Stuffed Peppers

This is a great way to finish off extra ground beef. When you're cooking for two, a pound o' meat goes a long way. Use half to make a couple of burgers and the rest to make these yummy stuffed peppers. Oh, and the rice from last nights Chinese takeout is an ideal filler. Waste not and eat well!














Stuffed Peppers

4 small bell peppers
1 T oil
3 jalapenos, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup rice, cooked and cooled
3 T parsley
1/2 T Hungarian paprika
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/8 t. allspice
1 1/4 cup tomato sauce, divided
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg

• Cut the tops off the peppers, scoop out the seeds and stems, and dice the tops.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and cook the chopped pepper, onion and garlic, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the rice, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper and allspice. Stir well and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• When rice mixture has cooled, add 1/4 cup tomato sauce, then the beef and egg. Stir to combine.
• Fill the peppers with stuffing and set upright in a small sauce pan. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower flame to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Spoon a liberal amount of sauce over the peppers and continue to simmer until the peppers are tender, 15-20 minutes.
• Peppers can be prepared 1 day in advance. Chill cooked peppers in sauce and reheat slowly when ready to eat.
• Enjoy!

Farro w eggplant + tomatoes

Hitting the farmers market late in the day might not be the best time to find a wide variety of produce, or if you're looking for something in particular. But, it is the best time to find a bargain. I brought home a bounty without spending a fortune!

Among other things, I got a big eggplant that I typically would've skipped in search of a couple of smaller ones, but it was slim pickins and the reduced price was right. With an eggplant in my possession and pasta on the brain (always), I bought some super sweet plum tomatoes to make a quick summer sauce. I ended up using farro instead of pasta and purslane (the guy at the market was practically giving it away) instead of basil in the sauce, so the following is merely a base recipe. Whatever you do though, this is a bowl full of summer goodness.

Farro w eggplant and tomatoes
serves 2 with a leftover lunch

3 T olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into cubes
5 plum tomatoes, cut into a large dice
1 cup semi-pearled farro
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 T pine nuts, toasted
use any herbs you have on hand as garnish

• In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute eggplant until soft and caramelized, 10 minutes. Lightly season with salt, add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 minutes. Add herbs and season to taste.
• Meanwhile, cook the farro in boiling salted water until al dente, about 20 minutes, drain and add vinegar.
• Serve sauce over farro and sprinkle with pine nuts.
• Enjoy!

Orecchiette w lentils + kale

Quick and easy. Cheap as chips. Yummy:)

Orecchiette with lentils and kale
serves 2 with leftovers

1/2 cup lentils
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound kale
3/4 pound orecchiette

• In a small saucepan, simmer lentils in 2 cups water with 1/4 teaspoon salt, uncovered, adding more water to keep lentils barely covered, until tender but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt.
  
• While lentils simmer, caramelize the onions following the directions in purple here...
  
• Meanwhile, cut and discard stems and from kale. Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer kale to a colander to drain, pressing lightly.
  
• Add orecchiette to boiling water and cook according to package.
  
• Squeeze all excess liquid from kale, coarsely chop and add to caramelized onions along with lentils in there liquid. Simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
  
• When pasta is al dente, reserve about 1 cup pasta-cooking liquid, and drain. Add pasta to lentil mixture along with enough cooking liquid to keep the pasta moist and cook over medium-high heat, tossing, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
  
• Enjoy!

Hand rolled egg noodles

I love to spend the day in the kitchen cooking, that seems pretty obvious, no? Throw in a gal pal (did I just write that?) and life is pretty much perfect. Good food, gossip and an ice cold Greyhound compliments of Gils...Yes, please.

This was Gillian's first foray into noodle making and she did a damn fine job. The noodles were toothsome and tasty and didn't need much in the way of sauce. We went with a quick saute of garlic and zucchini. Make these to impress someone. Seriously, homemade noodles, that's pretty special. Just like Gillian.
































Hand rolled egg noodles
serves 4

1 cup flour
1/2 t salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• In a large work bowl, combine flour and salt and make a well in the center. Pour the eggs into the well and, using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs. Continue until the dough comes together. It will be wet dough and look shaggy; not to worry.
  
• Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and with well-floured hands knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours.
• Using half the dough at a time, on a well-floured surface, roll out the dough, making sure to rotate it after each pass of the rolling pin to prevent sticking, until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Don't be afraid to add flour.
• Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut dough into whatever shape you like. Whatever you chose, try to be consistent in size and shape so the cooking time for your noodles is the same. Place cut noodles onto drying racks to air dry. Use immediately or dry until hard and store in an air tight container for a few days.
• To cook, bring a pot of water to boil, salt water and add noodles. Cooking time will vary. I would recommend that you start checking after about 3 minutes. Gillian's took about 4 minutes.
• Serve with whatever sauce you like. We sauteed garlic in olive oil, added thinly sliced zucchini and about a 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, turned the heat off, covered to steam and added the noodles when they were ready. Yum!

