Tag Archives: Peppers

Italian Sausages, Peppers and Zucchini

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Pasta and Grains, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , ,

The other day I went to a local apple orchard to pick up some delicious seasonal apple cider and spotted some cute marbled zucchini in the general store. I’m not sure if they are called marbled zucchini but they looked like they were marbled and much smaller than regular zucchini.

Anyway, I picked up a few along with some red, yellow and green peppers. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the veggies at the time but it all came together when I decided to make a quick Sunday meal. The result was a dish made of hot and sweet Italian sausage, sliced peppers, crushed tomatoes and my cute little zucchini sliced thin.

This was another one pot dish that I served over pasta with grilled Naan bread on the side. Talk about yummy. Not to brag, but I was impressed with how quickly the meal came together and how wonderful the mixed flavors tasted. I didn’t even have to ask hubby if this recipe was blog worthy. The first bite let me know it was definitely going on the blog!

Italian Sausages, Peppers and Zucchini

Ingredients:

1 pkg hot Italian Sausage casing removed and cut into large bite sized pieces

1 pkg sweet Italian Sausage casing removed cut into large bite sized pieces

5-6 fresh basil leaves torn

2 small zucchini sliced thin

1 small red onion peeled and sliced

1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper seeded and sliced

1 yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced

1 lg can crushed tomatoes

½ cup water

2 tbsp grape seed oil

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp salt

½ tbsp ground black pepper

½ tbsp Adobo seasoning

Place oils in a large skillet or dutch oven and heat over medium high heat. Add sausages and brown on both sides then remove and place on a plate. Add peppers and onions to the skillet and season with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, Adobo and Worcestershire sauce. Stir then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 2 minutes then add zucchini, basil leaves, crushed tomatoes and water. Stir to mix then add sausages and juices to the skillet. Stir to blend all the ingredients then cover and let simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice.

Easy Pepper Steak Sandwiches

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

Because my family is not big on eating a lot of beef we only have steaks about twice each month. Sometimes even twice per month is too much for steak but I still like to fix some type of beef just to break up the menu from having chicken dinners. That is where London Broil comes in. Deli sliced London Broil to be exact.

Back when date night meant reservations at an upscale restaurant, hubby would take me to one of my favorite places called Harry’s Savoy Grill which is known for Delicious (with a capital D) steaks. Harry’s is where I fell in like with London Broil steaks. Their steaks are so tender you can practically cut it with your fork. Plus, Harry’s is the only restaurant where I will order my steak medium rare as I am not one to eat anything at a rare temperature. I make my exception with London Broil.

Now date night is more causal and we tend to do take out for dinner so we can sit on the porch or watch a movie. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying London Broil. Because I have not figured out a way to make flank steak really tender, I decided to use deli sliced London Broil for an Easy Pepper Steak Sandwich. Instead of spending time marinating slices of flank steak I use thinly sliced London Broil since the meat is already tender. I just simmer the meat in a light sauce with sauteed onions and peppers to make the sandwiches more flavorful and Delicious with a capital D!

If you are true beef eater, check out this recipe for an alternative to a heavy steak or burger. I think you just might like it.

Easy Pepper Steak Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ lbs London Broil deli slices

1 medium onion sliced

1 small green pepper sliced

1 small red pepper sliced

1 garlic clove minced

½ cup chicken or beef broth

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tbsp cornstarch

½ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Place soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch and garlic in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add peppers and onions to the skillet. Season veggies with salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and let cook for approximately 3 – 5 minutes until the veggies slightly soften.

Stir in broth and soy sauce mixture to the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Add in the deli slices of London Broil. Gently turn the meat to make sure both sides are coated with gravy. Let simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Serve on a hoagie roll or your favorite sandwich roll.

Blistered Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest recipes especially when you’ve run out of ideas for healthy side dishes. Blistered Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers is one of those simple recipes that is healthy, quick, easy, colorful and definitely flavorful.

This past summer our daughter introduced the family to shishito peppers. I had never heard of them even though I love to cook with a variety of peppers. Hubby and I decided to take a trip to Washington, DC to celebrate our anniversary plus drop off our youngest son to hang out with his sister in June. On our first night there we met up at a restaurant and D suggested we try the shishito peppers as an appetizer. Count us in when it comes to peppers whether they are hot, sweet or mild. Talk about love at first bite. The peppers were smoky, flavorful and mild with a few hot surprises in the bunch.

