Bell Peppers stuffed

At a local grocery store down in Kent the other day, I spotted a rarity. A purple pepper. Having previously exclaimed my love for the color, you can imagine that I went and bought one (it tastes like all other bell peppers, closest to red I’d say), and since my friend was coming over to cook I decided to combine the two occasions. Stuffed Peppers Granted, by the end the peppers were pretty weak and not the best containers, and the filling wasn’t as flavorful as I’d have like (bread crumbs would have been a good edition as would mushrooms) but it was tasty and filling and though this recipe makes two there was still leftovers.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

½ cup brown rice or some sort of grain
½ large onion (I used walla walla)
¾ cup fresh spinach
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 bell peppers
Mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cup water
1 small tomato
Spices to preference

Brown rice/grain, diced onion, diced tomato, minced garlic, and ½ of a bell pepper diced in a saucepan with olive oil. After 3-5 minutes add in water and cook rice/grain per directed (I simmered mine for 45 minutes covered). Once 20 minutes are left place bell peppers deviened and open on top in oven on sides, turn every five minutes. When there is only 15 minutes left add in the spinach and spices, I put in some fresh basil leaves, thyme, savory, and oregano, but many other combos would work as well. Once the mixture is cooked spoon it into upright standing bell peppers (though mine were more than a little tipsy), place some mozzarella slices on it, and let cook eight more minutes.

The Last Supper, pt 3

Right? A part three? Halfway through the cooking of the soup I was starting to question if I was really up for a part three. And then I remember that because the only mushrooms I can find at the farmers market are so damn expensive, this might be my last note.
A general disclaimer here: The only other time I’ve ever had chicken marsala was at the dorms. And lets be real, dorm food isn’t exactly real food. As my first attempt at marsala chicken, I felt it could have gone better. This wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t super amazing.

Still adapting from Smitten Kitchen
Chicken Marsala and Mushrooms

3 chicken breasts
1 cup marsala wine
3.5 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons minced parsley
¾ pound mushrooms
Salt and black pepper

Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper, and then cook in the pan with butter (use olive oil for a healthier alternative). Take out, and cook mushrooms with wine until mushrooms are cooked through. Add in chicken to get the marsala flavor, then serve, adding the parsley on top.
This would have been better with the onion I forgot, and maybe some garlic, or at least not on its own. It wasn’t bad, but if you have a better recipe send it my way. Part of it may have been I took some shortcuts in the cooking by this point.

Well, tomorrow starts my eating local, we’ll see how that goes. Also, in very exciting news I got a new roommate tonight, and lets just say that she is pretty adorable and the best thing to happen to my kitchen floor.

The Last Supper, pt 2

Until very recently I have never really made soup. Besides the kind that comes in cans, and even then I was never a huge fan. So it is with more than a little trepidation that I started making this squash soup, but it just seemed so colorful and fun that how could I not?
While the bread was resting, I began to chop up all my ingredients to prepare.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Summer Squash Soup

½ onion, diced
2 sticks of carrots, thinly sliced
2 pounds of yellow squash (I used sunburst), halved and thinly sliced
1 potato (it was supposed to be yellow fleshed, but I just used russet), thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups chicken broth

Brown the onions by sautéing them with the butter and salt, about 8 minutes. Onions, by the way, are super tasty but make me cry and I spent the vegetable part of this evening by the window before returning for only a couple of chops, before going back to the window. (Side note, these squash are perhaps the most adorable ingredients I have ever worked with)

Once the onions are ready add everything else, and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 20 minutes covered. Remove from heat and uncover, and then take out your blender. In batches, puree the soup, use caution. Return to pot, thin with water and/or season with salt, then simmer for another three minutes. And there you go, soup!

On top of this soup, of course, is something else very tasty. Which I’m glad for, because by itself the soup is a little bland for me.

Still adapting from Smitten Kitchen
Pistou

¾ cup loosely packed basil leaves
½ cup loosely packed parsley sprigs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
¼ tablespoon salt
1 dash paprika
1 clove garlic (finely diced)

The original recipe called for mint leaves, not basil, but I wanted to work with what I already had in my garden. Add the basil and parsley, puree in a blender, add everything else. Spoon a little in a swirl over each bowl of soup, pretty and tasty. And, according to my family, it was unbelievable that the soup did not contain cream.

Seen here with the homemade bread

Mustard Kabob Glaze

This glaze was adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe, and I put it over some kabobs with tomatoes, mushroom, pineapple, chicken, and peppers and thought it was awesome. It was also super easy and I already had all the ingredients, so if you're in need of something to grill with or just coat your meat, this would be an excellent and easy choice.

Mustard Kabob Glaze

Makes enough for more than four very full skewers

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put the mustard(s) in a small mixing bowl and stir, add the wet ingredients and stir, and then all the dry ones and stir. Once you're done stirring, just apply over meat and veggies and cook as you like, though I recommend using your grill.

A note: This originally called for much more whole grain mustard and only a little Dijon, but I worked with what I had and it turned out great.

Everyone's first bites! This went excellently with my friend's contributions, hummus and pita for appetizers, homemade strawberry lemonade, and a phenomenal carrot cake