Asian-Inspired Stuffed Peppers

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I was never a big fan of the traditional green peppers stuffed with rice/ground beef/tomato sauce mixture – probably because I dislike green peppers and the filling always seemed bland to me. This recipe is my spin combining recipes for stuffed peppers with lettuce wrap filling. It can be made and even assembled ahead of time then just heated up for those evenings where the whole family is rushing in late. I prefer the mellow sweetness of yellow, orange and red peppers, but you can use green ones if you prefer. Blanching them (cooking them in boiling water then zapping them with cold water) softens them up and lessens the time needed in the oven for the finished dish.

Ingredients:

6 red, yellow or orange bell peppers

1 c. cooked rice

Chicken Filling from Lettuce Wraps Recipe here.

Make the Chicken Filling first. Then clean the peppers. Cut in half from stem to bottom and remove stem, seeds and any excess membrane. Bring a large pot of water to boil, then drop the peppers (in 2 batches) into the water for 5 minutes until softened. Remove, drain and rinse in cold water until cooled. Spray with oil a large baking dish then put all the peppers in, open side up.

 

Put 1 T. of cooked rice in the bottom of each pepper. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to put chicken filling in each pepper on top of the rice. Sprinkle with extra chopped basil or sesame seeds. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes to warm everything up together just before serving.

Asian Inspired Stuffed Pepper serving

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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1 lb. ground chicken
2 T. sesame oil (can use HOT flavored if you like)

1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms (approx. 4-5 medium fresh ones or dried ones, rehydrated according to directions, then finely chopped)
2 T. chopped basil
3 T. hoisen sauce

3 T. teriyaki

1 t. ground ginger
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 8-oz. can each bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 t. cornstarch
Butter leaf lettuce, cleaned & separated
2 c. cooked rice

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and basil. Set aside. Stir together 1 T. each of the hoisen, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, plus the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger. Pour the mixture on top of ground chicken gently stir to combine.

Sauce Round #2: In a small separate bowl, mix the remaining 2 T. hoisen & teriyaki, 1/2 t. ginger and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken mix in the oil until cooked, stirring every couple of minutes. While the chicken is cooking, prepare Sauce Round #2. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and simmer a couple more minutes. Serve over the rice or scooped into the lettuce leaves.

Option: Use as filling for Asian-Inspired Stuffed Peppers

 

Autumn Clam Chowder

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When fall arrives along with football and cold & flu season, there’s nothing better than a cup of hot chowder. I have tried many different potato soup, clam chowder and other hearty recipes, and settled on this combination as my favorite – it has the best of all flavors and it’s easy to spice it up more or less to your personal tastes. I happened to have a fresh crab for the last pot, so I added the meat in at the last minute for a bit of extra seafood flavor.

Autumn Clam Chowder

(2) 6.5 oz. cans of minced clams

3-4 slices of bacon, cut in half

3-4 medium potatoes, cubed

1 med. onion, chopped

1 t. chicken bouillon

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. dried, crushed thyme

(1) 15-oz can fire roasted or southwestern style  corn, drained

1 fire-roasted red pepper, chopped

2-4 T. jalapeno peppers (jarred), chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 c. milk

1 c. half-and-half

2 T. all-purpose flour

Strain the clams into a measuring cup, saving the juice. Set the clams aside and add water to the juice until it equals 1 cup, then set aside. In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the bacon drippings, add the onions and cook few minutes until soft. Add the clam juice, potatoes, thyme, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Mash them lightly.

Whisk together the milk, half-and-half, and flour. Add to the potato mixture and increase heat back to medium. Cook and stir often until slightly thickened and near boiling. Stir in the clams, jalapenos, red pepper, clams, crumbled bacon and corn. Bring the mixture back up to boiling and until everything is heated thoroughly. Serve in large mugs or bowls, sprinkled with more chopped peppers or shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Autumn Clam Chowder 2

Picnic Potato Salad (German Style)

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German potato salad

There are many different variations of German potato salad, most are served warm and feature the same basic ingredients. I created this one from a basic recipe and a few tweaks I’ve tried over the years. I usually make this on the morning of our annual family reunion picnic (for a bunch of Germans!) and serve it warm, but it’s also very good cold and is pretty hearty – in case you’re traveling. If you’re serving a large group, I recommend making a double batch, but do it one portion at a time, and you’ll need a very large bowl to toss everything together in.

