Better Stuffed Peppers: Filled with Quinoa & Chorizo

 Have I ever told you my feelings about stuffed peppers?

For many, stuffed peppers are the ultimate comfort food. For me... well, they're not comforting at all. They're bitter. And often soggy. And honestly, if I wanted meatloaf, I'd just make meatloaf.

I recall an episode of one of Michael Chiarello's cooking shows where he talks about green peppers, and how no one should have to abide them. "They're not ripe," he said. And that resonated with me.

I have no love for the green pepper, and ever since I saw that show I have used their "unripeness" as my excuse for not eating them (I make one exception -- and that is chicken cacciatore, which I believe is never quite right without at least one green pepper added).

But, anyhow -- getting back to stuffed peppers -- Obviously, I've overcome my aversion, right?

Well, not exactly. However, since I'm not a big fan, I almost always buck tradition when I stuff a pepper. First, I almost always use red peppers. Or orange or yellow ones.

I also sometimes put eggs in them (they make fun little souffles). And always cheese. I might even fill them up to the brim with vegetables. But, you'll almost never see me making the classic stuffed green peppers with the meatloaf-y insides. Bleh. 

It's an effort to overcome what I feel might be a simple psychological aversion to a perfectly delicious food. And sometimes it works.

For instance, these Mexican inspired stuffed peppers may have taken me over to the other side. Seriously.

They're fresh and delicious,  filled with protein-packed whole grain quinoa, easy to make and perfect for company, since they can be made ahead.

Pre-roasting the red pepper halves with a bit of butter gives them lots of flavor and prevents the filling from being overcooked during a long oven time. So, they're not soggy or slimey!  Hurrah!

Quinoa & Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

There are more great recipes where this one came from! We created this dish as part of our work with the Go Bold with Butter blog, where you'll find an amazing collection of delicious recipes using real butter.

©BURP!

Summer Pastabilities: Bow-Thai Shrimp Salad

Does anything scream "summer" more than a pasta salad? I don't think so.

Unfortunately, sometimes we get pretty tired of the same old recipes -- macaroni salad with mayo and tuna, basil pesto salad with tomatoes, vegetable pasta salad with Italian vinaigrette... can you say hum-drum?

That's where this delicious vegetable-forward pasta salad comes into play.

If you like Thai food, there's a good chance you'll develop an affection for this fresh summer salad.

It uses hearty whole wheat pasta, briny shrimp, crunchy cucumbers, flavorful sweet peppers, and tender spinach leaves -- all coated with a light Thai-style coconut curry dressing with plenty of lime juice to keep things fresh and bright.

It's crisp and flavorful ... perfect for hot summer days when the mere thought of turning on your oven makes you sweat.

But before you run off to make the recipe, you might want to read a bit further.

This recipe was created for the Hodgson Mill "Summer Pastabilities" contest. Hodgson Mill provided us with the Whole Wheat Bow Ties for the recipe. They've also given us a link to share with you to get a $1 off coupon for your next purchase of healthy whole grain pasta (including gluten-free varieties).

They've also agreed to provide a prize pack to one lucky Burp! reader. The pack includes:

• Two (2) boxes Whole Wheat Bow Tie (10 oz. each)
• Two (2) boxes Whole Wheat Medium Shells (16 oz. each)
• Two (2) boxes Whole Wheat Angel Hair (16 oz. each)
• One (1) box of a brand new product, Lemon Pepper Quinoa and Brown Rice
• An assortment of Hodgson Mill-branded kitchen supplies (measuring cups and spoons, spatula, dough scraper)
• A coupon for a future purchase of Hodgson Mill products

For your chance to win, all you have to do is tell us which pasta you'd use first -- and what you'd make with it.

Giveaway ends on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email, so please leave your email addy with your comment if it's not included with your Blogger profile.

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Bow-Thai Shrimp Salad
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Equipment needed: small mixing bowl, large mixing bowl, colander, large pot, knife, rubber spatula, whisk

Ingredients

Dressing:
3/4 cup low-fat coconut milk
2 T fish sauce
3 T brown sugar
1 T Thai-style red curry paste (or more, to taste)
Juice of one lime (3-4 T)
zest of one lime
salt and pepper, to taste

Pasta Salad:
1 10 ounce box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Ties
1 lb medium peeled, precooked shrimp, thawed
2 cups chopped red, orange, or yellow sweet peppers
1 medium seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼ inch half-moons
3 scallions, thinly sliced
5 ounces fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

To make the dressing, whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, red curry paste and brown sugar in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the lime juice, and lime zest and whisk again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the bow ties, and cook until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and immediately run plenty of cold water over it until it is completely cool. Drain well.

Put the pasta in a large bowl, and, using a rubber spatula, fold in enough dressing to coat it generously. Gently fold in the shrimp and vegetables, adding more dressing as needed to coat.

Do ahead: You can cook the pasta a few hours ahead, run cold water over it and drain. Spread the pasta in a single layer over a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover the pasta with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

The dressing can also be made earlier in the day; but keep it separate and toss the pasta salad with the dressing just before serving.

Makes 6 main course servings
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Key words: pasta salad, whole wheat pasta, cucumbers, peppers, spinach, coconut milk, curry, Thai, shrimp, seafood, cilantro

©BURP!