When hubby and I returned home I knew I had to find those peppers and try to recreate our wonderful appetizer. It took a few shopping trips here and there but I finally found a grocer that sold the shishito peppers. Of course I wanted to take the peppers to another level so I added blistered tomatoes to the dish because I had a garden full of cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes added an extra pop (literally) to the recipe and paired well with the peppers.

If you need a quick side dish to add to a light meal, try making Blistered Tomatoes with Shishito Peppers. You won’t be disappointed.

Blistered Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers

Ingredients:

3 – 4 shishito peppers diced

2 fresh basil leaves julienned (substitute: ¼ tsp dried basil)

1 package mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp sea salt

optional:

½ red onion sliced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat no stick frying pan over medium high heat then add olive oil. Place tomatoes and shishito peppers in the pan. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until tomatoes begin to blister. Stirring occasionally. Add garlic, lemon juice and basil to the mixture and stir to mix well. Cook an additional 2 minutes then sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.

 

 

 

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Pepper Steak

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , , ,

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Today was a non-chicken day since we had just enjoyed a chicken pasta dish and I planned on making chicken again in a couple of days. Only certain folks can eat chicken almost every day but I am not one of them. I do like chicken just not every day. There are times when I think I might grow feathers if I eat one more chicken dish.

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Because it was a non-chicken day and I had run out of ideas I decided to flip through a food magazine to get help with what I could prepare for dinner. Half-way through the magazine I saw a beautiful picture of a Pepper Steak meal and Bingo I knew what we were having for dinner. I had a few red and green peppers that were getting soft and I always have onions on hand. I checked the freezer and I had a package of thinly sliced sirloin petite steaks. One pepper steak dinner coming up!

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Granted, I had not made Pepper Steak in many, many years. I couldn’t even find my original recipe so I had to look up a couple of recipes online. I more or less combined a few of the recipes I found and then added my own twist.

A few tips on how to make a good Pepper Steak.

  1. Be sure to buy thinly sliced steak. Trust me. If you use a thicker slice of steak, the meat will be tough and chewy.

  2. Marinate the steak to make the meat flavorful and tender.

  3. Use ginger in the marinade. The flavor is bold and pairs well with the beef.

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Pepper Steak may become one of my new favorite dishes besides pork chops. I surprised myself with how good this dish was on the first try. I think the next time I prepare the recipe I will add snow peas or pea pods to jazz it up even more. Then again, why mess with a good thing.

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Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1pkg sirloin petite steak sliced thin. Cut into strips.

4 plum tomatoes cut into chunks

1 red onion cut into chunks

1 lg green pepper cut into chunks

1 lg red pepper cut into chunks

¼ cup beef or chicken stock

Marinade:

¼ cup soy sauce

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp corn starch

½ tbsp Adobo (optional)

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Place steak in marinade and stir to coat meat. Set aside and let stand for 10 – 15 minutes. Reserve any marinade not absorbed by the meat.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Brown meat in batches. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Once all of the meat is browned, pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil (if necessary, add a little oil). Add onions and peppers to the wok along with seasonings. Stir then cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, steak, beef stock and any remaining marinade. Stir to mix. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 5 – 10minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.

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Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

Appetizers, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , ,

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On a whim I thought I would try making Jalapeno Poppers. Not the type of poppers that are breaded and fried. I wanted to make oven baked poppers with a twist. I wrapped them in bacon. Yummy!

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Making the Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon was a quick and semi-easy task. I was a little gun shy in making them at first because I had recently tried making roasted stuffed poblano peppers and it was a disaster. But, I made lemonade out of those lemons by adding the collapsed roasted poblano peppers to a brown rice dish I decided to create. More on that one later.

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The most difficult task in preparing the poppers was cleaning the jalapeno peppers. After slicing off a little piece of the pepper I had to remove the seeds and membrane. Both are the hottest part of the jalapeno pepper just like any other hot pepper. Removing the seeds and membrane helped to tone down the heat of Jalapeno Poppers but they were still a little hot. I guess stuffing the peppers with pepper jack cheese may have contributed to the level of heat also (ya think !?!). Of course, if you are not a fan of really hot foods, you could use a milder cheese like cheddar or monterey cheese. However, if you are willing to make Jalapeno Poppers I doubt heat is really an issue for you.