 

 

German Potato Salad

5 lbs. of medium-sized red or Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned & cubed

1 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces

1-1/2 lbs. smoked or German-style sausage, cut into pieces or slices

1/2 or 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2/3 c. apple cider vinegar

3 T. bacon grease

2 tsp. celery salt (or 1-2 stalks of celery, finely chopped)

2 T. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1-1/3 c. water

1 tsp. dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

2 T. fresh chopped dill (optional)

1 fennel root, chopped finely (optional)

IMG_2922In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes with salted cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are slightly tender, but don’t overcook. At the same time, saute the sausage slices in a large saucepan until browned. Drain and place in a large bowl. Drain the potatoes and add to the sausage in bowl when ready.

Cook the bacon pieces in the large saucepan until crisp. Drain off the grease and set aside 3 T. Saute the onion (and celery if you choose) in it until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, celery salt and stir well. Add the sugar, water, vinegar, bring to a boil, then boil 2 minutes or until thickened slightly. Stir in the mustard and pour over the potatoes, sausage, bacon and chopped fennel root in the large bowl. Add the fresh dill and toss until well coated. Serve warm. If you decide to serve cold later, cover and refrigerate. Toss before serving, and add a few dashes of the vinegar to moisten if needed. Makes 12-14 servings.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Salmon

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When I first started my cooking site, I chose the tagline “I can make that!” because it’s something I often said when dining out, watching The Food Channel, and reading through magazines. I would enjoy something amazing and think to myself, “I can make this at home, but maybe add a little more of this and a little less of that and make it perfect for my taste.” Fast forward and here we have goat cheese stuffed salmon, inspired from a dish I had on my honeymoon a few years ago that combined layers of smoked salmon, goat cheese, herbs and olive oil as an appetizer served with crackers. I combined the same basic flavors and turned it into an easy main dish instead. You can even make the stuffing and spread ahead of time, then just assemble and cook on a busy spring night after work.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Salmon

Stuffing:

• 8 oz goat cheese

• 1-2 T. milk or cream

• 2 t. fresh chopped herbs (dill, tarragon, cilantro, lemon basil or your favorite)

• Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients in a food processor until fluffy and smooth. Set aside,

Spread:

• 2 T. spicy or stone ground mustard

• 1 T. mayo

Combine until smooth, set aside.

Take 2 lbs. of fresh salmon and cut into smaller portions. If the slices are thick enough, slit the middle and stuff with the goat cheese filling. If the slices are thinner or odd shaped, fold them over the stuffing (secure with toothpick if necessary). Spread the mustard mixture on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in large glass dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the fish is still moist and flaky. Garnish with more fresh chopped herbs and serve with rice or grilled vegetables.

Try the stuffing with different cheeses, or in different fish (halibut or tuna).

These fillets are even good chilled as a sandwich the next day. I do love leftovers!

 

Sweet & Spicy Penne

Sweet & Spicy Penne

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It was a dark, stormy weeknight…I worked all day, picked up my toddler from daycare, and rushed home to make dinner for my friend and I. Of course my friends are used to me trying new recipes on them, so I got two thumbs up on this one. Even my daughter loved the leftovers! And it all started from a light recipe that I had torn out months ago and altered with all of my favorite things (mushrooms, sausage, extra cheese…so much for the “light” part of it). Oh, and the recipe was dated 2011 – it only took me a few years to try and customize it. But it’s definitely a keeper!