Chicken Cacciatore

When I was a girl, birthday dinners were a huge deal. Each year, my mother would ask me what I wanted for MY birthday dinner. And each year, the answer was the same -- chicken cacciatore and cherry pie. To this day, the smell of chicken and peppers simmering away on the stove takes me back. Way back. Back to the days when a bowl of chicken cacciatore could rectify any wrongs. And cherry pie healed all wounds.

These days it take a bit more than cherry pie to heal what ails me (especially if you're referring to the nasty viral infection that hit me this past week). But, a good pot of cacciatore still goes a long way in turning around a bad day.

This cacciatore is a recipe we've made over and over, tweaking it to the extent that we can make it pretty much with our eyes closed. Since cacciatore recipes vary greatly, this one is probably just as authentic (or inauthentic) as any. The possible twist is that it contains artichoke hearts in addition to the (prerequisite) peppers.

Start off with a few staples from your spice cupboard -- a bay leaf, some basil, some oregano, red pepper flakes, and a bit of thyme. Take a photo, if you like... herbs tend to be serious attention hogs at our house, so we like to patronize them a bit.
For me, the mainstay of any cacciatore is sweet peppers. This is the perfect recipe to use up some of those beautiful peppers you've frozen from the previous summer's bounty. But, if you're out of those (as we are by now), you can feel free to substitute fresh peppers from the market.
You'll also want a few nice fresh chicken thighs -- which you'll coat with a bit of seasoned flour and brown up nicely in your Dutch oven.
Then, saute your peppers with some onions and garlic. Add a bit of tomato paste and those delectable seasonings...
And then throw in a bit of red wine. Once the wine reduces, you'll want to add more canned tomatoes to the mix.
And then nestle those chicken thighs back into the pot.
Put a cover on your pot and slip it into a moderate oven for about 40 minutes or so...
And wait patiently. When the pot comes out, and you remove the cover, it's going to smell positively divine. You'll want to remove the chicken thighs for a bit, stir in some artichoke hearts (yes, see, this is where things start getting really good), and allow them to heat through. Then, add the chicken back in and get ready to serve.
This cacciatore is nice on a bed of mashed potatoes... or rice. You also can't beat serving this with some nice crusty (garlic) bread to mop up all that delicious sauce.

I really like to pull the leftover chicken off the bone and serve it for dinner the next night with pasta. In fact, leftover chicken cacciatore makes some of the best baked ziti you've ever had in your life when tossed with pasta and a bit of mozzarella cheese and then baked for 30-40 minutes. Gosh, just the thought of it gets my saliva glands working over time.

Make it quick, before the spring breezes carry you away!

Chicken Cacciatore



©BURP! Where Food Happens

Mushroom Philly Cheese "Steak" Panini

When I saw the bounty of red and green peppers that we'd plucked from the garden this week, the wheels in my head began turning. Visions of chicken cacciatore, sweet pepper relish, and roasted red peppers danced in my head. And then I thought: What about a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich? I happened to have a few portabella mushroom caps in the fridge, which could stand in for the steak. And we always keep provolone cheese on hand. So, we were pretty set.

Peef, who has actually sampled an official Philly Cheesesteak, was a little bit disturbed by my methods. But, he seemed to think that the sammich had a chance of being decent. So, we proceeded with the plan.

First, we spread a nice Italian roll with a bit of seasoned mayo (Peef threw a bit of the new BBQ3000 seasoning we'd picked up from Penzey's in the mix). We added a few nice slices of portabella mushroom, which had been sauteed with a bit of garlic and a sprinkling of Worcestershire. Then, we loaded it up with lots of sauteed peppers and onions.
We added a few slices of delicious, Wisconsin provolone cheese...
And then threw the whole sammich onto the panini press for a few minutes.
The cheese got melty. The mushrooms remained tender, while the peppers and onions retained a slight hint of crispness. The bun got crisped and slightly browned. And most of the ingredients managed to stay inside, despite their slipperiness.
The final verdict?
Peef admitted that the panino version of this classic sandwich was different. The crispness of the roll was a departure from the usual feel of a soft Italian roll. And the mushrooms, though they lent a meaty flavor to the sandwich, didn't quite replace steak in his mind. But, he was quick to admit that the sandwich was incredibly delicious in its own right. "Can we have these again?" was his response when he finished his last bite.

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Holy Mole, Batman!

When we bought our pepper plants this spring, we didn't know a THING about the Holy Molé peppers we bought. we really just chose them for their name.

As it turns out, however, we happened upon a real winner. Literally.
Turns out the Holy Molé is one of the the first hybrid pasilla peppers -- and the 2007 All-American Selection. And it's known for its unusually high yield. Which explains the armloads of peppers we've been hauling in from our two measley plants!!

We let our Molés ripen up to a nice chocolate brown color before harvesting -- which means that they were absolutely lovely when sliced.
And the flavor is quite unique -- sweet, with a bit of a peppery tang. Even a bit nutty, perhaps... So far, we've given a few away to friends. And we threw some into those fabulous seafood enchiladas we made last week.

Not sure exactly what we'll do with the rest of our bounty, though they are probably screaming to be dehydrated for future use in a molé sauce.


©BURP! Where Food Happens