Stuffed Rainbow Peppers

Here's a healthier stuffed pepper recipe I invented: Ingredients: 4 Bell Peppers (red, yellow, orange, green) - 1 lb. ground chicken - 1 onion, finely chopped - 4 cloves garlic, crushed - 1/4 cup red wine (Pinot Noire) - 1 tbsp. tomato paste - 1 14oz can diced tomatoes - 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped - 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped - 1 tbsp. sweet paprika - 1 tsp. salt - 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper - 1 tbsp. olive oil - 1 cup cooked quinoa - 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated - 2 buffalo mozzarellas. For the sauce: 2 cups of your favorite Marinara or Italian tomato sauce mixed with 2 tbsp. roasted red-pepper pesto. Directions: Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. On medium-high heat, fry the chopped onion and crushed garlic until slightly golden. Season the onion/garlic mix with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and paprika and and stir to incorporate well. Now add the wine and allow to cook for 1 minute, so the alcohol can dissipate. Add the ground chicken and quinoa and stir well. Drain the diced tomatoes well and add to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, cover and allow to simmer on low for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Wash and cut the peppers in half lengthwise, keeping half the stalk intact on each half. Remove the veins and seeds. Line the base of a casserole with half the Marinara (tomato) sauce. Stuff the peppers with the slightly cooled chicken mixture. Make sure that the stuffing is packed tightly into the pepper halves. Arrange the peppers in the casserole dish, stuffing side upward. Brush the stuffed peppers with the remaining Marinara sauce and sprinkle with the fresh mozzarella. Tightly cover the casserole and bake in a 350F oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Jalapeno-Bacon-Cheddar Stuffed Burger

This is a great recipe for those of us who like things a little spicy! For the Burger: 2 lbs. good quality ground beef - ½ lb. bacon - Cheddar cheese, grated - ½ onion, finely chopped - 1tbsp paprika - 1 egg - 1 tbsp. BBQ sauce - Salt and Pepper - 3 roasted jalapeno peppers - Burger buns - Tomatoes, sliced and lettuce to serve - For the Sauce: ½ cup bacon fat - 1 ½ tbsp. butter - 1 tsp cayenne - 1 tbsp. Whiskey - 1 drop liquid smoke - For The Chipotle Mayoli: 1 cup "real" mayonnaise - 1 tsp. chipotle - 1 Head roasted garlic - Lemon zest - Directions: For the Mayoli: Preheat the oven to 350F. Wrap the garlic head loosely in aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool and squeeze out the roasted garlic paste from the head into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, chipotle and the zest of 1 lemon and stir well to incorporate all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed. For the burgers: Fry the bacon strips in a non-stick frying pan until almost done. Do not allow the bacon to become too crispy. Reserve the bacon pan drippings for the Whiskey sauce. Place the bacon on a wire rack to drain and allow to cool. Cut into small pieces to resemble “Bacon Bits”. Roast the jalapeno peppers on the grill until the skins are well charred. Alternatively, this can be done on a gas stove flame or under the broiler of the oven. Place the charred jalapenos in a small bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to cool. Once cooled remove the skin, veins and seeds from the peppers and place the meat into a mixing bowl. With a fork, work the jalapeno meat into a cohesive pulp. Add the bacon bits and grated cheddar to the jalapeno and mix well. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the remaining burger ingredients and mix well. Forming the burgers: Using a 1-cup measure, create a ball of burger mix and mold a flat disc in your hand. It should be about 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Now place a tablespoon of the jalapeno-bacon-cheddar mixture in the middle of your burger disc. Wrap the sides up and inwards to cover and seal the jalapeno mixture. Carefully form a burger, making sure that the stuffing cannot leak out during cooking. If you like this recipe, you may consider investing in a “Burger Stuffer” (available in the “As Seen on TV” Section). This is a nifty, inexpensive kitchen gadget that forms perfectly stuffed burgers. Grill the burgers according to taste. For the Whiskey Sauce: Melt the reserved bacon fat and butter in a small sauce pan. Add the cayenne, Whiskey and liquid smoke, and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. To Serve: Spread the burger bun halves with the Mayoli. Place the burger patty on one bun half and drizzle with the Whiskey sauce. Add tomato or lettuce according to taste.

