Fajita Stuffed Peppers, from Shelli

Fajita Stuffed Peppers

4 Bell Peppers
Leftover fajita meat (I had steak) 9 oz
Cilantro lime rice (recipe posted a few days ago) 8 oz
1 cup salsa
leftover grilled onions and peppers 5 oz


Slice tops off of peppers, carefully cut out ribs and seeds. Bring large pot of water to boil. Boil peppers for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the meat into smallish pieces. Mix in a bowl with rice, salsa, and peppers. You could really throw anything in here. Cheese, black beans, etc...

Once peppers are done, remove from water and drain. Stuff each pepper generously with the mixture, packing down. Bake in a 375* oven for 20ish minutes. I put some shredded cheddar on top and then baked for another 5 minutes.

Beef and Peppers w/Rice, from Carrie

1 sliced onion, 2 sliced green peppers, 1lb stew meat (lightly browned), 1 large can of diced tomatoes, some seasoned salt.

Throw all that in the crock and cook on low until dinnertime. Before I serve, I stir in one small can of tomato paste to thicken it up. I serve it over rice. It's a lot like a stuffed bell pepper recipe, I guess.

Tonight I'm getting fancy and I'm going to add a few sliced zucchini to the crockpot a few hours before it's dinnertime.

Steak and Pepper Sandwiches, and idea from Dani

I put somepaper thin steaks on the grill, sliced them up and mixed them with a sliced onion and a sliced bell pepper and sauted it until the onions and peppers were really soft.

Cut a loaf of foccacia in half, and toasted it, put it all together, covered the meat with cheese, baked for a minute and we had those with some leftover veggies.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas, an idea from Kris

I made chicken fajita quesadillas tonight. We had BBQ'd some bone in chicken breasts night before last with just some creole seasoning sprinkled on them. We had 2 breasts left over (we bought a 5 pack and cook 'em all, knowing we'd have an epiphany of something to do with the leftovers).

I took the chicken off the bone and chopped it up. In a pan, I sauteed a diced onion. When it was soft, I added a diced yellow pepper and diced red pepper as well as the chicken. I then added a can of fire roasted green chilis 1 tsp of the creole seasoning I used on the chicken, and the juice of 1 lime. I let it cook together until hot and the liquid had evaporated. I have a waffle iron that has a griddle on the opposite sides from the waffle-y part, so I flipped them both over to make a sandwich press. I put a tortilla on the bottom, spread some pepper jack cheese, topped with veggie/chicken mix, more cheese and another tortilla. I closed the griddle and let it cook until the tortillas were toasty. Cut them into 4ths and served the wedges with sour cream and salsa. They were damn good. I'm having leftovers for lunch at work tomorrow!

Carrie's take on Beef and Pepper Sandwiches

This recipe and Amy's Beef and Pepper Sandwiches are very similar, but Carrie does a few things differently.

Beef Roast sandwiches....

~ 1 Beef Roast 2-5 lbs ( I always wait until a roast ... any cut... is on sale. This time it was a shoulder round roast, 3.5lbs for 1.99 a lb .... normally $6.50 a lb)

~ 1 16 oz jar of whole pepperochinis

~ A bit of garlic (jarred minced, fresh minced or whole clove)

~ Salt and Pepper

~ Cheese

~ Rolls

Throw the roast in a crock pot (after you trim the fat a bit) and sprinkle some salt and pepper in there, open jar of pepperochinnis and dump the whole thing in, stems, juice and all). Add garlic. Cook on low 7-9 hours.

Now, there are several ways of finishing the meat. I remove the roast into a shallow pan, shred it, add the pepperochinis and shred them up a bit too, mix it all together and add a fair amount of the juice from the crockpot to moisten it up......

Some people just like to shred the roast right there in the crockpot in the juice. I'm sure that's fine but it might make the meat more soggy on your sandwich than I prefer.

......Take buns or hoagie rolls, top with beef mixture and your selection of cheese (I use Pepper Jack) and melt the cheese under the broiler.

Eat the best friggin' sandwich you've ever had.

Cook's Note: I always make sure to buy a bigger roast than we need because the leftover meat is so good! Sometimes we chop it up and make nachos out of it, or make tacos out of it, or beef encheladas.... the yumminess is endless.

Suggested by Rachael - Vaquero Steaks with pepper relish and goat cheese and Chimichurri Bread

Another Cuisine at Home recipe.

Vaquero Steaks with pepper relish and goat cheese and Chimichurri Bread.

Steaks:

3 teaspoons brown sugar
1.5 teaspoons each: paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper
salt to taste
4 sirloin steaks

Prepare grill to high. Combine brown sugar and seasonings in a small bowl; transfer 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture to a large bowl for the pepper relish. Rub remaining mixture over steaks and set aside until ready to grill.