Soba with Cilantro and Scallions

This is a quick, easy and super satisfying noodle dish. For supper, I like to serve it alongside simple roasted salmon. As a light lunch, I top it with a bunch of crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado and I'm as happy as can be.

Play with this recipe...add as much ginger, garlic and cilantro as you like. And throw in leftover shredded chicken, beef or whatever's in the fridge to make it more substantial. If you can't find soba noodles (though most grocery stores will have them) feel free to use any type of pasta.

Soba with Cilantro and Scallions

1 lb soba noodles, cooked according to directions on package
1/2 cup soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T ginger, minced
1 T vegetable oil
2 t toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 scallions, sliced
garnish with diced cucumber or avocado

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy, lime juice, garlic, ginger and oils. Pour over cooked soba, add cilantro and scallions and toss to combine.
• Enjoy!

Eggs and bacon take two

I had a bunch of that slab bacon leftover from the weekend and wanted to put it to good use before heading upstate for a camping trip in the Adirondacks. So, with bacon in mind, I raided the cabinets. Not so surprisingly (because I always gravitate towards pasta), I came up with spaghetti, a couple of onions and eggs. I caramelized the onions for depth of flavor and sweetness, cubed and cooked the bacon until it was nice and chewy (dare I say that?) and, yes, I used some of the rendered fat to coat the spaghetti. Finally, if that wasn't enough, I fried the eggs slowly making sure to leave the yolks super soft so when pierced with a fork they'd spill over the pasta adding richness and, frankly, decadence. This is straight up unabashed comfort food. Do try at home!!

Spaghetti with caramelized onions and bacon topped with an incredible egg

1 T olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
salt and pepper
3/4 lb spaghetti
8 oz slab bacon or 6 slices, cubed
2 eggs

• Caramelize onions following the directions in "Farmers Market Lunch" (in purple).
  
• Cook pasta in liberally salted water following instructions on package. Test the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time so as not to over cook. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta. This will create a "sauce".
  
• Meanwhile, cook bacon until chewy but not crisp, 5-7 minutes, in a small saute pan over medium low heat. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1 T fat and set aside.
• Heat 1 T fat over low heat and add eggs. Cook until white has set, but yolk is still runny, 4-5 minutes.
  
• Drain the pasta and return to pot. Add onions, bacon and some of the reserved water and bacon fat. Toss pasta using tongs, adding more water and fat until you reach desired consistency. I used a full cup of the reserved water and about a 1/4 cup fat. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with fried egg.
• Enjoy!
  

You take such darn good care of me, Quinoa.

The basics, yo.

Quinoa is the seed of a dark leafy plant related to Swiss chard and spinach, but because of its texture, it is usually grouped with the grains. It is light and fluffy, has a nutty flavor and is easily substituted for rice and couscous. It cooks quickly, is easy to digest and is a bona fide nutrient powerhouse. Need I say more? Not really, but I will...

-Quinoa is packed with protein. In fact, it's the only grain that is a complete protein, making it especially good for vegetarians and vegans.

-It's wheat and gluten free making it ideal for restricted diets and people with food allergies.

-It's low on the Glycemic Index and won't spike blood sugar levels. Great for diabetics.

-Full o' fiber. 'nuf said.

-Aaand, it's uber-packed with vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium and iron.
Woo hoo!

Now, get a hold of your excited self and make some quinoa!

Quinoa with black beans and tomatoes

2 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil (or whatever kind you like)
1 cup quinoa
15 oz. black beans, canned or soaked, rinsed
2 medium tomatoes (cherry or plum is fine too), diced and tossed with a pinch of sugar if needed
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• Whisk together lime zest and juice, oil, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper in a large bowl.
• Rinse quinoa VERY well in a sieve and drain.
• To cook quinoa, remember, 2 to 1. 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Combine water, rinsed quinoa and a good pinch salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. You will know when the quinoa is cooked when: the water is absorbed, it's translucent and the germ of the seed shows a little white ring around the outside.
  
• Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.
• Enjoy!
  

When I want to eat NOW

I am by no means a vegetarian, but on any old week night, I tend to lean that way. Last night I got home late and wanted something to eat that was good and satisfying, but above all else, quick and easy to prepare. This farro salad is just that. It takes all of 20-25 minutes to make and that's only because the farro takes that long to cook. If you are hungry (like I was) don't bother to cool the farro to room temp before dressing...all the better to soak up the balsamic vinaigrette. The firm and chewy farro makes this salad hearty enough to be a main dish for me, but for those of you who need a bit more, a grilled sausage rounds out the meal perfectly.

















Farro with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

1 cup farro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/3 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large and tossed with a pinch of salt
1/2 lb. arugula
lemon wedge

• Cook farro in amply salted water until al dente, 20-25 minutes, drain. Cool slightly before dressing with vinaigrette.
• Emulsify (combine) oil and vinegar. I like to use an old jam jar to shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over farro and mix well.
  
• Add tomatoes. (Salad can be prepared up until this point a few hours in advance.)
  
• When ready to serve, toss farro and tomatoes with arugula. Add a squeeze of lemon and freshly ground pepper, if you like.
• Enjoy!