Hungarian "Szegedin" Goulash

Szegedin Goulash is a specialty from the Hungarian city of Szeged. This is a delicious goulash that includes Sauerkraut. Ingredients: 4 oz Lean bacon, chopped - 2 lbs Boneless pork trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes - 1 Large onion, chopped - 6 Garlic cloves, minced - 2 tbsp Tomato paste - 2 to 4 tbsp Hungarian paprika - 1 tbsp Caraway seeds - 2 tbsp Chopped fresh thyme - 1 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper - 1 tbsp Red-wine vinegar - 2 cups Chicken or Beef stock - 2 lbs Sauerkraut, drained & rinsed - 1 cup Sweetened apple sauce - 1 tbsp olive oil - Sour cream to serve. Directions: Preheat the oven to 320F. In a Dutch oven or heavy, lidded cast-iron casserole (Le Creuset), heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper and fry until golden-brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep to one side on a plate. Add the bacon to the pan and fry until golden, but not brown. Then add the onion and garlic with a little salt and pepper, and fry until slightly golden. Add the tomato paste and vinegar, and stir until well incorporated with the onion-garlic-bacon mix - be careful not to burn. Now add the paprika, caraway seeds and thyme and stir to incorporate. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Return the pork to the pan and bake in the oven with a tight lid for 2 hours. After 2 hours' cooking time, add the drained sauerkraut and apple sauce to the goulash and returned to the oven with a lid for further 30 minutes. Serve with German Spaetzle, plain boiled potatoes or Roesti (hashbrown potato pancakes)and a spoonful of sour cream.

Quick Almond Plum Cake (Jacques Pepin)

For the Cake: 1 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened - 1 cup all-purpose flour - 1 cup unblanched whole almonds - 2/3 cup sugar - 1 tsp baking powder - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 2 large eggs - 1/3 cup milk - 4 to 6 ripe plums and 3tbsp sugar: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round spring-form pan. Process the flour, almonds, sugar and baking powder in the food processor until everything is resembles a flour consistency. Add the vanilla, butter, oil and eggs. Process for a few seconds or until the mixture is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Remove the pit from the plums with a sharp knife. Do not cut the plums in half and leave whole. Rinse under cold water and immediately role in 3 tbsp. sugar so the sugar sticks to the plums. Arrange plums on the top of the cake and space them evenly. Push them down into the batter so that the bottom half of each plum is immersed. Place the cake on a cookie sheet and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan. For the Glaze: 1/2 cup plum jam (use red-currant jelly as an alternative) - 1 tbsp. plum brandy (Amagnac), or substitute with Calvados or Cognac: Mix the jam with the brandy and heat in the microwave until liquid. Mix well and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. When the glaze starts to set, brush the cake with the glaze. Remove from baking pan once the glaze has completely set. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla gelato.

Kaiserschmarrn (Viennese Sweet Omelette)

Kaiserschmarrn: The name Kaiserschmarren is a compound of the words Schmarren (a colloquialism used in Austria and Bavaria to mean "trifle, mess, nonsense and folly") and Kaiser (emperor). Kaiser Franz Joseph, the last Emperor of Austria loved this dish which was referred to humorously as his "folly". Kaiserschmarrn is a light, caramelized pancake made from a sweet batter using flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk, baked in butter. The pancake is split with two forks into pieces while frying and usually sprinkled with powdered sugar, then served hot with apple or plum sauce or various fruit compotes, including plum, lingonberry, strawberry, or apple. Kaiserschmarrn is eaten as a dessert. It does, however, also make quite a filling meal for lunch at tourist places, like mountainside restaurants and taverns in the Austrian Alps. Recipe: 1/4 cup raisins, soaked for several hours in rum (optional) - 1 cup milk - 5 eggs - 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract - 1 cup all-purpose flour - pinch salt - 2 tbsp butter - confectioner's sugar for dusting. Separate the egg yolks from the the whites. Transfer whites into a clean (non greasy bowl). Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisk the egg yolks with the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, flour and salt. Carefully fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. You may want to do this in 3 batches to ensure that the whites are fully incorporated. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick frying pan. Once melted add half the batter. Allow to cook on medium low for about 5 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown and small bubbles begin to form at the surface. Turn the pancake by inverting it onto a large dinner plate and then returning it to the frying pan uncooked side down. Allow the pancake to cook a further 5 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown. Now, with 2 forks, rip the pancake into bite-sized shreds and allow to cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the rum raisins if used. Cook the remaining batter as previously described. Serve the shredded Kaiserschmarrn with a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar and a side of fruit compote or apple sauce. Tip: For Celiac sufferers, replace the all-purpose flour with whit-rice flour and add 1 tsp. baking powder.

Yummy Gluten-Free Crepes

Yummy Gluten-Free Crepes: 1 3/4 cups white-rice flour - 3 eggs - 1 tblsp sugar - 1 tsp baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 2 cups milk: Whisk all ingredients to a smooth batter. Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan at medium heat. Add 1/2 cup batter and spread batter to fill the pan base by rolling the pan from side to side. Allow crepe to cook until bubbles appear at the surface. Turn crepe over using a plate and return to the pan uncooked side down. Continue to cook for further 2 minutes. Turn crepe out on plate and serve according to taste. To serve with a great, easy filling: Spread crepe with a thin layer of Nutella and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, roll up and serve! Absolutely heavenly!

