Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

We’ve made these in our house a few times.

They are relatively easy to make & they taste great!

My favorite part about these, 3 different cheeses all packed into one little dish!!

I also think serving a stuffed bell pepper just makes a cute presentation. 

This recipe makes 4 very stuffed peppers with a little left over.

If you have a larger family make sure to adjust the

ingredients accordingly.

Cut the tops off & scoop out the insides.

Spray the cooking dish with non-stick spray.

Stuff the peppers until they are almost full.

Top with lots of mozzarella.

Ingredients

12-16 oz lean ground beef

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Italian seasoning

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2oz feta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3-4 green bell peppers

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large pan brown the beef over medium to high heat.

Once meat has been browned, drain.

Add onions, garlic, seasoning & tomatoes to pan with the beef.

Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Stir in feta & Parmesan cheese.

Remove tops & insides of the peppers.

Fill the peppers with the mixture & place in the baking dish.

Top each pepper with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes

or until cheese is browned.

Serve on a bed of whole grain brown rice.

 

Turkey Gyros

Let me introduce you to my version of a Greek Gyro.

My version uses turkey in place of lamb.

How could anyone eat those cute little lambs?!

I know a lot of people can, but I am not one of them.

I won’t eat goat either. Growing up my mother raised pygmy goats

& I made a couple of them my pets.

My first pet goat was named Murphy after Murphy Brown. lol.

Do you remember that tv show? I think she worked for a news room called F.Y.I..

Anyway, I have a hard time eating cute little animals that remind me of my pets.

I think the turkey is a delicious substitute. It’s juicy, flavorful & healthy.

I’ve never had a true gyro but this one was pretty darn tasty!!

I used some Greek seasoning in the turkey & a little in the cucumber sauce.

I did use a 100% whole wheat tortilla in place of a pita.

Ingredients

1lb ground turkey

1 tsp Greek seasoning

1/2 tomato, diced

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 head lettuce, shredded

feta

olive oil

tortillas or pitas

Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium to high heat.

Brown turkey until no longer pink. Make sure to break turkey up into small pieces.

While cooking add Greek seasoning to the pan. Stir.

Heat tortillas or pitas. Once warm, fill each one with turkey, tomatoes, lettuce,

onion & feta. Drizzle the cucumber sauce on top. 

Cucumber Sauce

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cucumber, finely diced

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle on top.

Enjoy!

 

Substitute & Measuring Charts

I have come across a lot of wonderful blogs

& have signed up to receive emails from almost all of them.

Recently I received an email containing these charts which I

thought were extremely helpful. How could I not share these with everyone!?

There are times when I want to make a recipe & I have everything

but that one ingredient. Instead of running to the store for that one thing,

I now how a substitute chart to reference. Genesis!!

Cooking just became a little bit easier.

The chart below is wonderful for measurements.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to know a measurement

& I turned to google to find my answer. lol

 

Lemon Snap Peas

What a tasty little side dish these are!!

I’m always looking for new sides to try because it seems like we

always have the same thing. Broccoli, zucchini, squash etc. 

After awhile those become very boring.

Lemon snap peas are anything but boring.

Fresh organic snap peas, freshly grated lemon &

freshly squeezed lemon juice.

I seriously think I could eat these as a main dish.

They are the perfect compliment to my Cajun pan fried tilapia.

Aren’t they just beautiful!? So vibrant.

Served with tilapia.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
12 oz. fresh sugar snap peas, de-stringed
1 tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas and toss to coat. Cook snap peas over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper (and thyme, if you wish) and cook an additional 3-5 minutes, until the snap peas begin to puff up and are crisp, yet tender.  Squeeze a little lemon juice over top right before serving. 

 

 

Teriyaki Chicken

I’m on a quest to make my own Chinese food.

Since moving to our house 2 years ago, we have been unsuccessful

with finding a really good Chinese restaurant close by. We have tried all within our

area & have resorted driving  25 miles round trip to our favorite spot.

Two weeks ago, we discovered our favorite spot closed. The owners retired.

Oh No!!!

So my quest begins.

First dish I am across to try was teriyaki chicken.

Homemade teriyaki sauce is sooo good & it smells great!

