion, or 2 shallots. Lift out the browned thighs and set aside, then tip the chopped leeks (onions or shallots) into the pan and let them soften over a low heat, stirring regularly so they do not brown. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, pour over a litre of chicken stock, and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the pods from 450g of broad beans. Break 50g of linguine into short lengths (about 2cm) and add to the pan, turning the heat up so the liquid boils, then cook for eight or nine minutes until the pasta is cooked. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the podded beans and 200g (shelled weight) of peas to the soup. I didn't use broad beans. I used about 2 cups of frozen peas. I also added about 2 cups of kale torn into smallish pieces and added a can of cannellini beans that had been drained. Finish with a good handful of freshly chopped parsley, check the seasoning and serve.

The Trick:  Brown the chicken thoroughly, a little more than usual, so the caramelised notes enrich the stock. The chicken pieces will also look better that way. You can use chicken or vegetable stock for this. I like to lift the chicken out of the cooking liquor before I add the pasta, then return it just as the pasta is ready. It won't come to grief if you leave it in, but by removing the chicken you will reduce the risk of overcooking.

The Twist: Instead of broad beans, use green French beans, chopped into short lengths, like the pasta. Add a hit of lemon by adding lemon thyme and a good tablespoon of chopped leaves. At the last moment, fold a handful of young spinach or garlic leaves into the stock.

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Theme: Veg Out!

Vegetable Rolls with Chile Yogurt Sauce

I'm not going to sit here and lie to you.  This is a "somewhat fussy" recipe.  Fiddling around with rice paper can be a little frustrating.  In fact, I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say even the most experienced cook is going to tear one or two of those pesky little wrappers.  So just expect a few rips here or there and remind yourself that your rolls don't have to be perfect! Or at least that's what I tell myself.

I'm also not going to tell you this recipe is "speedy" whatsoever.  There's lots of washing, chopping, boiling, mixing, dipping, and delicate handling involved.  Towards the end you might even feel as though these little rolls took entirely too long. I will confess to being totally over them by the time I was done making them. 

However, all those negative thoughts will fly right out the window as soon as you take that first bite.  These little veggie rolls are pretty much screaming with flavor.  Bright pops of red, orange and yellow veggies add color and crunch.  The chile yogurt sauce is fiery hot and lends a decadent creaminess that makes these rolls feel truly indulgent.  The soft soba noodles make for a pillowy soft center that is rather addictive.  I found two of these rolls very satisfying.  We loved these and I would most definitely make them again!

 Vegetable Rolls With Chile Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from Feel Good Food

by Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 8/Serves 4

Sauce

1/3 cup plain nonfat 0% Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce

1 garlic clove, minced* 

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

Rolls

4 ounces dried soba buckwheat noodles

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, shredded

8 (8-inch) rice paper rounds

8 fresh lettuce leaves, ribs removed

8 fresh basil leaves

8 fresh mint leaves

For the Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, chile sauce, lemon juice, fish/soy sauce, garlic, and agave.

For the Rolls: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the noodle and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 2-inch pieces.  Add the noodles, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and carrot to the yogurt sauce and toss until coated.

Lay a damp kitchen or paper towel on a work surface.  Soak a rice paper round in warm water until softened, 20 to 30 seconds.  Put the rice paper on the damp towel.  Lay a lettuce leaf in the middle of the rice paper and spoon 1/3 cup of the noodle mixture on top.  Put 1 basil leaf and 1 mint leaf on top of the noodle mixture.  Roll the rice paper around the filling and seal the ends with a little water.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.   

If not serving immediately, drape the finished veggie rolls with damp paper towels, wrap with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.

Per Serving (2 rolls): Calories: 110; Protein: 4g; Carbs: 24g; Fiber; 1g; Sugar: 4g; Fat: 0g

Theme: May Potluck!

Mini Spinach and Feta Pies {Spanakopita}

I'd like to dedicate this recipe to all the boxes of phyllo dough that expired in my freezer over the years.  You see, I've always wanted to try my hand at making Spanakopita, spinach and feta pies, but honestly the task always seemed a little too daunting.  So I procrastinated this recipe, or a version of it, for a few years and then quite honestly another few years. Cause that's how I roll.  I'm pretty much the Queen of Procrastination.

So here it is.  My rather lazy approach to Spanakopita. I couldn't possibly be bothered to make the recipe as directed, which was to make one large and enclosed rectangular pie.  That task seemed entirely too fussy for me.  Instead I cut the phyllo dough into squares and made mini pies in a muffin tin.  I supported my laziness by telling myself my pies would be prettier than the enclosed version because you'd actually be able to see the filling in my version.  One excuse wasn't enough to make myself feel better about not making the full-fledged version, so I also told myself that my version would be easier to eat.  I've noticed that I need a minimum of two excuses to feel better about things.  

Mini Spinach and Feta Pies

Adapted from The Guardian

by Nigel Slater 

Makes 8 mini pies 

6 sheets of filo pastry

melted butter, for brushing

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

250g spinach

8 ounces of feta, crumbled

Set the oven at 200C/375F.  Saute onion and garlic a pat of butter.  Add spinach and cook until wilted and combined with onions and garlic.  Once the spinach is cooked down add the feta cheese and combine in pan.  Set filling mixture aside to cool.

Butter a muffin tin well.  Roll out the 6 sheets of filo pastry and brush with melted butter, somewhat generously (Nigel's instructions call for brushing each sheet of pastry individually with butter.  I did not do this.  I just buttered the top sheet generously and noticed the butter seemed to sink through).  Cut the filo pastry into 8 squares.  Place a filo square into each muffin tin.  When the filling has cooled somewhat fill each filo square with the spinach mixture.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is set.  Cool well before eating to avoid burns. 

Theme:  A Little Cheese, Please!

Nigel Slater's "Needs Must" Fettuccine Alfredo

When my good friend Deb, of Kahakai Kitchen, shared this recipe for Nigel Slater's "Needs Must" Fettuccine Alfredo I knew straight away I had to make it!  I found myself drooling over Deb's pics of creamy and comforting fettuccine noodles.  Then I noticed how simple the recipe was.  Easiest recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo ever.  Five ingredients.  Dead Simple. 

Now I will confess.  It's hard to justify eating something so indulgent.  However, my thirteen year old daughter simply loves Fettuccine Alfredo and it just so happens that she is underweight.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  I made this Fettuccine Alfredo for her.  After all, the doctor did say she needed to gain weight and it is my job to feed the child. I'm telling you.  This parenting gig is a rough job sometimes.  The things we have to suffer through.

 Nigel Slater's "Needs Must" Fettuccine Alfredo

recipe found on Kahakai Kitchen 

and also found in Notes From the Larder

by Nigel Slater 

Enough for 2

9 ounces (250g) fettuccine or other favorite pasta shape

1 cup (250ml) heavy cream

thick slice of butter

nutmeg

About 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Salt and lots of black pepper, to taste

Boil the fettuccine (or other pasta shape) in deep heavily salted water till al dente.  Put the cream in a saucepan with the butter and warm over gentle heat.  Grate in a little nutmeg.  Stir in most of the grated Parmesan and a generous amount of black pepper, then toss in the lightly drained pasta.  Toss gently and serve with remaining Parmesan.   

Theme: Weeknight Favorites!