One box of whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to directions & drained

1 (16 oz) jar of marinara sauce

1 pkg. (5-6) Italian flavored turkey sausages

1 c. roasted red peppers, chopped

1 small individual container of plain Greek yogurt

1 c. fresh basil, chopped

1 c. fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped

1-2 tsp. Red Hot Sauce or Tabasco (to taste)

salt & pepper, to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste

Slice open the turkey sausages and remove the filling. Toss the casings, and saute the crumbled filling in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain off the excess liquid and put back in pan. Add the marinara sauce, peppers, and mushrooms. Heat thoroughly and until mushrooms are tender. In a separate bowl, slowly spoon about 1 cup of the sauce into the yogurt to temper it. Then add back into the sauce. Add the basil, along with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and top with cheese. Serve immediately.

Goes great with Cheesy French Bread!

 

Turkey Chili

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Right after I had my daughter, my friend brought our family a big bowl of chili, homemade cornbread and salad. We ate that for a week and it was fabulous! I took her recipe and changed it up a bit so I could make it in the crockpot (don’t judge me, I have a toddler and no time now)!

Turkey Chili

1 T vegetable or olive oil

2 medium sweet onions, peeled and chopped finely (I prefer to cook with Walla Walla sweets)

1.5 lbs. ground turkey

Heat oil in large skillet. Add turkey and onion, cook thoroughly. Drain off liquid and set aside.

1.5 tsp. ground oregano

2 bay leaves

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1.5 tsp. salt (can add more later to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

*chili powder to taste

(1) 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

2 c. low-sodium beef broth

(1) 8-oz. can tomato sauce

(3) 15-oz. cans small white beans, drained & rinsed

In a large crockpot, add the meat mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and cook on low, 4-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and/or hot sauce.

Notes:

• I left out the chili powder and it tasted fine to me, but I don’t like spicy foods.  You can also add Tabasco to taste during or after cooking.

• To save time, you can pre-cook the meat mixture the night before then refrigerate and all ingredients to crockpot the next day. Or, you can mix everything up, refrigerate the whole crockpot, and turn it on in the morning. I have also pre-cooked the meat and frozen it to use when needed.

• Try different kinds of beans (I accidentally bought garbanzos instead of white beans and it’s looking pretty good!) or a combination of ground turkey and ground beef or chicken.

Trinity Gumbo

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The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

I call this “Trinity Gumbo” because Cajun cooking often uses the “Holy Trinity” of onions, green peppers and celery as a base, and because I use a combination of chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. This is a great dish to make on a Sunday and eat throughout the week – it’s almost better as leftovers after the flavors all meld together! This recipe is a hybrid of one I got when I took a cooking class in New Orleans and one of the back of the key ingredient, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Gravy & Gumbo Mix.

Trinity Gumbo

2 green peppers, cored, seeded & chopped up finely

1 large onion, peeled & chopped finely

1 lb. celery, chopped finely

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter or margarine

1 pkg. (12 oz.) andouille sausage, halved & sliced

Combine all of the above ingredients except andouille in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until veggies are very soft and starting to brown. Add andouille until it begins to curl at the edges.

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed

1 T. olive oil

While the Holy Trinity is cooking, in a separate saucepan, cook the chicken in the oil just until white.

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth

8 oz. Gravy & Gumbo Mix

2-3 bay leaves

1 lb. peeled & deveined shrimp (either tail on or off)

White rice (cooked according to instructions)

Heat the chicken broth with the bay leaves until almost boiling, then add in the gumbo mix, chicken, and Holy Trinity. Heat thoroughly, then just a few minutes before serving, add in the shrimp and heat until the shrimp are cooked, just a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves. To serve, place a big scoop of the rice in a bowl and ladle the gumbo over it. Sprinkle with file’ gumbo powder & enjoy!

Taco Soup

No-Fail Taco Soup

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There are so many delicious and convenient soups available now that it’s hard to justify taking the time to make it at home. The perks of making it yourself are that you can make enough to feed the family, take leftovers to work all week, AND probably still have enough to freeze and eat months later when you don’t feel like cooking! You can also season it to your own liking – many of the store-bought varieties are too high in sodium for my taste.