Cauliflower and Rice Mornay Casserole

This is the perfect recipe for cauliflower. It is a great side dish that combines your veggies and carbs. It has become one of our family favorites and goes well with many meat and fish dishes. Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower broken down into small florets - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - 2 cups milk - 1 tablespoon good-quality curry powder - 1 cup grated Spanish Manchego cheese - 2 cups cooked rice (long-grain or Basmati) - 1/2 cups breadcrumbs - 5 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) - 1 teaspoon salt. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat the cauliflower florets with 3 tablespoons of the EVOO and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread in one layer on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. The cauliflower will be very al dente, but please note that it will be cooked further as a casserole. Turn down the oven to 350F. Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir well with a balloon whisk for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the oil-flour mixture. Add the curry powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and incorporate well. Slowly add the heated milk until completely incorporated while constantly beating with the whisk. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and add the cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate well (the cheese will stick to a balloon whisk). Combine the roasted cauliflower, cooked rice and sauce in a large bowl and empty into a 9 x 11-inch casserole dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Healthy On-The-Go Steel-Oat Breakfast Bars

I'm really getting into the Steel-Oat vibe after researching its multiple health benefits. I have adapted a recipe I found for steel-oat breakfast bars to my personal taste. My testers loved them and feedback has been very positive. This certainly makes for a great on-the-go power breakfast. Ingredients: 1 cup water - 3 cups milk - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1 1/2 cups steel oats - 1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries, chopped apricots and golden raisins) - 1/2 nuts (I used almonds) - 1 teaspoon cinnamon - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Directions: Bring water and milk to a boil. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Stir frequently during cooking process. Allow to cool thoroughly and empty into a 9 x 11-inch greased dish. Press the steel oat mixture down into the dish so that it is compact. Sprinkle with almonds and your favorite granola. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Cut into desired portions and store in the refrigerator until needed. Note: These bars are soft, but they do hold well together.

Healthy Hump Day Supper

Appetizer: Artichoke and Roasted Pepper Flatbread: Main Course: Salmon with Oven Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables, Cous-Cous and Harissa Dressing: For the Flatbread appetizer see Healthy Flatbread Pizza blog, but top with tomato sauce, Italian anti-pasto artichokes, Italian roasted red peppers, fresh basil, crumbled buffalo mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan. For the Mediterranean Vegetables, cut the following vegetables into 1-inch cubes: 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper - 1 large egg plant - 2 small zucchini - 1 large Spanish onion. Place in a "very" large mixing bowl and add 15 halved cherry tomatoes, 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper and 3 tbsp EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil). Gently mix the vegetables and spread evenly on a large baking sheet so that you have a single layer of vegetables (you may need to use 2 smaller sheets). Bake in a 400F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked and slightly brown at the edges. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add 1/4 cup finely chopped basil and a handful of chopped natural black olives (optional). Sprinkle the vegetables with 1 log of crumbled goat's cheese. For the Harissa dressing: Blend 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 tbsp. honey, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek, 1/2 tsp. salt, black pepper and 1 tbsp. lime juice. Prepare a box of cous-cous according to instructions. In a heavy skillet, fry the seasoned (salt and black pepper) salmon filets in a tbsp of olive oil. I like to leave the skin on and sear the salmon skin-side down on high heat first. After about 3 minutes, I turn the salmon over and turn the heat down to medium low and fry for a further 3 minutes. Allow the salmon filets rest off the heat for about 5 minutes. This is an important step as the salmon will continue to cook even away from the heat. Take care NOT to overcook the salmon. I find this is the best method to guarantee perfectly cooked salmon filets. Serve the salmon with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, the vegetables and cous-cous and drizzle with the Harissa dressing. Note: Harissa is a Moroccan spice paste that can be purchased in tubes at some well-stocked delis.

Healthy Flatbread Pizza

I wanted to come up with a quick and easy, healthy pizza recipe. I used multi-grain flat bread with flax seed from Aldi and just piled on a few healthier toppings: I made a base spread with a bit of kick: 1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek - 1/2 tsp olive oil - 1 clove garlic, crushed. My toppings: Thinly-slices Roma tomato - Thinly diced lean ham - Crumbled mozzarella - A drizzle of EVOO. I spread a thin layer of my base spread on the flat bread before adding my toppings. I baked the flat-bread pizza for 10 minutes at 425 F and topped the cooked pizza with thinly sliced fresh basil. This makes a great healthy snack! I guess you could use any topping according to taste. But if you like it spicy, the Sambal-Garlic base gives it a really good kick without overpowering the other ingredients. Notes: Sambal Oelek is a chili paste and is available in jars at the International Section at most grocery stores. Once opened, store in the refrigerator for 3 months or so. It's a good ingredient to have on hand for spicing up your dishes without influencing the taste of the main ingredients. EVOO = Extra-Virgin Olive Oil