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Posts Tagged ‘bell peppers’

  1. Italian Stuffed Peppers

    October 2, 2012 by erinRD

    IMG_2945

    4 large bell peppers
    1 cup cooked brown rice
    1 lb. ground turkey
    1 onion, chopped
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    Salt + Pepper, to taste
    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375.
    2. Cut the tops off of peppers and clean out seeds and membranes. Place in baking dish that has a small amount of water on the bottom (it will keep the peppers from sticking and keep them moist).
    3. Brown the ground turkey with the onion and garlic, crumbling the meat. Season with salt, pepper and a couple of dashes of Italian seasoning. Drain turkey mixture.
    4. Mix turkey mixture, rice, parmesan cheese and almost all of spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Stuff an equal amount of filling into each pepper. Top with a spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on each pepper.

    5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serves 4.

    Taste Test: Fantastic! I love stuffed peppers and these were just delicious and so easy and healthy! Perfect!

    Here are some pictures of my little guy! He is growing so fast and almost 5 months old! Happy Autumn!

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  2. Pepper Steak

    May 10, 2011 by erinRD

    I’m back from Mexico and had a wonderful time with my friend Patti! This will be a short post because I’m back to work today and still have tons of laundry and unpacking to do! I plan on writing about where we stayed and more details later! The place we stayed at was a foodies’ dream!!

    Pepper Steak
    Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

    1 pound round steak, sliced into thin strips
    1 Tablespoon olive oil
    1 whole medium onion, thinly sliced
    1 whole red bell pepper, thinly sliced
    1 yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
    1 whole green bell pepper, thinly sliced
    8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
    1 Tablespoon soy sauce, low-sodium
    1 Tablespoon corn starch, dissolved into 1/4 cup beef broth
    salt and pepper, to taste
    1 whole green onion, sliced thinly for garnish

    Directions:
    1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok, and stir-fry the meat until browned. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry until peppers are almost done but tender-crisp (they take the longest time to cook). Remove to a bowl and set aside.


    2. Return the beef to the skillet, and add stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
    3. When ready to serve, add the veggies back in, turn up heat a bit, and stir in the corn starch mixture. Stir until thickened, about one minute. Season to taste.
    4. Serve over brown rice or bulgur, and sprinkle green onions over the top. Serves 4. (Nutritional information does not include rice).

    Be well!!

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  3. Mom’s Pepper Veal Stew

    April 1, 2011 by erinRD

    TGIF and Happy April!!!

    I’m enjoying a few days off before starting the new job on Monday! Today Patti and I are going on a run together (Yay! Someone to run with!) and then we are treating ourselves to a medi/pedi and maybe some shopping.

    It’s so rough taking some time off work. But someone’s gotta do it :)

    Tonight The Husband, Patti and our friend Pontip are going to Hub 51 for dinner and going to a comedy club downtown Chicago! I’m looking forward to a great night! We got our tickets through Groupon, which I’m obsessed with lately! All four of us are going to the comedy club for $20. Love Groupon!!

    Anyway, my Mom always gives me recipes and ideas of new and old things to try out in my kitchen. This time she wrote out (who does that anymore? ;) ) a recipe for me to try since it’s one of her favorites.

    Mom’s Pepper Veal Stew
    From WholesomeRD Mom

    2 cups bell peppers, cut into 1 inch strips
    1 can (15 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
    1/4 teaspoon thyme
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 pound boneless veal, cubed
    3 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
    salt and pepper, to taste
    1/4 teaspoon rosemary
    2 cups brown rice, cooked

    Directions:
    1. Add 2 Tablespoon of the olive oil to a pan and brown veal. Add in rosemary, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and cover until meal is tender.


    2. Meanwhile, add remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a separate skillet and add in peppers and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes.


    3. Add thyme and salt to taste and cook for 5-6 more minutes.
    4. When veal is tender, add peppers to veal and serve over brown rice.

    Serves 4.


    Nutrition Notes: Pound for pound, veal contains less calories and about half the fat of lean beef cuts. The only downside is that it is pretty expensive for good quality organic meat — so we only have veal a few times a year.

    Taste Test: This reminded me a lot of pepper steak — it was so good! I called my mom right away and told her how much Wholesome Husband and I loved it!

    Have a great weekend!

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  4. Smashed Black Bean Quesadillas

    March 8, 2011 by erinRD

    Happy Fat Tuesday!!

    National Nutrition Month is all about adding color to your plate.

    How many colors are on your plate tonight?

    Smashed Black Bean Quesadillas
    Adapted from What’s Cookin, Chicago?

    1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
    1 red mini sweet bell pepper, diced
    1 orange mini sweet bell pepper, diced
    1 yellow mini sweet bell pepper, diced
    1 avocado, cut into small cubes
    1 cup crumbled queso fresco
    1 lime, juiced
    cooking spray
    6 homemade flour tortillas (I used Mission)

    Directions:
    1. In a medium bowl, add the beans and smash them a bit against the side of the bowl. Then add the diced bell peppers, avocado, queso fresco and lime juice. Gently toss together to combine.


    2.  Place a skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the pan and add enough of the bean and cheese mixture to create a thin layer across the bottom of the tortilla. Place another tortilla on top, forming a sandwich.


    3. Cook the quesadilla until the bottom is golden brown. Flip, and cook the other side until browned – the second side always cooks faster. Use the remaining filling to make more quesadillas. Serves 3 and makes 3 quesadillas.