When you make soup at home, you can also add, leave out, or substitute ingredients easily. Below is my version of what we called “taco soup” growing up. It seems like everyone has their own favorite recipe, and if you look online, there are infinite ways to switch it up. I began calling this my “No-Fail Taco Soup” because it’s a basic recipe where you really can use whatever is in your cupboard or freezer, in whatever portions, season to your own tastebuds, add toppings afterward to flavor it even more, and it always turns out tasty!

No-Fail Taco Soup

1-1/2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken or a combination)

1 package of taco seasoning mix

1/2 or whole large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

(3) 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

(2) 11 oz cans of southwestern style corn

(4) 15 oz. cans of beans (I prefer black, garbanzo, white, and kidney but you can also use pinto or all the same type)

1 T. cocoa powder

1 c. water or broth

In large skillet, brown the ground meat and drain off liquid and fat. Return to skillet and add taco season per the directions on packet.

Pour all the beans into a strainer and rinse off. Transfer beans to a large slow cooker and add the cans of corn and tomatoes with their liquid. Add in the cocoa, water or broth, and ground meat mixture. Stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve warm and top with crunched up taco chips, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, hot sauce and salt or pepper to taste (I usually leave out the additional salt since the taco chips and cheese have enough).

Notes:

• If you like your soups peppier, add in a bit of ground chipotle in adobo sauce or a cube of chipotle powder, Tabasco or chili powder. Ground cumin adds a bit more authentic Mexican flavor.

• Try it with cubed beef stew meat, chorizo, or go vegan and add in chopped carrots and more tomatoes (add the taco seasoning in with the beans, and water or broth).

• To make a creamier version, add in a can of refried beans with 1-2 cans more water to your desired consistency, and/or a can of tomato sauce.

• Serve on top of baked potatoes with a bit of shredded cheddar and sour cream or with a chunk of cornbread on the side for a hearty dinner.

• You can also simmer this on your stovetop in a large soup kettle. All the ingredients are already cooked and you only need to heat it until hot, but the longer it simmers, the more the flavors meld together and the better it tastes!

 

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies

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One of my favorite Christmas memories is spending time baking with my mom and grandma. We made traditional things like fudge, peanut brittle, shortbread cookies, and divinity. For years, the only thing I asked for from Grandma was her homemade cinnamon and root bear hard candy and peanut brittle. I hoarded it throughout the year!

When I was asked to help judge the cookie contest at Garden Gallery Iron Works in Hubbard last weekend, I quickly said yes! With a 14-month old baby, full-time retail job, and 6 days less between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I could still enjoy cookies without actually taking the time to do the baking myself. I had so much fun but it was tough for us to decide between 30+ entries! I was surprised at some of the unique ingredients used (bacon? Pinto beans and chili powder?) and how some of the traditional cookies were given a unique spin. After an hour of mulling everything over and re-tasting several finalists, we chose a winner! It was the one cookie all three of us kept talking about – it was so simple, but the flavors reminded all of us of the good old days and Grandma’s kitchen. I’m so happy to share this recipe and hope that it becomes part of your family tradition – I know it will soon be part of mine!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

By Korrin Petersen (Hubbard, OR)

1 c. softened butter

1 c. white sugar

½ c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. grated orange zest

2 T. orange juice

2 – ½ c. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 c. dried cranberries (Kristy’s note: I used 1 c. because that’s all I had in the house and they turned out fine!)

½ c. chopped walnuts – optional

*Kristy’s addition: 1/4 cup candied orange peel added in at same time as the cranberries

Icing:

½ tsp. grated orange zest

3 T. orange juice

1 – ½ c. confectioners (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 tsp. orange zest and 2 T. orange juice. Combine the flour, soda and salt together, then stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and walnuts until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 2” apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

For icing, mix together in small bowl the orange zest, juice, and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle on top of the cooled cookies and let stand until set.