Relish:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 each: red pepper, yellow pepper roasted, seeded and diced
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 goat cheese, crumbled

Whisk vinegar, Dijon, and sugar together with spices in the bowl. Drizzle in oil, whisking constantly, until blended. Add peppers and scallion, toss to blend.

Grill steaks on both sides to desired doneness. Remove from grill, let rest five minutes, serve with relish and goat cheese.

Bread:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon Parmesan, grated
1/2 teaspoon each: oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 baguette, halved horizontally

Preheat grill to high. Mash butter, Parmesan, herbs, pepper flakes, garlic, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in parsley. Spread butter over cut sides of baguette, then grill, buttered side down until toasted.

Chopped Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette, from Rachael

Chopped Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

2 Ripe Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup finely chopped Cucumber
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped Black Olives
1/4 cup finely chopped Red Onion
3 tbsps White Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 head Romaine Lettuce, finely shredded

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, and red onion; set asideIn a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking to combine. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables; cover and chill 1 hour. To serve, place lettuce on salad plates and top with vegetable mixture.

Ravioli & Sausage Lasagna, from Rachael

Ravioli & Sausage Lasagna

4 links (12 oz) Italian Turkey Sausage
1 jar (7 oz) Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped
1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
1 jar (26 oz) Marinara Sauce
1 pkg (30 oz) Frozen Large Square Cheese Ravioli, thawed
1 cup (4 oz) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 tbsps Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 375. You'll need a shallow 2 qt baking dish. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add sausages and cook, breaking up chunks, 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from heat, stir in roasted red peppers and basil. Spread 1 cup of sauce in baking dish. Top with a layer of 12 ravioli, the sausage mixture, then mozzarella cheese. Top with 1 cup sauce, remaining ravioli and remaining sauce. Cover with nonstick foil.Bake on a sheet of foil to catch any drips, 1 hour or until ravioli are tender when pierced. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake additional 5 minutes.

Suggested by Mandy - Turkey Jerk Burgers

Here is the recipe for the jerk turkey burgers from last week. The family likes them a lot, though we don't use rolls and I substitute mango for the papaya (I am cheap like that). The squeeze of lime juice is what makes it super.

Turkey Jerk Burgers (swiped from Rachael Ray)

1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
1 garlic clove, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1-inch ginger root, grated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, a few sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
1 teaspoon allspice, eyeball the amount
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg,
freshly grated or ground
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Coarse salt
Extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 ripe lime, juiced
4 bib or green leaf lettuce leaves
4 crusty plain or cornmeal dusted Kaiser rolls,

split Papaya Salsa:
1 large, ripe papaya, seeded, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, a palm full of leafy tops, finely chopped
1 navel orange, juiced
Coarse salt


Preheat a large nonstick skillet, indoor grill pan or tabletop grill to medium high heat. Combine the turkey, garlic, scallions, ginger, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Form mixture into 4 large patties no more than 1-inch thick. Drizzle the patties with a touch of oil. Place patties in a hot pan or on a hot grill and cook 6 minutes on each side. Squeeze the juice of 1 ripe lime over the patties before removing them from the heat. Place the cooked patties on bun bottoms and top with lettuce leaves. Combine the papaya, red bell pepper, red onion, serrano or jalapeno, cilantro and orange juice in a bowl. Season salsa with salt, to your taste. Pile salsa on top of the lettuce resting on cooked patties and add bun tops to the burgers. Serve with Chili Lime Avocados and pineapple wedges.

Chicken Bean Stuff, from Shelli

Tonight we had chicken/bean stuff in tortillas with Mexican Rice by Goya.

Mexican Rice (chicken flavor by Goya)...make per package instructions.

Chicken Bean Stuff:

1-10oz pkg original roasted chicken shortcuts from perdue (or use fresh chix if you're not a lazy beyatch like me)
1 can Goya black beans, drained, rinsed
Onions & Peppers (chopped--I use frozen...see above)
taco seasoning or Goya adobo seasoning, to taste

Put a tsp or two of olive oil in pan. Cook up onions and peppers along with beans. Season. Stir in chicken, cook until heated through.

Serve in tortillas w/all the usual fixings.

There, dinner's done. It wasn't half bad. I just invented that tonight. Go me.

Grilling Ideas from Tara

Some of our favs are kabobs with either chicken or steak, bell peppers, onions & mushrooms. Corn on the cob is great on the grill...just peel back the husks & rip the hairs out, spread on some butter & seasoning salt or chili powder and fold the husks back on & throw on the grill. We like grilled salmon. Marinate some salmon filets in a marinade of soy sauce & brown sugar. Good ole' BBQ chicken is always great too. Asparagus is fabulous on the grill also!

