Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

While living in Nashville, I was always amused by the weather segment of the news during the winter months.  If there was a mere chance of snow, you would think the world may come to an end.  People would rush to the grocery store and buy all the milk and bread.  I don't consume much milk and bread on a daily basis, so I've never understood this move.  However, possible snow equaled panic.  The news station even had a mascot named Snow Bird.  I only lived in Nashville for 2 years.  While I was there, it snowed only a few times.  Each time, the inch or two of snow would melt by noon.

This week, Ben has found entertainment in Dayton weather.  I think we set a record high yesterday with 102.  Apparently it has not been in the 100's since 1988.  Ben keeps musing over "The Summer of '88."  Which I immediately reply with, "hey, I remember the summer of '88 and it was hot!"

Well, I guess Ohio's fear of hot is like Nashville's fear of snow.  I had to join in with the laughter last night.  The news casters make it sound like stepping out your front door will immediately cause you to burst into flames.  Please, do not go outside whatever you do.  I kept watching from our windows to see the sudden bursts.  I guess everyone took to the warning and stayed inside.

Aside from the heat, it has been a good week.  I tried a new recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.  They came out wonderfully.  I highly recommend giving them a try.  Plus you get to eat a super grain!  Ben also harvested his first potatoes.  He is hooked now and has many more plans for potato planting.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained and reserve liquids
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
4 bell peppers halved and cleaned out

1.  cook onions in olive oil until tender

2.  add garlic, cumin, and salt and cook for 1 minute

3.  Add spinach and tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes.  (I left some liquid in the spinach and tomatoes because I felt like it added flavor in the next step)

4.  Stir in black beans, quinoa, and carrots.  Add 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

5.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of pepper jack cheese.

6.  Pour reserved tomato juice in bottom of 9x13 baking pan.

7.  Stuff each pepper half generously with quinoa mixture place in baking pan.

8.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove foil and place remaining cheese on top of peppers.  Continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Greek Style Beef and Vegetables

Southern Living Greek Style Beef and Vegetables

Ben will be out of town for a week while he volunteers with Appalachia Service Project.  While he spends a week making a family's home warmer, safer, and drier, I will be watching bad movies and eating cereal for 3 meals a day.  So I'm taking suggestions on romantic comedies or reality TV.  Hmmm, maybe I could catch up on Gossip Girl.

Ben is really going to be missing out!

This week I've been rejuvenated in my new recipe endeavor...or cooking in general.  Last night, we tried a really good recipe for Greek style beef and vegetables.  I pulled the recipe out of Southern Living in September 2008.  I really enjoyed it.  Ben even over came his dislike of cous cous.  How you can dislike cous cous, I'm not sure.  The recipe included a Chunky Cucumber Mint Sauce.  We prepared the sauce but did not feel it mixed well with the meal.  This would easily feed 4-5 people.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
5 yellow squash, cut in half and sliced
1 red onion, sliced and cut in half
1 lemon
6 oz feta cheese
1 cup (uncooked) plain cous cous, prepared to package directions

1.  Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees
2.  Rub steak with 1/2 Tbsp. oil.  Then rub in 1 tsp kosher salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper.
3.  Slice and dice yellow squash and red onion.  Place in large bowl.  Toss with remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4.  Grill steak and veggies.  We placed the veggies in a grill basket.  If you do not have a grill basket, cut the squash in halves to be able to place on the grill.
5.  When the steak and veggies are done, place them back in the large mixing bowl together.  Squeeze the lemon over the steak and veggies.  Cover with tin foil.

6.  Prepare cous cous.
7.  Cut steak into strips.  Place veggies over top of cous cous.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.  Serve with steak strips.

scrambled eggs

I am very fortunate to be able to spend so much time with my nephew, Cole, and niece, Sadie.  They are so much fun to watch grow up.  Sadie does not say a whole lot right now, but Cole is always talking and asking questions.  Earlier this week, we were discussing Uncle Ben's garden.  We talked about the strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.  He then asked if the granola bars had started to bloom.  Granola bars are one of his favorites.  It was even cuter because he calls granola bars "olga" bars.

My goal this week has been to clean out the fridge and cabinets.  I had a carton of eggs to use up before they expired.  We decided to do breakfast for dinner last night.  I was laughing while perusing the Betty Crocker cook book a few weeks ago.  I noticed a recipe for scrambled eggs.  I didn't know anyone who followed a recipe for scrambled eggs.  Well, I decided to try it out.

So this is not the most exciting recipe post.  I do have to say that it was good to follow the recipe.  The eggs had the perfect fluffy, non dry taste while still coming out thoroughly cooked.  If you couldn't guess, I'm a little weird about under cooked eggs.  While I laughed at the idea of a recipe for scrambled eggs, I have to say it was a pleasant surprise.

I give the recipe 3 cookies.  The recipe is basic scrambled eggs.  I'm sure there are lots of flavors to add to make this more excited.

 Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 Tbsp. butter

1.  In large measuring cup, measure 1/3 cup milk.  Break eggs into the measuring cup in the milk.  Add salt and pepper.  Scramble with fork or whisk.
2.  Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat.  Add scrambled eggs and cook.  Use a spatula and gently scrape the bottom and stir eggs while cooking.

Samosas

Life has been busy lately.  Besides the typical work and other obligations, our family got together to put up a fence at my sister's house.  The fence looks fantastic, but I think it wore everyone out.  Needless to say I have not cooked for the last several days.  I did, however, find pictures of a recipe that I never posted.
 

While we were on our Indian food kick a few months ago, we tried samosas.  They were so good.  If you have the time, I suggest trying them out.  Cole had a great time helping roll out the dough.

 

Samosas

Ingredients
Dough:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter
5/8 cup water

Filling:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup ground beef
1 fresh green chile
1 tsp salt
1 cup peas
1 tsp fresh cilantro
pepper

Directions
1.  Mix together flour and salt.  Cut butter into small pieces and mash into the flour with fingers.  Mixture will look like bread crumbs.  Stir in a little water at a time and mix thoroughly.  Knead until smooth.  (I think we struggled with finding the right amount of water vs. flour...just a heads up).  Cover with a damp cloth.
2.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Saute diced onion with cumin seeds.  Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes.  Add ground beef, diced green chile, and salt.  Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  Stir in peas (we used frozen peas) and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and a pinch of pepper.  Let cool.
4.  Divide the  dough into 12 eaqual portions.  Roll each portion into a circle.  Cut the circles in half.
5.  Fill each half circle with meat mixture.  rub milk over edges of dough and press together.
6.  Deep fry the samosas until crisp and golden.