Italian Stuffed Peppers

Hey there!  I have been making a few new things and posting on my Instagram.  A few friends asked for the recipe, so I figured that I should blow the dust off of my alter ego blog.

Back to back Racery events (yes I really logged 150 miles in 10 days and the second 155 miles in 10.5 days)  and eating everything that I could, plus this Quarantine....well I have gained back a bunch of weight that I lost a few years ago.  About a month a go, I stepped on the scale and cried for a few minutes.  So time to get real and log food and water again.  I have been looking at Pinterest and trying to find things that would be yummy, healthy and easy to figure out portion size.  Stuffed peppers seem to fit that criteria.  I take the recipe and log it into My Fitness Pal to get the nutritional info as what is posted on other blogs just don't seem right or I try and make better changes.

I tweaked the original recipe for this recipe since it didn't look like enough flavor.  So here is what I made:

6 medium bell peppers (any color except green)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 or 4 garlic cloves minced or grated on a microplane
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ to 1/2  teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tbs Tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (you could also use Farro or Quinoa)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella - divided
½ cup Parmesan - divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 10x15-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and membranes then arrange cut side up in the prepared baking dish.

Heat the olive oil in a large, skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Drain and return to the skillet. 

Make a hot spot in the middle of the skillet and add the tomato paste.  Let that cook a bit and get a little brown in color.  Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, Garlic salt, and red pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes until garlic smells yummy.  Add the can of diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 or 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice  and ½ cup of the Mozzarella and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Mound the filling inside of the peppers, then top with the remaining cheeses.

Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil. Serve hot with a side salad.  (We didn't as the peppers were very filling)

Beef & Guinness Pot Pies

I must really love my family and subjected myself to a St. Paddy's meal at church for our monthly Food, Fun, & Fellowship night.

I am not Irish and don't celebrate the holiday and I really do not like boiled meat.  So I found a recipe that I would make and eat instead.  The original recipe was from Food Network, but I tweaked it.

For the dough:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
6 to 7 tablespoons stout beer
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Filling
2 1/4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup stout beer
2 cups Beef Stock (Kitchen Basic is the best)
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch
pieces
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

Make the dough: Pulse the flour and fine salt in a food processor to combine. Add the
butter and cheese and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size bits of butter. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons beer and pulse to combine.  Squeeze the dough between your fingers; if
it does not hold its shape, pulse in up to 1 more tablespoon beer. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Toss the beef, flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Add the beer and 2 cups stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover, transfer to the oven and braise, 1 hour. Add the leeks, carrots and celery to the pot and continue braising, 1 more hour.  If it is looking a bit dry add a bit more stout.

Meanwhile, put six 10-ounce ramekins on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out the dough between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle; cut into six 5-inch squares. Make a few slits in the middle of each square to let steam escape. Remove the filling from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F. Season the filling with salt and pepper and divide among the ramekins (there may be some filling left over). Top each with a square of dough,
pressing the edges into the ramekin. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

These came out fantastic!!!!  I would definitely make them again.  The filling is so good and almost like a stew that it would be good by itself or over mashed potatoes.

Order of the Phoenix Dinner and Movie

Miss V has been asking for a long time to have another dinner and movie night.  She got out her Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and decided on her menu.

She picked out Molly's Meatballs with Onion Sauce, Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Buttered Peas.  For dessert she picked out Triple Strawberry Burst Sundaes from Florean Fortescue.

Meatballs
1 lb. Extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup fresh or dry bread crumbs
1 Large egg
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons oil

Onion Sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can chicken broth

For the meatballs, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a skillet. From the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and working in batches, fry the balls on each side until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a dinner plate.

For the Onion Sauce, add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles. (Serves 6)

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

6 Idaho or russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), peeled and quartered
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes or until the potatoes break apart when pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes. Add the butter, milk, salt, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until the potatoes are light and fluffy. (serves 4)

Buttered Peas

1 pound frozen peas
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sale
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs granulated sugar

Thaw the peas in the microwave and place into a small sauce pan.  (The cookbook wants you to boil and drain and I think that loses a lot of the nutrition.)

