Stuffed Pepper Soup

I debated at first calling this soup since I ended up serving it over mashed potatoes, but technically, it is a soup. I searched all over the internet for recipes and could only find ones that had sugar or brown sugar in them. I do not understand this ingredient at all. Sugar? Stuffed pepper soup? No thanks. I know how to make stuffed peppers - so the soup can't be much different than that.

So, here we go. This is my own recipe. Is it good? Well, let's just say, none of it went to waste!

Most of the recipes make enough soup to feed an army. This recipe makes about 5-6 quarts.

2 bell peppers, diced
1 pound lean ground meat
1 quart of chicken stock or beef broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
1 quart of tomato juice
3/4 cup tomato paste
1 shallot, diced
1/3 cup of brown rice, uncooked
salt/pepper
olive oil

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in a soup pot. Add the diced shallot and ground beef and cook until the meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the stock/broth, tomato juice, and tomato paste. Simmer until the tomato paste has been incorporated into the soup.

Add the diced bell peppers and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the uncooked brown rice and simmer until the rice is tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. The rice will thicken the soup and you can continue to simmer the soup until it's thick enough for your liking. I made mine pretty thick since I was going to spoon it over mashed potatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

PW's Bolognase Sauce

Another rave for a recipe from Pioneer Woman. Actually, this is a recipe created by her friend, Pastor Ryan, but it was posted on her site.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/ryans-bolognese-sauce/



I took this photo with my cell phone so it doesn't really show all of the yummy goodness. PW has a ton of pictures on her site. This was really easy to make and the flavor was outstanding! This is definitely going on my regular rotation!

Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe is not for the faint of heart, literally! It's rich, creamy, cheesy, and decadent. But - if you want fettucine alfredo, this is how it has to be done. No skimping here!

1 lb fettuccine
1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups light cream or half and half
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch of salt

Cook the fettuccine pasta according to package directions.

Melt the butter in a skillet and lightly saute the garlic. Do not brown the garlic. Add the cream/half and half mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and allow to melt. Add salt and pepper. Mix with the cooked (and drained) pasta.

I also topped mine with a grilled chicken breast. It was perfect!

Dungeness Crab

When we lived in Philly, Josh's love for seafood was born. One of our friends introduced us to a little place called The Clam Tavern. It's such a great place. It's hidden away so well in a little neighborhood in Clifton Heights and has that quaint "crab shack" feel. Don't let the looks fool you though, the food is amazing! The steaks are juicy and tender and the seafood is fresh. Plus, on Wednesday nights, it's all-you-can-eat Dungeness Crab.

We just don't have a restaurant like that here in Pittsburgh. It's really sad. It's even more sad that to get semi-decent seafood, you have to dress up and pay an arm and a leg to get small portions and bad service.

What we do have is Wholey's Fish Market. What Wholey's doesn't have 99% of the time is Dungeness Crab....but they had it last Saturday. My heart nearly stopped. I bought 4 of 'em. Believe me, that was more than enough for the 2 of us.

Dungeness Crab
4 Dungeness Crabs
1 bottle of beer Old Bay Seasoning lemon wedges melted butter
Fill a large stock pot about 3/4 of the way full with water. Add the beer and several tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning. Bring the water to a boil.
Add the crabs
Boil for approximately 20 minutes.
Remove crabs from pot and clean.

What I did was:
Cut the crabs in half - right down the middle.
Remove the upper and lower shells, gills, and "mustard" (this is the yellow-green stuff inside the cavity of the crab.)

Once the crabs are cleaned - place into a large bowl and sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning.
Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.

Skillet Corn Bread

Homemade cornbread is so easy! Plus you can adjust it to how you like it...sweeter..not as sweet...it's up to you. I flipped the cornbread over before taking this shot.


2 cups cornmeal (I used Masa Harina)
1/2 cup A/P flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 small can of corn or creamed corn

Preheat oven and cast iron skillet to 400°F. Pour 1/4 cup oil into skillet when hot. Once the oil has coated the pan, pour out the excess oil.

Put all dry ingredients into a bowl.

Mix all wet ingredients together and then very gently stir into the dry. Don't be concerned with lumps. DO NOT overmix.

Pour immediately into very hot skillet. Then place back into oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Fried Calamari - Yes, you can do it!

Don't you just love fried calamari? It seems so exotic...like you can only get it in a restaurant and pay $10 for a small appetizer plate of it. Well...let me tell you, this stuff is cheap. I only paid $4 for a pound of 'tubes and tentacles'. Mmm....I just love the tentacles. They are so crispy.

Ingredients & Instructions
1 pound of fresh squid
1 cup of all purpose flour
5-6 tablespoons of creole seasoning
salt/pepper
lemon wedges
vegetable oil (for frying)

Cut the squid tubes into rings. Cut off any cartilage that may be on the tentacles.
Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and creole seasoning.
Toss the squid into the flour mix and shake off excess.
Heat the oil to about 325 degrees.
Fry the squid for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool on a paper towel-lined plate.
Squeeze a bit of lemon on top of the calamari.
Serve with marinara sauce.

