Unstuffed Bell Peppers

My mother in law Vereen reminded me of a recipe she would make, stuffed bell peppers.  I wanted to make a similar recipe, a homemade easier to eat version.  This recipe gives all the flavors of stuffed bell peppers, but it's all made in one skillet and easy to serve and eat.  Truth be told, I'm a sucker for flavors like the ones found in this recipe.  I bought the bell peppers in the discount bin, so I needed to use them for something.  If you happen to have a discount bin, then I recommend buying your peppers this way.   The other ingredients are pretty standard and not too expensive.

This is how stuufed peppers should be.

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 Pint Canned Whole Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Peppers
2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
2 cups Shredded Gouda (Monterey Jack, or Cheddar will also work)
3 cups cooked Brown Rice (white rice can be substituted)

Dice the peppers and onion.

Brown meat with onion and peppers in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat.
Sprinkle paprika and crushed red pepper on meat mixture.

Add tomatoes, and crush wish spoon.  Add rice.  Stir to combine.

Sprinkle cheese on top and cover pan and cook over low until cheese is melted.

Put the pan under the broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly browned slightly.

Enjoy!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Yellow Onion

1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef

1 Pint Canned Whole Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Crushed Red Peppers

2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika

2 cups Shredded Gouda (Monterey Jack, or Cheddar will also work)

3 cups cooked Brown Rice (white rice can be substituted)

Process:

Dice the peppers and onion.

Brown meat with onion and peppers in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle paprika and crushed red pepper on meat mixture.

Add tomatoes, and crush wish spoon.  Add rice.  Stir to combine.

Sprinkle cheese on top and cover pan and cook over low until cheese is melted.

Put the pan under the broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly browned slightly.

Enjoy!

Baked Beans

Every once in awhile my refrigerator surprises me with just the right leftover to make something I enjoy eating, and it didn't even take much effort.  Today was one of those days, a spontaneous recipe came to my mind.  Remember when I made white bean and vegetable soup?  I used only half of the brined beans and put the other half in my refrigerator.  My mind immediately thought of those beans today and decided it was time to make baked beans.   Granted, neither my mind nor my body knows how to make baked beans from scratch.  When I looked up a recipe, I was surprised to find that almost all of the recipes started with a can of pork and beans.  This won't do.  I have uncooked beans and a van frozen on the street.  The buses are not working in my favor (late and sporadic).  Only one answer, make it up, find the ingredients that produce the wonderful flavor of baked beans and make it or fake it. I should mention, none of my family like beans.  So, when I make beans, it is really just for me and so this recipe doesn't feed a family (you'll need to double it if you are feeding more than two people).

 What do you think for my very first totally from scratch baked beans?

 Ingredients for this recipe are: Water, 1/2 lb. white beans(already brined, recipe for quick brining here), 1 small yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 12 slices bacon, 1 cup barbecue sauce (I used homemade, recipe found here), 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (brown sugar would also work), and 2 tablespoons
spicy brown mustard.

 Dice onion and bell pepper.

 Saute vegetables in your choice of 2 tablespoons of oil.  I used Olive Oil.

 Cut six slices of bacon into 1 inch pieces.

 Saute bacon slightly, to render some of the fat (reduce the fat).

 Just a little golden brown, and a little less fatty.

 Add all the ingredients (only add 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce) and enough water to cover beans by two inches, to a pressure cooker pot, or a stock pot.  Cover with lid, set pressure cooker to high for 30 minutes.  Cook on stovetop on medium until boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours until beans are tender.

Preheat oven to 325 Fharenheit

 Using a slotted spoon or fine mesh spoon ladle everything into an oven safe dish.  I used a 9 inch
square non-stick metal pan.

 Add 2 tablespoons molasses and 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.

 Cook the remaining 6 pieces of bacon slightly, until some fat is rendered and golden brown.

 The beans with the extra goodness added.

 Place bacon on beans.  Bake in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

 Do you see the difference?  Oh my goodness does this smell spectacular?

I dished some up for me and my friend Whitney and she said they were even better then her
mom's.  The good news is, you can make baked beans from dry beans to finish and they taste
 amazing.  Whitney's husband love's baked beans so I sent the other half home with her.  Again
this doesn't make very much, so remember if you are cooking for a family, double it.

Enjoy!

Tikka Masala Vegetables

I have been making Indian food for dinner tonight. Tikka Masala Vegetables was the next dish I worked on. This was a side dish to the chicken nuggets.  I used the other half the spice mixture from the Garam Masala Sauce for this recipe as well, so hopefully you still have the Garam Masala spice mixture too.  

 Sneak preview of everything altogether.

 Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 green bell pepper, 1 cup baby carrots (2 large carrots), 2 small potatoes, 1 small yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 inch piece of ginger, the other half of the
Garam Masala spice mixture from the recipe found here, 2 tablespoons Ghee (recipe found here),
 and not pictured is 2/3 cup yogurt (recipe found here).

Peel the potatoes and dice them along with the other vegetables.  Using a garlic press mince the
garlic, and using a grater grate the ginger.

 Saute vegetables with Ghee in a large pan.  Sprinkle with spice mixture.

 Stir until combined, add 1/4 cup water and cover with lid.  Cook on medium until vegetables
 are tender.

 Add yogurt, stir and serve...

With the Garam Masala sauce, chicken, and Roti.

Enjoy!

Chili

Tonight's chili began last night.  Well before last night I had found a 1 lb. bag of black beans in the back of my cupboard and wanted it to be chili.  I also wanted this chili to be different than my previous versions.  I like chili, my husband even asked for chili the other day.  Here it is, a new take on chili.

Cornbread and chili, mmmm yummy.

 Ingredients for brining beans: 6 tablespoons coarse salt, 4 quarts water in lidded container,
1 lb black beans.

 Add 6 tablespoons coarse salt or Kosher salt to 4 quarts of water in a large lidded container, mix until salt is dissolved.  Rinse black beans and add to salted water.  Allow beans to brine over night.

Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 lb. brined black beans (rinsed in cool water and allowed to drain), 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow onion, 1 bunch of fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dry), 2 ears of corn on the cob, 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 lbs. beef chuck roast,  1 1/2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, 1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, 3 dried Ancho chilies, 2 Costeño Chilies.

 Ingredients for searing meat: salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 lbs. beef chuck roast.

 Preheat pan, sprinkle both sides of beef with salt and pepper.  Add oil to pan, watch for rippling
in oil and then add the beef.

 Sear meat on all sides.

 Remove from heat and cut into small pieces, varying the cut size form 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes.

 Dice the yellow onion and saute in the oil used to sear the beef.  Saute until translucent.

 In a dry pan over medium flame, toast cumin, coriander, and chilies until you see smoke.
Remove from heat and grind in spice grinder, or blender.

 Add spices and chilies to 1 teaspoon Better than Boullian and 1/4 cup water.

 Cook spice mix for 3 minutes.

 Mix beef, beans, spice mix, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions, and 1 quart beef broth (I used water and Better Than Boullian Beef) in a pressure cooker (or in dutch oven or stock pot on stove top).  Set Pressure cooker to high for 90 minutes.

 

After 90 minutes, and the natural pressure release we have this beautiful chili base, 

lets add the fresh stuff.

  

Dice bells peppers, and cut corn from cobs.

 Saute corn and bell peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes, add fresh oregano
(cut into small pieces) or dried and cook another minute.

 Add sauteed vegetables to chili.

If you want a thicker chili, mix 1/4 cup Maseca with 1/2 cup water and
add as much as your desire to thicken.

Heavenly Southwestern aromas will fill your home.

Enjoy!