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!

Beef Stir Fry

My family went to Maryland to visit friends two and a half weeks ago and I completely left my laptop power supply and cord at our friends house.  It was torture.  I had to read and send emails on my phone and auto correct made it impossible to write intelligible emails.  When it comes to my recipes, I couldn't upload my photo's and edit them and post on my blog.  I am so sorry for not posting sooner. Thankfully, my friend brought me my cord and I can now leave my computer power rationing behind me and post all the recipes that I have ready to share.  Hopefully the recipes I have to share make up for my absence, be brutal, you can chastise me if these recipes don't hold up to what you expected from my absence.  Okay, now that I have explained and given my pathetic excuse for not blogging, here you go, the moment you have been waiting for.  

This recipe came about after a night of wanting to make an easy dinner, and no I didn't photograph it. My husband took the leftovers to work and he and his co-worker shared them.  The co-worker being Fernando, you remember him right?  Anyway he said, this is very good stir fry.  She's gonna post this right?  To which I said, no I didn't photograph the process, and he said well then you have to make it again.  Finally, I made it again, and photographed my process.  This is a simple stir-fry, as in a few ingredients but with a lot of flavor and color.  I love stir-fry's because of the color and all the vegetables you can cook together.  Stir fry is like the Chinese equivalent of the American casserole but a lot faster and maybe even healthier?  Who knows, anyway recipe time.

 I have an extreme need to create a rainbow when stir-frying, the taste and textures worked well.

Ingredients for this recipe are:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (Yes, that's right I let the butcher cut the beef, and it was at an Asian market, so I figured I was good to go.)
1 Yellow Crookneck Squash
1 Zucchini
1 Crown of Broccoli
2 Carrots
1 Yellow Bell Pepper (If you can get red, use red)
1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms
5 Green Onions
2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce
1 1/2 cups Water
Cornstarch
Vegetable Oil

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice
sauce in a small bowl and whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.
Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green
onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds
 you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A word of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature
your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking
 hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok, you can start, I mean everything.  You need
all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  Preheat the
wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half
 the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the
beef to the bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

 That beef is done.  Yes, you will create a lot of smoke, hence the need for excellent ventilation.

Place the wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables:
broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create
slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see it is
 bubbling, add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

 Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

  

Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (pre-sliced beef stir fry)

1 Yellow Crookneck Squash

1 Zucchini

1 Crown of Broccoli

2 Carrots

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms

5 Green Onions

2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce

1 1/2 cups Water

Cornstarch

Vegetable Oil

Process:

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice sauce in a small bowl, whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.  Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell pepper together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A ward of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok you can start, I mean everything.  You need all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  

Preheat the wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the beef tot he bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

Place wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables: broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see is bubbling add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Remember Ratatouille, the cute rat Remi who loved to cook and dreamed of working in a French restaurant? His culminating dish being Ratatouille.  I have been fascinated by the simple French dish ever since and finally felt inspired to make it as my contribution to a dinner my family was invited to attend. We were invited to someone else's apartment for dinner! Truly miraculous, our Chinese teenager was surprised too, he even remarked that this was the first time we were invited and he was able to come to someone else's home for a meal. We have friends over often for a meal in our apartment, but more rare for us to go to someone else's home.  It could be because we are a large family of seven.  Or, as Sarah the friend who invited us over remarked, because she is intimidated by my cooking.  Thank you Sarah for inviting us over.  She had a few food issues that I tried to address when I picked a recipe.  She is allergic to shell fish and soy and her stomach has trouble digesting a lot of fat.  When I went shopping last week I picked up the cutest small eggplants and then at my favorite Asian market I bought the other vegetables.  This is a wonderful vegetable side dish.  My husband loved it.  Sarah also enjoyed it.  Now I can say I have made ratatouille, and it was delicious.

 This is how vegetables should be eaten.

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Crookneck Squash

1 Zucchini

3 small Eggplants

6 Campari Tomatoes

1 Red Bell Peppers

1 Orange Bell Peppers

2  Shallots

6 cloves of Garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Preheat Oven to 500 Fahrenheit

Wash and cut squash, zucchini, eggplants, and  bell peppers into 1/2 inch chunks.

Peel garlic and shallots and mince very small.

Put all the cut vegetables into a large bowl.

Pour olive oil to coat the vegetables, sprinkle salt and stir until all the vegetables are coated with oil and salt.

Place vegetables on one or two sheet pans depending how big your sheet pans are.  

The vegetables should be one layer high.

 Roast vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are browned.

Remove vegetables from the oven and place in large serving dish together.

Wash and quarter the tomatoes and place on the other vegetables. 

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Printable recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Crookneck Squash

1 Zucchini

3 small Eggplants

6 Campari Tomatoes

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Orange Bell Pepper

2  Shallots

6 cloves of Garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Process:

Preheat Oven to 500 Fahrenheit

Wash and cut squash, zucchini, eggplants, and  bell peppers into 1/2 inch chunks.

Peel garlic and shallots and mince very small.

Put all the cut vegetables into a large bowl.

Pour olive oil to coat the vegetables, sprinkle salt and stir until all the vegetables are coated with oil and salt.

Place vegetables on one or two sheet pans depending how big your sheet pans are.  

The vegetables should be one layer high.

Roast vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are browned.

Remove vegetables from the oven and place in large serving dish together.

Wash and quarter the tomatoes and place on the other vegetables. 

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!