Easy to make & much better than the bottled stuff you’d get at the store.

NO high fructose corn syrup and unnecessary preservatives here!

If you look closely you can see a little bit of fresh ginger.

A little green onion to garnish.

Served on a bed of jasmine rice.

This rice really is wonderful. Compliments the chicken well.

Ingredients

Teriyaki Sauce

1/3 cup (low sodium) soy sauce
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and vinegar over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Dissolve cornstarch in water in a separate mixing bowl and then add to the saucepan. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Set aside.

Chicken

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
pinch kosher salt
pinch ground black pepper
optional: sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat olive oil in large, oven-safe skillet over high heat. Season chicken liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Place chicken into skillet and cook until golden-brown on one side, about 5-6 minutes. Flip pieces over, pour the teriyaki sauce over and between the chicken and place into the oven.

Bake chicken for 15-20 minutes, until no longer pink in the middle.

To serve, slice against the grain and drizzle teriyaki sauce from the skillet over the chicken.

Serve over steamed rice if desired. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

 

Pizza Margherita

I’ve really been into cooking things I’ve never had before.

That’s kind of the point of cooking right!?

Well, Yes & No.

It’s about trying new things & trying to recreate things you love.

AND..

I LOVE pizza so this really isn’t a new thing but having a pizza Margherita is.

Apparently there is a bit of history surrounding this particular pizza. When I 

came across this blog not only did I get a recipe,  I got a little history lesson too.

So here are a few fun facts.

Pizza is Greek in origin. Modern pizza originated in Italy as the Neapolitan pie with tomato.

Basil & Mozzarella.

In 1889, cheese was added.

Homemade pizza dough.

In 1889, during a visit to Naples, Queen Margherita of Italy was served a pizza resembling the colors of the Italian flag, red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). This kind of pizza has been named after the Queen as Pizza Margherita.

Ingredients

1 pizza crust/ dough
1 14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, not including juices
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2-3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
7-8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 oz. fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Drain tomatoes and puree in a food processor (or blender). Add olive oil, oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper and pulse to combine.

Spread sauce over pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge for the crust. Create a layer of the thinly sliced tomatoes over the sauce. Line the sliced mozzarella over the tomatoes.

Bake pizza for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Toss fresh basil over cooked pizza and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Slice and serve.

 

Homemade Pizza Dough

Have you ever made homemade pizza?

I mean real homemade pizza right down to the pizza dough?

No, me either until a few nights ago. 

WOW, what a difference fresh dough makes! I will NEVER buy

prepackaged dough again. It’s SUPER easy!!

The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise.

The recipe I found was a little intimidating at first because it calls for a 

bread machine & of course I don’t own one. Reading through the comments,

I’m not the only one without a bread machine. Luckily for me a couple pioneers tried

making this dough by hand or with their mixer & bread hook.

Success!!

The bread hook did all the work. No bread machine or kneading involved.

There is enough dough to make 1 really large or 2 medium size pizzas.

I chose 1 really large pizza, the size of my pizza pan & still had a little left over.

Before adding toppings, use a fork to poke little holes around the dough to keep from bubbling.

Ingredients

1 cup water
3 cups bread flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. yeast

Place all ingredients in your kitchen-aid mixer, attach bread hook. 

Turn on low until dough is pliable & elastic, rather than sticky.

Let rise for about 60-70 minutes. Dough should double in size.

 

Baja Fish Tacos w/ Fresh Pico de Gallo and Dill Sauce

That’s a mouth full!

A mouth full of delicious fish tacos that is!

My husband has been talking about fish tacos since we’ve been

together & I don’t think we have tried making them once.

So when I found this recipe from a sweet pea chef who happens to be

from California, who also happens to eat tacos from Baja California, I knew this

was the prefect time to make fish tacos!

Who better to give me instructions on how to make yummy

fish tacos besides her!?

I was correct, she has a fantastic recipe not only for tacos, but for fresh

Pico de Gallo & creamy white dill sauce.

My husband liked them so much he ate 3 1/2. lol!

So healthy!

