Taco Stuffed Peppers

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I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but here in Maryland, it’s been in the 70’s all week long. The boys and I have pretty much been living outside the past few days, and its been wonderful. On Wednesday, we had dinner plans with our local kids play group. But as luck with 2 small children would have it, those plans fell through. First thought was to just order a pizza, but we try not to order out too often. We had  some leftover taco meat from earlier on in the week, and a few bell peppers I’d picked up but not used. So, I thought why not a Tex-Mex twist on stuffed peppers?

We really enjoyed them. It was a light enough dinner that I didn’t feel weighed down by it, yet substantial enough that I was completely full and satisfied with one pepper. I used ground sirloin, but ground turkey is always wonderful in an application such as this. I loved the addition of the black beans and corn, I felt it really added a surprising twist that you wouldn’t be expecting in a stuffed pepper. I had made a batch of Spanish rice to go alongside, so I just added some of that to the stuffing mixture. Topped off with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, it really was a great dinner. Would be an awesome vegetarian dish too, just bump up the amounts of beans and corn. A great way to segue into the lighter, fresher meals of spring that I know we’re all jonesin’ for. Fingers crossed that this beautiful weather holds out through the weekend!

Taco Stuffed Peppers

4 medium bell peppers (I used red, green and yellow)
3/4 pound ground beef (I used leftover taco meat)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup Spanish rice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing seeds and ribs with a spoon. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Drain any grease from the pan. Add onions and garlic, and cook until softened. Add taco seasoning and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add corn, black beans, and diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes, then add rice to the mixture and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place peppers, right side up, in a baking dish. Evenly divide mixture between peppers. Top peppers with shredded cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

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Grilled bok choy is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes. I usually cook it when we’re putting something on the grill anyways – steak, chicken, kabobs.  Often I’ll just keep the seasoning simple – olive oil, salt, and pepper. But, whenever I want something a little more special,  I made a wonderful spicy Asian vinaigrette to go on top before grilling.

Some people steer clear of bok choy because it falls under the cabbage category. If you think you don’t like cabbage, give this recipe a try. I too, was a “cabbage hater”, but bok choy really brought me around. It’s a very mild flavor, so it’s a great place to start. Feel free to play around with the flavorings in the vinaigrette too. I like the flavors that the soy sauce and Sriracha lend, but just most things in the kitchen, the possibilities are endless! I like to use  baby bok choy if I can find it, because it cooks so quickly and is tender. Large heads of bok choy will work as well, but you should quarter them before grilling.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

4 heads of baby bok choy (or 1 head of full-sized)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat for 15 minutes, and lightly oil the grate.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, and black pepper. Slice the bok choy in half, lengthwise. Brush the cabbage with the soy sauce mixture on the cut side, letting the vinaigrette fall into the grooves.

Lay the bok choy on the preheated grill, cut side up. Cook until the stalks show grill marks and the leaves are crisp at the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with remaining soy mixture, cover, and grill the other side for about 2 more minutes. Remove to platter and serve.

Tzatziki

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I’ve lamented before about my ability (or, lack thereof) to get decent ethnic foods here on the Eastern Shore. One nationality that is well represented on our little island is Greece. I may not be able to get a burrito for 25 miles, but I can get a great gyro! I’ve come around to many Greek favorites in more recent years – feta, kalamata olives, and most importantly, tzatziki. It’s so deliciously cool and refreshing, and pretty much guilt free.

I’ll make a huge batch up whenever I make souvlaki for gyros, and leftovers keep great in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It’s a great afternoon snack, with a few wedges of pita bread. I’ve also discovered that oven fries (I made them with a bit of a Greek flair last time; lots of oregano and garlic) dipped in tzatziki is out of this world. I think it would also be wonderful along side grilled fish.

The key is to make sure you squeeze as much water as possible out of the cucumbers after shredding them. Tzatziki should be a relatively thick consistency. If you like it thinner, add some more red wine vinegar or lemon juice. I like to add a little bit of dill, just because I think it makes it a little prettier, but it’s optional. Dried dill doesn’t have that much flavor, so it’s not like it’s bringing that much to the party. Try this soon, it’s a healthy option that’s still full of flavor and very versatile. Opa!

Tzatziki

1 (32 oz.) container of plain yogurt (preferably NOT fat-free)
2 regular cucumbers, peeled & seeded
3 cloves garlic, crushed (I usually use a microplane for this)
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
salt and a little pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl (if you don’t have that, a strainer lined with a coffee filter will work) for several hours or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible.

Shred or grate the cucumbers, place them in a clean kitchen towel, and then squeeze to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, so flavors can meld.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the top before serving.

Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Spinocolli Pizza

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It’s funny how the internet can connect us to places we’ve never been to. To people we’ve never met. Such is the case with this wonderful pizza. Whenever I make it, I think of the lovely Annie and the little pizzeria in her hometown that came up with this wonderful pie. I’ve always been a fan of a good white pizza. But the spinach and broccoli which adorn the top of this really make it unique and memorable.

The sauce is rich and creamy, with just a hint of garlic. The spinach is nice and tender, and the broccoli gets slightly roasted – intensifying  the flavor. The combination of mozzarella and cheddar on top is definitely the win, too. Did you know that cheese is actually better; gooier and stringier, when a combination of cheeses are used? Alton Brown. Most pizza dough recipes yield enough dough for 2 pizzas, so I’ll usually do one standard pepperoni and then mix it up with something like spinocolli. It’s become a favorite here on pizza nights. Thanks so much, Annie!

Spinocolli Pizza

For the white sauce:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:
Pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
1/2 cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn
1 cup very small broccoli florets
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the heavy cream and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.  Discard the garlic clove.  (Note: This will make a bit more sauce than you need for the pizza, but with a little extra cheese it makes a great dipping sauce for crust.)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500? F for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust.  Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce.  Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough.  Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.  Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Source: Annie’s Eats