Add salt, pepper, butter, and sugar. Stir until the butter melts and is well combined. Serve hot.

Triple Strawberry Burst Sundae

Place 1 scoop of strawberry ice cream in a dish/sundae glass. Cover with chopped fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup. Repeat layering once if desired.  We even bought three little sundae dishes at Walmart.

The meal and dessert were very yummy!

Mini Shepherd's Pies

Since it was Spring Break, and didn't have to worry about keeping something hot while I picked up Miss V from school I found this little recipe for Alpha dinner.

The original can be found at Tablespoon.

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling:  (I doubled this so that I could make some later)

1 bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2/3  to 1 cup beef broth
1 envelope of brown gravy
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cups of mashed potatoes

Heat oven to 400°F.

Unroll pie crusts. Roll each crust to 12 inches in diameter. Using 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust. Firmly press each round in bottom and up side of each of 12 ungreased regular-size muffin cups.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350°F.

In skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted and hot. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef to skillet; cook 5 to 7 minutes longer, stirring to break up any large pieces; drain. Place meat mixture back into the skillet and add the broth and brown gravy mix and cook on medium until thick and bubble.  Add the peas and carrots, salt and pepper.  Cook until veggies are hot.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup beef mixture. Top each pie with about 1/4 cup of the warm mashed potatoes. Bake at 350°F 25 to 30 minutes or until crusts are golden brown and mashed potatoes are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes in pan before serving. Run knife around outside of each pie to loosen before removing.

These tasted great, but were really hard to get out of the pan.  Next time I make them, I will definitely spray the sides of the muffin cups with cooking spray.

Let the leftover filling cool and store in the refrigerator.

Taco Hand Pies

If you are on Pinterest, I am sure you have recently seen a pin for Taco Hand Pies.  The original can be found at Whipperberry.

I had planned to make them earlier in the week, but I just couldn't find time to get back to Walmart to pick up the Corn Biscuits.  Finally I went after I dropped Miss V off at school.

1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 sweet onion
1 lb. ground beef
Kosher ​salt & pepper
1 packet of taco seasoning (I use my own homemade blend)
1 can of refried beans
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of drained corn (I used frozen corn)
1 package of Finely Shredded Cheese (I used a Colby Jack Blend)
2 cans of Pillsbury Corn Biscuits
1 egg beaten

Sour Cream and Salsa

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut your onion in half and then into little strips.  Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper.  When the beef is browned, drain off the fat.  Stir in the taco seasoning.  Add the black beans, corn and refried beans.  The the mixture cook for a few minutes until it is heated through.

Lightly flour a surface and roll out the biscuit.  Place 1/4 cup of beef mixture in the center of the rolled biscuit. Top with some cheese and then with a pastry brush, brush on egg wash along the edge of the biscuit dough. Fold over and seal with a fork.

Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet or use parchment.

Repeat until all biscuits are filled.  (I only used one can since it is only three of us).

Brush the egg wash on top of each biscuit and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Serve with Sour Cream and Salsa.

These were incredibly yummy!!!!!  I put the leftover filling in the fridge and will make another batch for lunch or dinner.

Roast Beef and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Oh Yum, here is a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It comes from Grilled Cheese Social.


Potato Bread
Deli Roast Beef (good stuff)
Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese
Roasted Red Peppers
Butter

I figure pictures are easier to describe than text.

 

I cooked them on a griddle about about 320ish.  That way the bread didn't cook to fast.  The inside of the sandwich cooked and the cheese got nice and gooey that way.

I served them with sweet potato fries and salad (not shown on the plate yet)

Homemade Crunch Wrap Supremes

I pinned this recipe recently and added it to our menu plan this week.  You can find the original recipe at Mary Quite Contrary Bakes.

I can't believe it, but somehow forgot sour cream and didn't know what taco cheese was but used Mexican blend shredded cheese.

8 burrito size flour tortillas

4 corn tortillas

1 lb ground beef

 taco seasoning

1 jar of taco cheese (used Mexican blend shredded cheese)

1 container of sour cream

3-4 tomatoes, chopped

1 bag/head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Use one corn tortilla to cut a circle of the same size out of 4 of the flour tortillas. Put the 4 cut out flour tortillas aside. Place the 4 corn tortillas on a baking sheet (spread out) and bake until crispy about 7 or 8 minutes.  Set aside when done.

