Stuffed Peppers

I actually made a menu board this week (I love menu planning, it makes me feel like a bad ass!), and one of our dinners was stuffed peppers. I sliced the tops off of the bell peppers and then broiled them by themselves for about 15 minutes, rotating them every 5 minutes so they roasted evenly (the top photo was a last minute pepper that didn't get broiled--it was crunchy and raw, so definitely broil first!). I didn't start broiling until recently (because honestly, I didn't know how), but it just heats the oven from the top, which is great for roasting or getting a nice toasty finish on something.

Then in a bowl, I mixed brown rice with some steamed veggies (basically what I had in the fridge--green beans, red pepper, onion, broccoli, and squash) and a big dose of Hernandez salsa. Scooped it in my peppers and grated some cheddar on top, then baked them for about 15 minutes, or until everything was gooey and awesome looking.

I stuffed my (non-vegetarian) husband's with cooked ground beef, brown rice, and Rotel diced tomatoes, also topped with some cheddar. We ate 'em with Greek yogurt (tastes a lot like sour cream) and some pinto beans cooked with salsa on the side. Ole!

Stress Baking

So not only do I drink way too much diet soda when I'm stressed, I bake like a maniac. This week alone I've made two batches of cookies and a box of No Pudge brownies. These were my regular recipe with chocolate chips, toffee, and a little extra sea salt.

Green Smoothies

Whenever I'm under a big deadline I get hooked on caffeine and drink Diet Coke like it's going out of style. Then I end up feeling gross, and worse, it makes me crave sugar and all sorts of junk. So I've been wanting to detox...gently. Nothing crazy. I found out about this through the 100 Days of Real Food Blog (definitely check that out, great articles on there). It's a bunch of recipes for green smoothies--I started with the Beginner's Luck smoothie. Despite the green, it was actually very good and kept me full for a few hours (I had it for breakfast two days in a row). I'm kind of excited to see what I feel like after drinking them more regularly!

The site has lots of fun recipes, and they come with beautiful pictures too:  http://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach, fresh
2 cups water (I mixed in crushed ice)
1 cup pineapple (I used frozen)
1 cup mango
2 bananas

– Serves 2 –

Blend spinach and water until smooth. Next add the remaining fruits and blend again. Use at least one frozen fruit to make the green smoothie cold.

Here is the original recipe (and photo):  http://simplegreensmoothies.com/Recipes/beginners-luck#!prettyPhoto

Wrap it Up

I picked up a new vegetarian cookbook from the clearance aisle at Barnes and Noble, and decided to try this wrap recipe with some leftover burrito tortillas. I forgot to get cream cheese, so I made a basil mayo instead (pesto mixed with olive oil-based mayo). It's one sweet potato, cut with the thickest setting on my mandoline and roasted in the oven for about 10 minutes, fresh spinach, and low fat feta cheese. Pretty good and it got me thinking about all the other types of veggies I could slice and roast, and what else would be good in a wrap.

The next day, I roasted up a whole zucchini, also sliced on the mandoline, and a whole red pepper, just opened and evenly trimmed. It wasn't cooking fast enough, so I broiled it and got some nice roast marks on there! It also helps to sprinkle some sea salt and fresh pepper on the veggies to give them some flavor. I flipped them half way so they would cook evenly.

Then I laid out my tortilla (definitely want to try a spinach or whole wheat one next time, but this is what I had in the fridge) and spread it with Boursin cheese, then added the veggies, fresh basil, and some crumbled goat cheese.

Lastly, I rolled it up like a pinwheel and cut it with a really sharp knife. This one was even better and would have been great with eggplant or mint also. I might be crazy sometime and try one that has all the elements of my favorite sushi roll (rice, sweet potato, cucumber, cream cheese, seaweed salad). There are so many combinations that would be good in these, and they're a cinch to make.

Tomato Gouda Basil Pasta

I love, love, love the Food Network magazine. They always have creative ideas and the best recipes (with pictures!). This was in the July edition and was soooo good! Sorry for the crappy picture, it was taken on my phone and doesn't do it justice.

Ingredients:
Kosher sea salt
12 ounces penne pasta (I used the fun kind in the picture)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used olive oil mayo by Kraft)
1/4 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1/4 cup white vinegar, plus more if needed
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotles (I used more, to taste)
1 10-ounce package grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound smoked gouda cheese, cut into small cubes
24 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water until no longer hot; set aside.

2. Make the dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and the adobo sauce in a small bowl, tasting for seasing.

3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, dressing, tomatoes and gouda. Stir in the basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. I served it hot and it was also delicious that way!

Here is the original recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/spicy-pasta-salad-with-smoked-gouda-tomatoes-and-basil-recipe/index.html

Bread Baking

Our neighbor, Luca, was interested in learning how to make bread, so we spent a Saturday afternoon whipping up some foccacia and these French loaves. Bread is really simple, just time consuming (and messy). But I feel better knowing I'm not eating all the gross preservatives and chemicals that go in to the stuff at the grocery store. And you can't beat the taste of bread fresh out of the oven (or the delicious smell!).

Recipe to come...

Simple Does It

When the CSA flowers start to wither, I like to use the blooms that are still going in tiny little vases around the house. Pretty, right?