Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made these a few weeks ago but neglected to add the recipe to the blog. They were tasty - not much more needs to be said. Originally from The Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients
4 bell peppers (any color)
2 T. olive oil
8 oz. ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 c. hot cooked rice
1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. dried basil or marjoram, crumbled
red pepper flakes to taste
salt & ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 T. olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a baking dish in which the peppers will fit snugly.
2. Steam bell peppers over boiling water for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add and saute over medium heat the ground beef, onion, and dried thyme until the beef is lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the rice, tomato, eggs, garlic, basis/marjoram, red pepper, salt & pepper.
5. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and set them in the baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs and olive oil and spread over the tops.
6. Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling hot, about 25 minutes. If necessary, brown the tops under the broiler.

Stuffed Shells

Part two of my dinner-making marathon. J preferred these to the manicotti, although I forgot to add the basil and think it might have pepped things up a bit. All in all, a nice go-to baked pasta dish. This is actually an amalgamation of several different recipes, so it's almost like I came up with it myself!

Ingredients
1 box (12 oz) Jumbo Shells
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 bag (6 oz.) baby spinach, chopped
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
22 oz. ricotta cheese
3 oz. Parmesan cheese (grated)
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1 jar tomato sauce
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley.

1. Preheat ove to 400 degrees.
2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot for the pasta. When the water is boiling, stir in 1t. salt and the jumbo shells. Cook, stirring often, until the manicotti is almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Set aside and let cool.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach, onion, and garlic; continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg and blend well. Let mixture cool.
4. Mix together the ricotta, 1 c. of the Parmesan, the mozzarella, egg, basil, 1/2 t. of salt and 1/4 t. pepper in a large bowl. Add in the cooled spinach mixture.
5. Fill each of the shells with approximately 1-2 T. of cheese-spinach mixture. Arrange the filled pasta in an oiled 9x13-inch baking dish.
6. Pour the tomato sauce over the filled pasta.
7. Wrap the dish tightly in foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the ricotta filling is hot, about 25 minutes.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the parsley and remaining 1/2 c. parmesan cheese.

** To make ahead/freeze: Prepare as directed through step 6, wrap carefully, and freeze. When ready to make, defrost in the refrigerator, then bake according to the instructions.

Recipe: Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti

Last night I made two dinners - enough to put away in the freezer and to taste test for our actual meal. I preferred the taste of the manicotti, but J thought the mushroom taste was a little on the strong side (I think he didn't mind it, but preferred the Stuffed Shells).


Taken from the back of the Barilla Manicotti box...


Ingredients

1 box (8 oz.) Barilla Manicotti
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bellas - crimini mushrooms)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag (6 oz.) fresh spinach, chopped
2 eggs
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil leaves
1 t. salt
1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer Classico)
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook manicotti 7 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach; continue cooking 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl. Stir in ricotta, basil, and salt. Stir in mushroom mixture.
5. Spread 3/4 c. sauce over bottom of baking dish (13x9 works well). Fill manicotti with mushroom mixture; place in dish. Pour remaining sauce evenly over filled shells; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings.

Tip: Substitute 1 box (10oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained, for fresh.

** To make ahead/freeze: Prepare as described through step 5, but do not bake. Place manicotti in a freezer-safe dish and cover well. When ready to cook, defrost in refrigerator, then bake as instructed.

Recipe: Roman-Style Chicken

This is one of my favorites from The Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis - quite tasty, and even if you omit some items (as I did last night - no capers, bacon, or artichokes here!), it's still a delicious meal. The freezer directions are courtesy of Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

Roman Style Chicken
recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup artichoke hearts
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. In a heavy, cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and bacon and cook until the peppers have browned and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichokes, tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Just before serving, add the capers and parsley; stir to combine and serve.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken as directed above. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and cool completely, then place in a gallon sized freezer bag. Prepare the sauce for the dish as directed above, omitting the stock, capers and parsley (which will be added later). Cool completely before adding the sauce to the gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze the bag. When ready to prepare, defrost the freezer bag completely. Place the contents of the freezer bag into a slow cooker/crockpot. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Just before serving, add the capers and parsley; stir to combine and serve.

Recipe: Cincinnati-Style Chili

In an attempt to make the most of my time pre-little one, I'm starting to make meals that I can have ready in the freezer. Most of these are meals that I've had before, so there is a certain level of comfort with how they'll turn out. First up, a favorite ever since we took a random road trip to Ohio and Kentucky last Labor Day. While we visited Cincinnati (and the Creation Museum - check out our travel blog for a review on THAT experience), we happened to dine at Skyline Chili, a must according to our Cincinnati resources. While I had their vegetarian chili in the restaurant, the following is their meat chili, an absolutely delicious meal filled with a variety of spices. Definitely try the 5-way variations - we like it inverted!

Cincinnati Chili (from America's Test Kitchen)

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups canned tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 lbs 85% lean ground beef

Directions
1. Saute onion in oil until soft and edges are beginning to brown. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper and allspice. Stir for about a minute until spices are fragrant.
2. Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, being sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
3. Add meat to sauce. Use a potato masher to break meat up into small pieces. Simmer just 15 minutes.
4. Serve chili over spaghetti.

For "chili five ways," top with diced raw onion, rinsed and drained kidney beans and shredded sharp cheddar.

(Vegetarian note: when using ground meatless as we did, you want to stir fry it so add it as step 1.5 rather than after all of the liquid has been added.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chili as directed above and allow to cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze. When ready to enjoy, defrost completely and bring to a simmer over medium low heat before serving.