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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

partysugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:50:55 -0800

Tonight, surprise your loved ones with a homemade version of a ballpark classic, sausage and pepper sandwiches. No grill is necessary, all you need is an oven.

The veggies and sausages are roasted while the bread gets toasty and the cheese melts. The ingredient list calls for bottled balsamic dressing, but if you have the time and skills, why not whisk your own quick vinaigrette?

Serve with mixed greens and a cold beer. To make this mid-week pick-me-up, get the recipe after the break.

Definition: Padrón Peppers

partysugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:45 -0700

Padron Peppers
Also known as pimientos de Padrón, these small green chili peppers are native to Padrón, Spain. Most have a sweet mild taste, but some are hot and spicy. The only way to determine the heat of the pepper is to eat it. Padróns are in season between June and September. Traditionally they are fried in olive oil and seasoned with coarse salt.

Do You Like Green Bell Peppers?

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:32 -0700

In an article last week, the New York Times takes a good look at green peppers and why they've fallen out of favor compared to other bell varieties. Though its opponents often describe the pepper as overly aggressive, vegetal, and bitter, it has its longtime fans, too, who believe the green ones have a grassy, versatile taste.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Greek Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

partysugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:50:44 -0700

With their chickpea, orzo, and spinach filling, these stuffed peppers are a delightful vegetarian meal. Although there are several steps, this recipe is quick and uncomplicated. The pepper shells are flash cooked in the microwave, but if you prefer to throw them on the grill instead, do so. The stuffing mixture is adaptable, so you can take advantage of ingredients you already have at home: goat cheese can replace feta and fresh tomatoes stand in nicely for sun-dried tomatoes. To learn the technique, read more.

Greek Orzo-Stuffed Peppers
From Eating Well

Ingredients

4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers
1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Rigatoni With Grilled Peppers and Onions

partysugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:50:26 -0700

In the warmer months, take advantage of the grill and use it to infuse smoky flavor into vegetables. Grilled veggies are great in everything from salads to sandwiches to pasta, as is the case with this recipe.

Thick chunks of charred red onions and bell peppers are tossed with hearty rigatoni. Spinach provides a crispness and basil gives the pasta a summery, farm-fresh quality.

Don't be limited by the ingredient list; if onions and peppers aren't your thing, substitute other vegetables like mushrooms, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, or broccoli rabe. Check out the satisfying, meatless recipe when you read more.

Rigatoni With Grilled Peppers and Onions
From Real Simple

Ingredients

2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
2 large red bell peppers, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
12 ounces (4 to 5 cups) rigatoni
1 bunch spinach, stems trimmed, or one 5-ounce package
1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
3/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
In a large bowl, toss the onions, bell peppers, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return the pasta to the pot. Add the grilled vegetables, spinach, the reserved pasta water, and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan to the pasta and toss to combine.
Top with the basil and the remaining Parmesan before serving.

Serves 4.

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Greek Stuffed Peppers

YumSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:00:29 -0800

Looking for a low-key Sunday night meal? Look no further than tender, slow-cooked red bell peppers, stuffed with a Greek-inspired filling of fiber-rich cannellini beans, crumbled feta cheese, scallions, and herbed couscous.

Like many Mediterranean specialties, this meal is satisfyingly hearty, yet light and nutritious at the same time. For a low-carb or gluten-free version, consider swapping out the couscous for a grain like quinoa. To make this for your next meal, read more.

Greek Stuffed Peppers
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)
1/2 cup couscous
4 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Slice a very thin layer from the base of each bell pepper so they sit flat. Slice off tops just below stem. Discard stems; chop tops, and place in a medium bowl. Remove ribs and seeds from peppers.
To bowl, add beans, feta, couscous, scallion whites, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Stuff peppers with bean mixture; place upright in slow cooker. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours.
Sprinkle peppers with scallion greens; serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pasta-Stuffed Peppers

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:45:00 -0800

If you're a fan of poblanos stuffed with rice or any stuffed peppers, you'll love this new twist on the classic: Roasted peppers are filled with spaghetti instead of rice. The pasta is tossed in olive oil with pine nuts, olives, raisins, and capers.