Ok. Stop panicking! Yes...this is what it looks like right out of the container. Think of the first time you ever handled raw chicken. Gross, right? But now, it's no big deal.

The tubes are whole and the tentacles are separated from the tube. Some of my tentacles had some cartilage attached to them and I just cut that off and got rid of it. Just slice up the tubes so you have little rings.

Toss the rings and tentacles in the flour mixture and fry. That's it! Just like frying veggies!

Homemade Pierogies

I love homemade pierogies. Unfortunately, I don't get them very often and came to the harsh reality that if I want them, I have to make them myself. It's really not hard at all, but it's rather time-consuming. It definitely helps to have a curious husband who wants to help out.

1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 pounds (about 10 medium) baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup) grated
6 ounces cream cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add about 3 cups flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and work in about 1 cup flour as you knead. Use a plastic scraper to lift dough as it will stick to the counter before flour is worked in. Continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, working in another 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as this will toughen dough. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rest while you prepare filling.

Make the filling: Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Add salt. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher. Add 8 tablespoons melted butter and the cheeses, and continue to mash until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a glass or a cookie cutter measuring 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather dough scraps together, roll them out again, and continue cutting.
Lay a dry, clean towel on work surface; set aside. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Holding a circle in your hand, fold dough over filling, and pinch the edges, forming a well-sealed crescent; transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Continue this process until all dough circles are filled.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place pierogi in boiling water in batches. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the top. Once they rise, let them cook for about a minute more. Meanwhile, In a small saucepan, cook remaining butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drizzle butter onto a serving platter, leaving any burned sediment behind. Remove pierogi from pot, and transfer to platter to prevent sticking. Serve immediately.

Now, I have a 2" biscuit cutter...which makes petite pierogies. This was not my intention at first, but they are perfectly bite-sized. I would recommend a 3" cutter for 'normal' sized pierogies.


Since they are so small, I used a teaspoon to measure the filling and then formed it into balls. Just fold the dough in half and seal with a fork.

Here they are in all their cuteness...ready for the freezer. I freeze them like this and then transfer them to a freezer bag when they are frozen through.

Josh had the brilliant idea to add some bacon that we had leftover from breakfast to the potato-cheese filling. Let me say, oh my god! What a great idea! With a little sour cream they were similar to stuffed potato skins. Yum!

I'm a reasonable gal, and I'll share my pieroghies with you...on one condition...you come to my house to eat them. They're like the Holy Grail...they can't cross the 'seal' (aka...my doorway).

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

This was another appetizer I made for the NYE party. I think I could eat the entire bowl of it!

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package of 1/3 fat cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream (fat free)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 box of frozen, chopped spinach (defrosted and towel-dried)
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt/pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an 8x8 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I then transferred it to a small crock pot to keep warm.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

I made this as one of our New Year's Eve Party appetizers and it was a huge hit! This is my recipe and I added a bit more hot sauce than the usual recipe.

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) cans chicken

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's)
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups cheddar cheese

2 loaves baguette

Directions
Drain canned chicken and put in medium sauce pan.
Add hot sauce and cook on medium until heated throughout. My personal favorite is Frank's hot sauce.
Add cream cheese and stir until blended thoroughly.
Add ranch dressing and mix.
Add 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and heat for a few minutes until mixed and melted.
Pour the dip into the crock pot and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on the top. Keep heated on low.
I serve on baguette that has been sliced and toasted. However, it is also tasty on corn chips or celery sticks.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Aren't we all about tired of all of the pumpkin pie recipes floating around this time of year? Here's something totally different...and so good, you could eat the whole thing.

Makes about 8 servings

Crust

1/3 box chocolate graham crackers, crushed

1/2 C (1 stick) butter

Filling

8 oz cream cheese

1 C creamy peanut butter

3/4 C confectioner's sugar

8 oz whipped topping, split

1/4 C milk

6 oz (1/2 bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips

To Make Crust:

1. Melt butter or margarine. Mix with crushed graham crackers in pie pan. Form a crust.

To Make Filling:

2. Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients except those used for crust, whipped topping, and chocolate chips.3. Stir in chocolate chips. Fold in 1/2 (4 oz) of whipped topping, remaining whipped topping can be put on top of pie.4. Pour filling into crust. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

The credit for this recipe comes from a Pittsburgh Nestie - Cheri. Acutally, she's more of a Fayette County Nestie! :)

I made this last night - working 2 jobs makes crockpot meals a necessity! It was very good and I ate 2 platefulls!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)

2 family sized cans of cream of chicken soup (I substituted with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup)

1 can of chicken gravy

3 white potatoes, cut into chunks

3 carrots, cut into pieces

1 small onion, diced

a handfull of fresh green beans

a handfull of fresh asparagus

1/2 cup water

salt/pepper

Just toss it all into a crockpot and cook on medium heat for 6 hours. Serve over warm biscuits.