Pico de Gallo

2 medium tomatoes on the vine, diced – small

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

whole lime - fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with additional salt, lime, pepper and/or cumin to taste. Let sit for at least an hour.

Creamy White Dill Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt

juice from 1/2 a lime (approx 2 tbsp)

1 tsp. jalapeno pepper, minced

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Season with additional salt, lime, pepper and/or cumin to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

*Once again I used tilapia instead of cod*

Fish

1 lb. fresh rock cod or sea bass fillet, cut into strips of 2-3 oz. portions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. water
Canola or vegetable oil
1/2 head medium cabbage, thinly sliced
8-10 good quality corn tortillas

Directions

In a flat dish, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. In a separate dish, combine egg with 2 tbsp. water.

Pour enough oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of  1/4 inch. Heat oil on high heat until hot and then turn to medium high heat.

Dip fish into egg and then dust lightly with flour-cornmeal mixture. Fry until golden brown on all sides, approximately 4-6 minutes. Remove promptly and drain on a plate covered with paper towels.

Wrap tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 10-15 seconds.

To serve, place a few pieces of fried fish on corn tortilla (you can use single or doubled tortillas, depending on your preference). Drizzle fish with desired about of Creamy White Dill Sauce and Fresh Pico de Gallo. Top with sliced cabbage.

 

Cajun Pan Fried Tilapia

So before I get started I want to mention my husband has been

talking about this dish for the past 2 days.

Even asking me to make it two nights in a row. He’s been talking about how fresh

it was & how much he enjoyed it. How it was such a healthy meal.

You get the picture right!? It’s obviously good.

So this recipe came from e-meals. You have heard me talk about this site before,

so hopefully you have checked them out by now. I changed it up just a tad.

I used tilapia instead of the cod it called for. I don’t have anything against

cod (because I have never even had it), we just had tilapia on hand.

Feel free to use whatever fish you prefer. I’m not a fish lover, but if I had to chose 

it would be tilapia. Zero fish smell & not too much of a fish flavor. It takes on

the flavor of the seasoning which I like. All in all its a very clean fish.

Served with lemon snap peas.

Ingredients

12 – 16 oz Tilapia fillets

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 tablespoons self raising flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 table spoon olive oil

1 lemon – cut into slices

Sprinkle fillets with half of the Cajun seasoning.

Combine remaining seasoning, flour & cornmeal in a large shallow dish.

Dredge fillets into the mixture. Melt butter with oil in skillet. Add fillets.

Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily with fork.

Places slices of lemon on top of fillets before serving.

 

Homemade Garlic Bread

At work yesterday the aroma of Italian food filled the hallways & the break room.

It smelled so incredible, I asked the hubby if we could have spaghetti & garlic bread for dinner.

Immediately I knew I was making everything from scratch besides the pasta.

One day in the future I’ll work up to that but for now, store bought it is.

The online search began for homemade garlic bread. Not that I thought it would be difficult,

 I just really wanted to find an actual recipe.

AND I found an AWESOME one from this cute little blog.

This bread is soo good, I will never even consider buying store bought or frozen ever again.

I highly doubt you will either after trying this!

Homemade really does make a world of difference!!

After you have mixed all the ingredients, your spread should look like this.

Normally with garlic bread you would use is french bread or a baguette, but my

husband picked out the biggest, widest loaf he could find for our little family of 3.

Needless to say we couldn’t eat it all. HA!

Ingredients

6 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf fresh bread (ciabatta, french, baguette, sourdough), cut lengthwise
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more to sprinkle on top if desired)

 

Preheat your oven broiler on the Low setting.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients to make a paste/spread (you can also use a food processor if you’d prefer).  Using a flat knife or spoon, spread the butter mixture evenly over the non-crusted portion of the bread. Sprinkle with additional grated parmesan if desired.

Set both sides of the bread, spread-side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place in the center of the oven under the broiler until the butter is melted and the top starts to becomes golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Take care to pay attention to the bread so it does not burn — it can cook quickly under the broiler.

Once golden, remove from the broiler and set on a cutting board. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes in order to handle. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the bread into portions and serve.

I used 100% whole wheat spaghetti topped with homemade marinara sauce w/ Italian sausage.

Garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese & parsley.