This Mediterranean-inspired meal can be on the table in under an hour. To make it tonight, read more.

Pasta-Stuffed Peppers
From Domino

Ingredients

10 mixed yellow and red bell peppers
1 lb. bucatini or spaghetti
1/3 cup pine nuts
2-1/2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. capers
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1/2 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
Salt and black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; reserve tops. Put peppers in a large baking dish; set aside.
Parboil the pasta by cooking it 3/4 of the time recommended on package (it should be somewhat underdone). Transfer to a colander, and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Place a dry skillet over medium-low heat, and toast pine nuts until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
Heat olive oil in skillet and add garlic; sauté 30 seconds and transfer to the bowl. Add capers, raisins and olives to bowl. Add pasta, toss, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each pepper with pasta mixture and replace the tops. Bake for 25 minutes, or until browned.

Serves 10.

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The Amazing Rice: Rice, Chorizo, Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos

partysugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:15:06 -0700

My rice journey continues with these scrumptious stuffed poblanos. I had chorizo in my fridge, so when I stumbled across this recipe I knew I had to make it. The chorizo is cooked with spicy and sweet peppers making for a flavorful rice base. Shrimp is stirred in at the last minute adding a surf-and-turf layer to the dish. Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I mixed a couple of tablespoons of cheese in with the rice before stuffing the peppers. The final stuffed pepper is a meal in itself that would be delicious at a Mexican fiesta. To see how I made it, read more.

Rice, Chorizo, Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos
From From Guy Fieri

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound Mexican-style chorizo
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup short-grain rice
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
6 large, fresh poblano chiles (also known as pasilla peppers)
1 pound shrimp, shelled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup Cheddar, shredded
3/4 cup Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and chorizo, cook for 3 minutes.
Add peppers, jalapeno, onions and garlic. Cook until translucent about 8-10 minutes.

Add the rice and Stir, cooking until all the grains of the rice are coated with oil.
Add all liquids and stir over high heat for 3 minutes, cover and reduce heat to low. Check rice for doneness after 20 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place poblano chiles on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, cut top 1/4 of chile off and remove ribs and seeds.

When rice is finished cooking, fluff with fork and stir in shrimp.
Stuff chiles with 1/6 of the rice mixture.

Place all the chiles on baking sheet and place into oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, mix cheeses together and cover pepper with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Makes 6 stuffed peppers.*

*Since I was cooking for myself, I halved the recipe. However there was enough rice mixture to stuff 4 peppers.

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What's Your Favorite Kind of Bell Pepper?

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:19:08 -0700

Bell peppers are in season in many parts of the country right now. I picked up some delicious yellow peppers at the farmers market this weekend, though my default is usually red peppers. How about you?

Source

Monday's Leftovers: Italian Sausage Heroes

partysugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:45:27 -0700

Use leftover pizza toppings to make a traditional sausage hero. With its toasty bread, spicy sausages, and soft veggies this classic sandwich is perfect on a warm summer night.

For a vegetarian version, omit the sausages and add crumbly goat cheese. To make a meal, serve the sandwich with a cold beer and a green salad.

To check out the recipe, read more.

Italian Sausage Heroes with Peppers and Onions
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 large bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), cut into thin strips
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 sweet or hot Italian sausages
4 hoagie or small submarine sandwich rolls

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 10 minutes. Stir in the paprika, sugar and red and green bell peppers. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the water and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Prick the sausages all over, add them to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and halve lengthwise. Return the halves to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until no trace of pink remains within, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Halve each roll (keep it hinged). Pull out some of the bread within. Toast the rolls.
Drizzle the cut sides of the rolls with olive oil and set 2 sausage halves on each roll. Top with the sautéed onions and peppers, close the sandwiches and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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