Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Heather's Stuffed Peppers



Make these to your heart's content while local peppers and tomatoes are in season, then stow them away in the freezer for a quick meal when summer's bounty is long gone!

Source: adapted from a recipe from my neighbor, Heather G.

6 large bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 lb. Italian sausage (remove casings if using links)
2 1/4 c. chicken broth
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 c. brown rice
1 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 c. finely shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided

Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

Cook rice in chicken broth following package instructions, or follow Martha Stewart's "Better Brown Rice" method.

Place peppers cut side down on a steaming rack.  Steam just until peppers are softened, about 7-10 minutes.  Place peppers on a baking sheet.  

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and simmer until liquid is reduced.

Stir rice, basil, and half the cheese into the rice mixture.  Divide the filling among the peppers, then top with remaining cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes.

Note: I place the filled peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until firm.  Then, I bag them individually so I can easily pull out the quantity needed at a later date.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Hamburger Squash Skillet



This is a super easy skillet recipe that doesn't really warrant a recipe!  It's home cooking from garden bounty at it's easiest - reminiscent of those love-filled skillet dinners my mother would concoct when I was a child.  I turned to this recipe often to make use of the abundance of yellow squash coming from my garden this summer!

Source: recipe adapted from Low Carb Yum

1/2 lb. hamburger
 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
sea salt & pepper to taste
1 medium yellow squash, coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium green or red pepper, chopped
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh basil, chopped

Brown hamburger in skillet with garlic, onion, salt, and pepper.  Stir in vegetables and herbs.  Continue cooking on low heat about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!