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By mlb, on November 19th, 2006%
Here’s a little experiment inspired by a recent issue of La Cucina Italiana, which featured stuffed bell peppers on the cover.
As you can see, (here, alongside the wine of the evening) it does make quite an impression. The magazine’s recipe was actually a vegetarian version and in an out-of-character twist, I decided to make my stuffed peppers with meat. Oh, the insanity.
Turkey & Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or whole plum tomatoes will work too)
1/3 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup dried orzo
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper
1 cup (or so) arugula leaves –(you could also use spinach
3 large bell peppers (yellow, orange and red) or 4 small medium-sized bell peppers, tops cut off, washed, and inside white rib part pulled off as much as possible
4 oz feta or goat cheese
olive oil
Optional: 4 tbsp balsamic glaze* for garnish and 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves to mix in with the arugula
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by sautéing the onion and garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, over medium heat. . . . → Read More: Italian Feast: Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers on a Bed of Tasty Arugula
By mlb, on November 15th, 2006%
I made these the other day and they were quite good — but the recipe (from Everyday Food magazine) may need a bit of tweaking. It calls for 2 cups of milk, which results in very wet, sticky dough. I turned mine out onto a very well floured board and patted more flour into it until I could work with it, but you may want to just use less milk. I’d suggest about a cup and a half.
The herbs smell so good while these are baking! Very Thanksgiving-y with the fresh sage. I just used a combination of mostly chives and a little bit of everything I could snip fresh from outside — sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme.
Herbed Biscuits
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/2 cup snipped fresh chives, thyme or sage, or a combination
1 1/2 – 2 cups cold milk (original recipes calls for 2 cups — I think that’s a bit too much)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter.
Pulse mixture until pea-size pieces form. Through . . . → Read More: What Smells So Good? Easy Herbed Biscuits
By mlb, on November 13th, 2006%
This was a recipe I found recently on Epicurious and I liked it a lot. The original called for more chicken stock (4-5 cups) but I like my soup a little thicker and I didn’t want to dilute the flavor too much. It also called for 1/2 cup of cream, which I skipped, as the soup was plenty creamy without it.
Plus, a little plain yogurt on top is just as good! Well, okay — but it’s much healthier.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Lime and Chipotle Soup
3 pounds yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 bunch chopped fresh thyme
1/4 bunch chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 cups chicken stock
4 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded or 1-2 tsp chipotle in adobo
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch nutmeg
Cracked black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Mix sweet potatoes, onions, thyme and sage in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, and toss to coat. Spoon mixture onto a baking sheet, spreading vegetables out in a single layer.
Place baking sheet in oven and . . . → Read More: Roasted Sweet Potato, Lime and Chipotle Soup
By mlb, on November 12th, 2006%
I am really glad I came across this cooking event — Retro recipe Challenge (what a great idea for a monthly event, by the way), as I have in my collection, the perfect cookbook for an occasion such as this one. It’s the culinary classic, Saucepans & the Single Girl by Jinx Kragen and Judy Perry, 1965 (written before I was born — whee)! I purchased it used (duh), while going through an ironic housewife phase while in college, while being neither a housewife nor probably very ironic, as I liked to make casseroles in the dorm room kitchen during midterms (but that’s bedsides the point, I guess).
The inside cover proclaims, “A bright and bouncy new cookbook for the gal on the go — and on her own.” Huh. You can almost hear some sort of uplifting, Mary Tyler Moore-esque theme song in the background. Because you know Mary had this book. At least until Rhoda borrowed it and never gave it back. The bitch.
Further down the same inside cover, we are told:
…this swinging cookbook includes dishes that will dazzle the men in a gal’s life, recipes that will convince visiting relatives that she’s . . . → Read More: Retro Recipe Challenge #4: Opulent Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf
By mlb, on November 11th, 2006%
So, after giving it much thought and trying to figure out what will work the best timing-wise, I think I have a menu. Some things from last year stayed around — the awesome Martha Stewart Cranberry Relish, some things left — the sadly so-so Martha Stewart Green Bean Casserole.
Pre-Dinner Snacks
* Raw Veggies and Orange-Tahini Dip
* Rosemary Cashews
* A few cheeses (sage-cheddar and port salut, perhaps) with a lovely cracker selection
The Main Event
* Roasted Free-range, Organic Turkey (cooked like last year), Apple-Pecan-Sage Stuffing, and America’s Test Kitchen Giblet Gravy
* Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Shallots (just throw them in the roasting pan for the last 1/2 of turkey cooking, then finish them on a baking sheet, at a higher temp (400) while the turkey rests)
* Goat Cheese & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes or Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes — I can’t decide…
* Cranberry-Orange Relish
* Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Chicken Broth
* Carrots & Parsnips with Honey-Lemon Glaze
* Butterflake Rolls
Dessert this year, will be a Pumpkin-Orange-Marscapone Pie, a recipe I found in Sunset Magazine. It sounded really good and so I did a test half recipe the other day in a few 1-cup ramekins. Yeah. It’s very good. The original recipe called for . . . → Read More: Thanksgiving Menu: 2006
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