Stuffed Peppers

Here’s a nice dish that has become a Sunday staple for us. Nice and filling, goes great by itself or with a side of pasta (and, of course, some red wine). One of my favorite dishes to end a long weekend!

There are a number of stuffing recipes to use for Stuffed Peppers. This recipe originally called for ground beef, but we like to use ground turkey. Ground sausage removed from it’s casing would also work well and add a nice punch (hmmm..think I’ll try that next time). I’ve only used rice as my base, but am interested in trying other stuffings (breadcrumbs, etc.). Do YOU have a good Stuffed Pepper recipe? If so, please pass along! Ciao!

STUFFED PEPPERS

1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef if you prefer)
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
6 large or 8 small green bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350º.
Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey until evenly browned.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
In a bowl, mix the browned ground turkey, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Egg White Lobster Omelette

Another get-together for my wife and her friends…another chance for me to have some fun in the kitchen! Since Julianna had just come off of an exceptionally good week, she was treated to a Happy Meal and a Shamrock shake. I know, blasphemy to umpteenth level for an Italian American parent who loves to cook. But the door was wide open for me to get creative with my dinner.

I was in the mood for some sort of jacked-up omelette. I’m a big breakfast fan, and can eat a breakfast meal any time of the day. Plus, Italians can mix just about anything with an egg to make a great meal (potatoes, peppers, asparagus, ham, hot dogs…you name it). I had just bought a pack of lobster meat earlier in the week. Although it wasn’t 100% pure lobster meat, but rather pollock mixed with lobster, the taste and texture isn’t bad at all. Plus, I’m sure it’s much better than the Loobster that was served at the Hungry Heifer (Norm’s favorite restaurant on Cheers). Obviously, I would prefer real lobster meat, but hey, we’re in a recession!

I decided to try an egg white lobster omelette. With just a few spices and a chopped up green bell pepper, I had a very tasty and filling meal in a matter of minutes. I’m sure I’ll experiment more with the spices the next time I make this dish. However, it was quite tasty as is. If you’re a fan of omelettes and seafood — or if you can’t make it to the Hungry Heifer for it’s Roast Biff and Loobster surf & turf meal — I’m sure you’ll like this.

Egg White Lobster Omelette

1 package imitation lobster meat (or real lobster meat if you prefer), chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon milk
Spices to taste: salt, pepper, paprika, Old Bay seasoning

Drizzle vegetable oil to coat bottom of a medium size skillet; heat on medium. Add chopped peppers; saute until crisp-tender. Add chopped lobster meat plus dash of salt, pepper and paprika; stir until heated. Remove from skillet, set aside.
Mix egg whites, parmesan cheese, milk, dash of salt, pepper and Old Bay. Pour mixture into a heated non-stick or greased pan. Flip egg once, then immediately top with lobster mix and fold egg into a half circle. Remove from pan and enjoy!

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

A cold and dreary Sunday afternoon, with the potential of a major snowstorm on it’s way…what better excuse than to stay in and cook a hearty meal! Today, I decided to make a a rustic chicken, sausage and potato dish. Our friends Lorena and Mike made a similar dish for our group’s annual holiday dinner that they hosted this past year. It’s a filling and tasty dish, with lots of delicious and juicy chunks of meat and potatoes. Goes perfect with a nice glass of red wine or a good, dark winter beer.

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

6 potatoes, cut into chunks
4 lg. onions, halved
6 chicken thighs
1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 handfuls baby carrots
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
4 tbsp. olive oil

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Coat potatoes, chicken, carrots and onions with oil and spices. Add sausage, stir together, and spread out in a medium-size roasting pan. Bake high heat, 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, lower heat to 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Romantic Red Wine Risotto

Looking for a recipe to “WOW” that special someone with on Valentine’s Day? Here’s a fantastic Red Wine Risotto with Peas recipe that I found on the Giada De Laurentiis website. My wife and I made this dish together a few years ago when the bad weather squashed our Valentine dinner reservation plans. It is tasty, filling, smells fabulous and is the perfect dish for two!

RED WINE RISOTTO WITH PEAS
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

For more information on this dish, please visit the Giada De Laurentiis wbesite.