Grilling Ideas from Maria

Grab a bottle of Garlic & Herb 30 minute marinade & dump it on some chicken that you've cut into 1 inch(or so) cubes. Cut up some onion(sweeter variety like Vidalia or Walla Walla) & bell pepper(I prefer yellow or orange b/c they're sweeter) also into 1 inch pieces. You can also use cherry tomatoes if you like. Take the chicken & veggies & alternately thread them onto skewers(if bamboo or wood, be sure to soak them first so they don't burn up). I like to spray the veggies w/ I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray(butter flavor) & then grill them over med-high heat until chicken is done, turning every so often to each side of chicken is grilled. To make it easier, you may want to put the chicken & veggies on separate skewers.

Suggested by JulieZ - Spice-Rubbed Chicken and Vegetable Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Cream

SPICE-RUBBED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE TACOS WITH CILANTRO SLAW AND CHIPOTLE CREAM

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles* (about 2)

2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon smoked hot Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)**

2 1/4 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise

1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick strips

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, each halved horizontally

12 5- to 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas, warmed

Cilantro Slaw

2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Whisk sour cream and chipotle chiles in small bowl; season with salt. Whisk brown sugar and next 5 ingredients in another small bowl to blend for spice rub.

Place zucchini and bell pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle spice rub over both sides of vegetables and chicken.

Place chicken and vegetables on barbecue. Grill until vegetables are tender and browned in spots and chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to work surface; cut chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Cut vegetables crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Place chicken and vegetables in large bowl; toss to blend.

Place chicken and vegetables, chipotle cream, tortillas, slaw, and lime wedges on table. Allow guests to assemble their own soft tacos.

*Chipotle chiles canned in a spicy tomato sauce, which is sometimes called adobo, are available at some supermarkets, at Latin markets, and at specialty foods stores.

**Available at specialty foods stores and from tienda.com.

Test-kitchen tip: To warm tortillas, wrap in foil in packets of six. Place packets at the edge of the grill; turn occasionally.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appétit

Menus

NOTES:

This would be good for a party/guests.

We used flour tortillas instead.

I halved the recipe for the two of us.

Go easy on the chipolte peppers until you know how hot you can take it … you can always dip in the leftover adobe sauce … we did ¾ of a chipolte chili from the can (without the seeds) and added it to 8 oz sour cream
(I pureed in my small food processor). I used the Embasa brand of chipolte peppers in adobe sauce.

http://www.embasa.com/

this is how I did the spices on chicken … for half of the recipe

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

½ tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder --- a little under a teaspoon

1 teaspoon onion powder --- a little under a teaspoon

I just used the paprika I had sitting on the shelf, other reviewers of the recipe added cayenne pepper if they didn’t have the called-for paprika and if they wanted it spicier, but it was hot enough for me.

I did not do the zucchini or bell peppers, I would do red bell peppers though

I put a little bit of oil on the chicken as I added the spices … I used safflower oil because I did not have canola

For the slaw mix, I did 1/3 of the recipe, except I went crazy on the fresh cilantro. I used safflower oil and I have used fresh lime or the bottle of lime juice that has been sitting in the fridge for forever, still turned out yummy. Add more lime to taste. I used sea salt.

We just nuked (aka micowaved) our tortillas as we made our tacos. You can dip into the sour cream mixture instead of putting it on each taco, in case, it’s too spicy for someone. I put it on mine and dip extra, yummmm!

.

CILANTRO SLAW

12 ounces BAG of shredded three-color coleslaw mix (about 7 cups)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place coleslaw mix and cilantro in large bowl. Whisk canola oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add to cabbage mixture; toss to coat.

Makes about 5 cups.

Bon Appétit

Menus

June 2006

Suggested by Heather - Thai Summer Squash and Tofu with Fresh Corn

Thai Summer Squash and Tofu with Fresh Corn
Cooking Light, JULY 2000

Ingredients

1 teaspoon roasted peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 cup diced zucchini
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup (1/2-inch) sliced green onions
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon mushroom or low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups hot cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted cashews, toasted

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, and tofu; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir-fry for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, corn, and the next 8 ingredients (corn through jalapeno). Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until the corn is tender. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with cashews.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups vegetables, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons nuts)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 283(28% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 3g,mono 2.4g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 12.9g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 78mg; SODIUM 462mg; FIBER 5.5g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.4g

**NOTES** You can't even notice the jalapeno. I will definitely try to get some more spice in there next time. I will try to find Thai basil to use and maybe add some crushed red pepper (I have super hot red pepper flakes from an Indian grocery).