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Bacon. Who besides non meat eaters does not like bacon? Bacon adds a lot of flavor to most dishes (even ice cream if you are truly adventurous) and it definitely adds another level of flavor to the Jalapeno Poppers.

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Fast, easy and tasty. Three words I like to hear whenever I have to cook. I think this recipe fits the bill for all three.

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Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

Ingredients:
8 – 10 jalapeno peppers with stems
4 – 8 slices of bacon sliced in half
½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
¼ cup whipped cream cheese
8 – 10 toothpicks

Optional Stuffing:
Crumbled browned Italian sausage and cheese
Sauteed veggies and cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine pepper jack cheese and cream cheese in a small bowl. Okay to use your fingers. Set aside.

Slice jalapeno peppers lengthwise to remove part of the pepper without removing the stem. Prepare only a few at a time so that you do not mix up the different sections of the peppers.

Stuff peppers with cheese then place cut slice over cheese. Wrap a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and back for 20 – 25 minutes until bacon is crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Optional:

To stretch the peppers just cut them in half and stuff each half then wrap in bacon.  The peppers are great whether you serve them whole or in halves.

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Stuffed Peppers with Sausage

Meat/ Poultry, Rice, Vegetables, ,

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If you want a make ahead meal that is relatively quick to assemble, then stuffed peppers is the way to go. This is a one of those entrees that incorporates a meat, veggies and a starch all into the same dish. All you need to do to make it a full meal is add a nice green salad – or not.

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The great thing about stuffed peppers is that you can stuff them with whatever you like. They can be strictly vegetarian, stuffed with meat or seafood depending on your mood when you fix them. This recipe is made with savory sausage and rice. I have also stuffed peppers with crabmeat and shrimp using the same basic recipe but created a different type of sauce.

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One of the tricks to making stuffed peppers is to cover them with foil so that the peppers can steam. Otherwise, you may wind up with a pepper that is not properly cooked through or if cooked too long turns out soggy.

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Like I said in the beginning, you can make the peppers a head of time and either freeze them or let the peppers sit overnight. If you decide to make this dish for company, try using different colored peppers to brighten up your presentation. The meal will be both pleasing to the eye and delicious to the tummy.

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Stuffed Peppers with Sausage

Ingredients:
4 large peppers
1 cup rice (saffron, white or brown)
1 10 oz can tomato sauce
½ lb sweet Italian sausage
½ lb hot Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
½ cup Mexican cheese
½ cup mozzarella cheese
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil rice in 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 20 minutes uncovered. Set aside.

Remove sausage from casing and brown along with onion in a large skillet. Drain off grease and add tomato sauce and seasonings. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and blend in rice. Stir in Mexican cheese. Fill each pepper with rice mixture then top with mozzarella cheese. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place peppers on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let the peppers rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with a side salad.

Roasted Mixed Peppers

Vegetables

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Easy side dishes always come in handy when you need something new to go with an entree. Roasted mixed peppers are flavorful and pair up nicely with just about anything. The fantastic thing about this recipe is that you can add other veggies to give it a slightly different taste and texture. Roasted peppers are also a nice addition to any salad served warm or chilled the next day.

Peppers Before

Everyone in my family is a true fan of peppers whether they are hot, sweet or mild. Roasted Mixed Peppers blends all three flavors for a unique experience of different tastes all at once. Depending on your tolerance level for heat you can add really hot peppers such as jalapeno or habanero peppers. If you are new to the taste of peppers I would suggest you stick to traditional green, red and sweet peppers.

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Try this reicipe the next time you need a simple side dish or the next time you have a special gathering.  Your vegetarian friends will love it and thank you for making something both beautiful to look at and wonderful to eat.

Enjoy……

Roasted Mixed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed mini sweet peppers sliced in half
1 large green pepper sliced in strips
1 large red pepper sliced in strips
1 large onion sliced
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
cooking spray

Optional:
1 small poblano or habanero pepper sliced in thin strips
2 small tomatoes sliced in wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of the cookie sheet. In a large bowl add the sliced peppers and onions. Sprinkle with seasonings then add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss gently then pour onto cookie sheet. Spread the peppers out to cover the cookie sheet. Roast peppers for 45 minutes until soft and slightly brown. Remove from oven and let peppers rest for 5 minutes.