Philly Cheesesteaks

One of the biggest things we miss about Philadelphia is the cheesesteak. You can't get one anywhere in Pittsburgh that tastes anything like 'em. Plus - Pittsburgh has no idea how to make a real Philly cheesesteak - they do not come with lettuce, tomatoes, and mushrooms!

Sure, you could go to Pat's or Geno's and get your "whiz wit", but the best cheesesteaks come from a little place hidden away in a small shopping plaza (Pennsport Mall) in south Philly - Gooey Louie's. Louie's isn't fancy - not by a long shot. It's mainly a small convenience store with a grill in the back, but it's Philly's best kept secret. Louie's doesn't do "whiz", but that's ok. They top theirs with white American cheese and they somehow manage to get it, well, gooey! The sandwiches are also piled high with about a pound of meat and fried onions.

Let's get started. What I've assembled here is what I think will make the most authentic Philly cheesesteak. I have:

2 large vidalia onions
White American cheese
chipsteak (thin slices of beef)
Italian bread (2 foot long loaves)




The chipsteak comes from a local beef farm. Their cows are free-range and organic. Not that it will make a better cheesesteak, but it's good quality beef.

In a cast iron skillet*, sautee the diced onions with about 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

*It doesn't have to be cast iron, per se, it's just my new favorite skillet.

You want the onions nice and caramelized so they are sweet and tender. Then place them in a bowl and set aside.

To get that gooey texture to the cheese, I cut up my cheese into pieces and put it in a double boiler covered with plastic wrap. Let this sit over simmering water and the cheese will melt nicely.

In the same skillet that you fried the onions, brown the chipsteak. I chopped the steak up into smaller pieces before cooking.

Take your Italian rolls and split them down the middle. With a spatula, spread the melted American cheese on the roll. Then add the browned steak and top with fried onions. (I also put ketchup on mine.)

To get the full experience, I wrap them in foil and let them sit a few minutes so all of the flavors can meld, the cheese oozes down into the meat and the bread softens a bit.

Yes - I can see you drooling now! Josh said we should open a restaurant since these were so spot-on. I'm gonna charge $10 for a foot long cheesesteak. Who wants to place an order?
;)

La Lechera

I found this strange cereal in Ollies Bargain Outlet...not in my regular Giant Eagle. I don't think this cereal was ever released in the US, which is evident by the Spanish writing all over the box. You Dulce de Leche fans should recognize this as another type of 'milk' cereal. You're right! In fact, it's corn flakes with sweetened condensed milk. Not frosted with sugar. I had to try it...even if it did come from a bargain outlet..and even if I had no idea where it's been before ending up in Cumberland, Maryland.

These babies are covered in the sweetened condensed milk 'frosting'. So much so that the flakes are a bit on the hard side and need a couple of minutes in cold milk to get to the texture that I like. Man, are they sweet - almost too sweet. I have to wait until the milk washes off some of the frosting to really enjoy this. I want to add strawberries to it..or blueberries. Something that's a little tart to counteract the sweetness.

Still, experimental cereal is a good thing. Wonder why we don't have this in the States.

Pumpkin Pie - The Real Deal

Pumpkin pie isn't much of a mystery. All you need is a can of Libby's Canned Pumpkin and the recipe is right there. Believe it or not, it makes a pretty darn tasty pumpkin pie. So what are we doing here? My CSA gave us some 'baking pumpkins' so we don't want the cute little guy to go to waste!

Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in warm water, no soap. Cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and remove all of the stringy flesh. Remove the stem.

Place the pumpkin in a microwaveable bowl with an inch or 2 of water. Microwave on high for about 15 minutes.

The pumpkin should slide right off of the skin.

Puree the pumpkin in a food processor. You'll have about 6 cups and you'll only need 3 cups for the pie. Freeze the remaining pumpkin for another time!

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place all of the ingredients below into the food processor and mix until well blended:

1 cup sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

3 cups pureed pumpkin

1½ cans (12 oz) of evaporated milk

Pour the mixture into 2 pie crusts. Ok. I cheated and used the pre-made ones.

Bake at 425 degrees F for the first 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake another 45 to 60 minutes or until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

I've never been a fan of pumpkin pie - but I really like it made this way. The filling isn't nearly as pasty and thick as when you use a canned pumpkin recipe. The filling is more flavorful and almost mousse-like. Yum!

Penne with Clams & Mussels

You don't need to go to a restaurant for a fancy seafood pasta! This is so quick and easy to make. You can even substitute the clams/mussels for shrimp or other seafood.

Penne With Clams & Mussles Recipe

2 Large cans of diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, diced

½ pound of littleneck clams, rinsed

½ pound of mussels, rinsed

1 pound of penne rigate, cooked al dente

½ cup of white wine, of choice

3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes

olive oil

salt/pepper

In a large skillet, sautee the garlic in olive oil. Add the red pepper flakes and let warm for about 30 seconds.

Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add in the white wine and simmer 10 minutes. At this point, I'll take a potato masher and mash up some of the tomatoes in the skillet to thicken the sauce.

Add the basil, clams, and mussels. Simmer for 10 minutes or until clams/mussles have opened. Discard any that do not open.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over the cooked penne.