Cook the ground beef with taco seasoning and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or better yet a griddle until very warm.

Microwave one of the large flour tortillas for about 15 seconds until warm and flexible.

Place some of the ground beef on the tortilla.

Add cheese and sour cream.

Place on a crispy corn tortilla

Add lettuce and tomato

Place the smaller cut tortilla on top and gently press down.

Fold the edges of the bottom tortilla up and around the crispy one.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and place tortilla seam side down and cook until browned, flip over and cook until brown and crispy.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.  These were fantastic!!!  Miss V loved them also and we didn't really miss the sour cream to much.

Christmas Dinner - Eye Round Roast

A friend recently shared with me that she made an Eye Round Roast, but cooked at a super high temp for a very short time and then shut the oven off for a couple hours.

Well I had been trying to figure out what to make for Christmas Dinner.  Normally we do a Standing Rib Roast but that just gets pretty pricey even on sale.  Miss V and I went to Sweetbay in Venice on the way home from a play date.  They had the rib roast on sale for $6.99 a pound and Eye Round on sale, I forgot how much.  After much internal debate, I grabbed a 6 pound Eye Round.

I had googled for a good looking recipe with lots of comments and came across this recipe, Perfect Eye of Round Roast.  I loved reading the comments and the bloggers feedback.

Christmas morning we took the roast of the fridge and rubbed it down with lots of salt and pepper.  Let it rest for a long time on the counter.  About 11:30 we put it in the oven and roasted it for 35 minutes.  I am not sure how my oven is at keeping warm, I turned the oven down to 200.  I checked the internal temp after an hour and half and it was perfect for us.  We let it rest for about 20 minutes while we made salad and set the table.

Oh and I did rub down a few HUGE Russet potatoes with olive oil and lots of salt,  Wrapped them in foil and put them in the oven when we put the roast in.  The potatoes came out fantastic!!  Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Look how nice and browned the roast got.  The ends were crispy and when I sliced them off my son snatched them up right away.

I totally forgot to snap a picture of slices, but it was a little more than medium. That is how the female population in my house prefer it.  Obviously the middle was a little more pink, like the male population likes it.

Oh......and the pan juices were incredible!!!  We poured that all over the roast slices and potatoes.  Would I make this type of roast again?  YOU BET!!!

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

So I had pinned this recipe awhile ago from Martha Stewart.  I have been in a cooking rut lately and just making old standby dinners.  Yesterday after I dropped Miss V off at school I ran to Sweetbay and picked up the ground beef and some white bread. 

1/4 cup safflower oil (I used light olive oil)
1 large onion, grated (about 1 1/3 cups) (I just put the onion in my food processor with the grater blade)
2 slices white bread
1/2 cup whole milk
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 1/4 teaspoons) (I find it easier to just use a microplane)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons plus a dash of Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch, plus 1/4 cup for dusting
1 1/2 cups beef broth (I use Beef Stock)

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup onion. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Set aside. (This could easily be done earlier in the day) 

Soak bread in milk, flipping once. Finely chop. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup onions, the sirloin, garlic cloves, bread, egg, parsley, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Divide meat mixture into 6 oblong patties (about 5 inches long and 3/4 inch thick). Dust with cornstarch.

 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, and reduce heat to medium. Cook patties, 3 at a time, for 6 minutes, without moving them. Flip, and cook until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining patties. (I browned them well on both side and then placed them into a 13x9 pan)

 

Make the gravy: Add cooked onions and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to same skillet, and stir for 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high. Pour in broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until broth is clear and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and return patties and juices to skillet, spooning sauce on top. (I poured the gravy over the top and then put them in the oven at 400 to finish cooking since I was baking the potatoes at the same time)

They came out super moist and we really enjoyed it.  It was yummy and filling.  The onion gravy was also perfect on the baked potatoes.

I think I will definitely make them again this winter and just finish baking them in the oven.  It made is much easier.