Jerk Chicken, by Kris

Jerk Chicken Marinade:
1 small onion
3 cloves whole fresh garlic (you can cheat and used jarred fresh garlic)
1TBSP ground coriander
1 TBSP ground Jamaican allspice
1 tsp. ground cinammon1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 TSBP brown sugar
3 Habanero peppers with seeds and ribs
1 tsp peppercorns (or cracked black pepper)
(To decrease the heat in this marinade, remove the seeds and ribs from the Habanero peppers, or use less. To increase the heat, use more habanero peppers!)

In a food processor, pulse the above ingredients until well blended. Add the following wet ingredients:

1 TSBP white vinegar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
juice of 3 fresh limes
Pulse to blend.

Pour into a large ziplock bag and add chicken (or steak) to marinade. Allow to marinade in refrigerator overnight.
Grill until done and serve with Limey-Coconut Rice.

Chicken-Fajita Quesadillas, by Kris

*Yummy asses chicken-fajita quesadillas, really*

-shred the chicken

- finely dice onions, and bell peppers (green and red)

-put chicken and veggies on a flour tortilla

-smother with pepper jack cheese

-cover with another flour tortilla

-press in a hinged pancake griddle (it's my waffle iron that you flip the sides and they are flat griddles.)

-voila - yummy asses chicken fajita quesadillas....

Penne Rigate with Chicken, suggested by Angie

We had whole wheat penne with chicken tonight. I thought they were rotini noodles, turns out they're penne. I used a jarred alfredo sauce, and it turned out pretty dang good!

Here's the recipe (from the back of the pasta box)

Penne Rigate With Chicken

1 box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Penne Rigate
2-3 TBS olive oil
1/2 each: yellow pepper, green bell pepper, onion and garlic clove, chopped
1 jar (26 oz) prepared pasta sauce (your favorite flavor)
3 grilled or cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley or basil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Saute peppers, onion, and garlic in oil until tender
3. Stir in pasta sauce, chicken, and parsely or basil. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve sauce mix over pasta.

Hint: We threw the chicken breasts into a bag with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then we shook it all up, and cooked the chicken on the grill. Shake & Grill! Tasted yummy!

Stuffed Green Peppers, from Carrie

So tonight's dinner is going to be stuffed green peppers.

4 medium to large green peppers
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 cup frozen or canned corn (or more if you like)
Italian seasoning to taste
Mozzarella cheese

Slice tops of peppers off and set aside, de-seed peppers. Brown ground beef, drain. In a large bowl, mix sauce, seasoning to taste, beef, diced onion and corn.....throw in a little cheese for good measure.

Fill peppers, top with mozzarella cheese, re-top with pepper stem (just for looks, really), place in baking dish, cover with foil or glass lid and bake 375 for 45 minutes.

Serve with a side of Parmesan noodles. Hmmmm.

Some people like to add rice to the recipe (ok, most people) but I'm not one of them so I leave it out.

Crock Pot Jumbalaya, from Rachael

Tonight we are having crock pot Jambalaya.

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 oz. smoked sausage, chopped

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped

2 cups beef broth

1 cup cooked rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in crock pot. Cook on low 9-10 hours.

If you want to add shrimp (I'm allergic) throw it in the last 30 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.

Suggested by Rachael, Rachael Ray's Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

Tonight we are having Sausage, Pepper, & Onion Sandwiches. This one is Rachael Ray's too. Hey, don't blame me, I got 6 of her cookbooks for Xmas. I guess I am supposed to love her because we have the same name?

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage

3/4 pound hot Italian sausage

3 tablespoons evoo

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 to 3 hot cherry peppers, banana peppers, or pepperoncini, finely chopped

3 tablespoons hot pepper juice from the jar

4 crusty sub rolls

1 tablespoon evoo

3 tablespoons butter

1 large clove garlic

1.5 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Place the sausages in large nonstick skillet. Pierce the casings with a fork. Add 1 inch water to the pan. Bring liquid to a boil. Cover sausages, reduce heat and simmer, 10 minutes.

Heat a second skillet over med-high heat. Add two tablespoons evoo. Add garlic, onion, cubanelle, and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain sausages and return pan to stove, raising heat back to med-high. Add the remaining tablespoon evoo to the skillet; brown and crisp the casings. Remove sausages, slice into 2 inch pieces on an angle and set pieces back in the pan to sear.

Prepare the bread: Preheat the broiler to high. Split the bread and toast under the broiler. Melt evoo and butter together in a small pan over med heat. Add garlic and let sizzle a minute or two. Brush rolls with garlic butter and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning.

Combine the cooked peppers and onions with the sausages. Add hot peppers and hot pepper juice to the skillet. Toss and turn the sausage, peppers, and onions.

Pile the mixture onto the rolls and serve.