    Nutrition Notes: Queso Fresco literally translates to “fresh cheese” and is the most widely used cheese in Mexican dishes. It comes in a round block but can be easily crumbled with your hands. You can sub out mild feta cheese in its place but try to get Queso Fresco cheese – it’s delicious!

    Taste Test: Hold on to your chairs!! This was sooooo good! We topped these with salsa and the result to absolutely delicious. The Husband is not a huge quesadilla fan but he loved these. This one is definitely going on the “make again” list. So yummy!

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  5. Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

    February 24, 2011 by erinRD

    How colorful is your plate?

    Let’s make some pretty colors on your dinner plate tonight.

    Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
    Adapted from Peas and Thank You

    4 bell peppers, your choice of colors
    1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
    1 small onion, minced
    1 1/4 cup water
    1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
    2 teaspoon minced garlic
    2 teaspoon chili powder
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, divided
    Garnish: cilantro, avocado

    Directions:
    1. Wash and deseed peppers, trimming off the top. Set aside.


    2. In a medium saucepan, toast quinoa and minced onion until both are toasty and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.


    3. Add water, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
    4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Add in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
    5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    6. Fill each pepper with 1/4 of quinoa mixture.
    7. Top each pepper with the remainder (1/2 cup) of the cheese.
    8. Cover with foil and bake for an hour.
    9. Remove foil from peppers and preheat broiler.
    10. Broil peppers until cheese and peppers are starting to brown. Garnish with cilantro and guacamole (not added into the nutritional info). Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: They always say, the more colorful your plate is the healthier it is. Interestingly, when it comes to bell peppers, color can actually make a difference to your health. Red bell peppers have been shown to offer better protection against heart disease and even cancer. Red bell peppers have higher concentrations of nutrients than the others. While any color bell pepper will provide healthful properties, the red variety packs the most healthful punch and are packed with nutrients and antioxidants including vitamin C and vitamin A. The combination of these two antioxidants is especially crucial in killing free radicals. Free radicals basically cause harm to healthy cells and they also build up cholesterol, cause nerve and blood vessel damage and cataracts. Bell peppers also contain good amounts of vitamin B6, beta-carotene, folic acid and lycopene ,like we discussed, is present in tomatoes too!

    Taste Test: These were absolutely delicious. I am falling in love more and more with quinoa as I incorporate it into my recipes. I want to try this recipe with poblano peppers next! Yum!

    Do you think about color when you are planning your meals?

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  6. Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

    February 13, 2011 by erinRD

    Today one of my good friends Patti brought over her new puppy Molly. We hung out and took a trip to Petsmart. My dog is so big and hers is so little but hopefully they will grow to love each other as they get to know each other better.

    This summer we hope to take them to dog park and beaches! Love having a doggie friend! :)

    Alright, alright, enough about puppies! This dish is one of my favs. It’s easy to prepare on a weeknight and so delicious.

    Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
    Adapted from Delicious Dishes

    1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
    1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
    4 garlic cloves, minced
    1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
    1 cup scallions, chopped
    1 teaspoon curry powder
    2 teaspoon red curry paste
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    4 teaspoon liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
    1 Tablespoon brown sugar
    2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
    1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
    1 cup brown jasmine rice, cooked

    Directions:

    1. Heat sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute.


    2. Add pepper and scallions (I was out of scallions so I just used 1 white onion); cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute.
    3. Add soy sauce, sugar, Asian fish sauce, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil).
    5. Place fish into skillet, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until tilapia is cooked through.
    6. Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

    Nutrition Notes: Now let’s discuss liquid aminos vs. soy sauce. Liquid Aminos is a vegetable protein seasoning made from soybeans that contains 16 amino acids. It is also gluten free, so it’s great if you are on a gluten-free diet since soy sauce traditionally contains wheat ingredients.

    Comparing the two labels, this is where you must look closely at the serving size. At first glace, it looks like the liquid aminos contains far less sodium at 160mg compared to 700mg, however the soy sauce serving size is 1 Tablespoon and the liquid aminos serving size is 1/2 teaspoon. There are 3 teaspoons in a Tablespoon, so you must take every number on the liquid aminos label and multiply by 3 to get equal amounts. This puts the sodium amount at 960mg in 1 Tablespoon, which is 260mg higher than the soy sauce.

    Also note, the protein and carbohydrates are in different units. The soy sauce is listed in grams and the liquid aminos is listed in milligrams. 1 gram is equal to 1000 milligrams so the soy sauce contains more protein and carbohydrate than the liquid aminos.

    Although there are additional health benefits to the liquid aminos that soy sauce doesn’t provide you must decide if the extra sodium is worth the change. You can always add water to soy sauce or liquid aminos to cut down on the sodium content. I usually do 1/2 water and 1/2 soy sauce or liquid aminos. For example, if a recipe calls for 4 teaspoons I will do 2 teaspoons of water and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce or liquid aminos. It’s all up to you and your taste preferences!

    Now these are just the brands that I have on hand (Bragg liquid aminos and San-J low-sodium soy sauce). Other brands may vary, but this is a great lesson to look closely at serving size when comparing nutrition labels.

    Taste Test: Liquid Aminos has a stronger flavor and more bite than soy sauce, so you don’t need to use as much liquid aminos as you do soy sauce. So this may be a factor if you are worried about the slightly higher sodium content. But it gives the dish a wonderful flavor. You can buy it at any health food store or iherb.com or amazon.com.

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