Hot Peppers with Tomatoes September 22, 2008

I spent the weekend canning the many pounds of tomatoes from my garden.  I love hot peppers!  I came up with this for some variety with the tomatoes.  You can use whatever hot peppers you like.  I had been at the farmers’ market earlier and picked up the ones I used and had dried Thai chilis at home.  I made a very large batch and canned.  I wound up with a jar that wasn’t completely filled and left it out to go into the fridge.  However, it never made it into the fridge.  We put it on bread and snacked on it while preparing dinner. 

1/2 cup olive oil

2 large onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

4 or 6 medium large green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces, seeded

4 jalapeno peppers, sliced

4 serrano peppers, sliced

2 dried Thai chili peppers, chopped

8 cups tomato puree or crushed

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.  Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, salt and pepper.  Saute until softened slightly, 3-4 minutes.  Add hot peppers and cook for about 20-30 mins until softened.  Add tomatoes and brown sugar and cook for about 30 minutes more, until thickens.  Add salt, if desired.  Add vinegar. 

If sauce does not thicken as desired, add a little cornstarch.  In a 1/4 cup of water, thoroughly mix a teaspoon or two of cornstarch before adding the the pot.

Penne with Chicken & Zucchini September 19, 2008

I’ve grated and froze much of my garden zucchini for later use.  Besides Zucchini bread, I also use it for this pasta recipe.  Instead of chicken, I’ve used shrimp or left it completely vegetarian.  If you like a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper when sauteing the garlic.  This makes for a light, one-bowl lunch.  Add a salad for dinner. 

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper

2 cups zucchini, finely grated

2 grilled or baked chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 lb penne pasta, cooked

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan-reggiano cheese, grated

In a large saute pan, on medium-high heat, add olive oil.  When oil shimmers, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add garlic and saute just until it starts to brown.  Stir in chicken and saute for 1 minute.  Add zucchini and stir.  Continue stirring, occasionally, and cook until most of the water has cooked out.  Stir in cooked pasta and cook for a 1-2 more minutes.  Stir in mozzarella cheese, until it just melts, and remove from heat.  Spoon out to serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Fried Rice June 4, 2008

 

Going on my third night of re-creating dinner using leftover grilled pork ribs, I decided on fried rice.  I was all about using ingredients I had on hand.  I was out of fresh ginger so I used powdered along with all sorts of other dried spices.  However, I think that the BBQ sauce that was used when grilling the pork may have altered the flavor that I was trying for with the spices.  Nonetheless, it was pretty good.  The outcome had more meat and veggies than rice.  You can adjust to your preferences or what you have on hand.  I used pork but you can use whatever you have, or even tofu.

3 cups cooked, brown rice

2 cups leftover beef, pork, or chicken cut in small pieces

2 eggs

1 small onion, cut in 1-inch chunks

1 green onion, chopped, white and green parts divided

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ginger powder

4 tbs soy sauce

salt & pepper

2 tbs vegetable oil

Add a tablespoon of oil to wok and bring to medium-high heat.  Whisk eggs with salt and pepper and add to wok.  Work to scramble the eggs and break apart to small pieces.  When cooked through, remove from wok and set aside.  Add tablespoon of oil and add onion, white part of scallion, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onion starts browning.  Add meat, rice, veggies, green part of scallion, soy sauce and spices.  Stir and cook until veggies are cooked through.  Add scrambled eggs.  Stirring frequently, cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Adjust spices, salt and pepper to taste.   Remove from heat and serve.

We had this as our meal.  Though, a fresh garden salad would make a nice side.  It would also make a great side for another dish. 

Grilled Potato Salad May 14, 2008

Instead of boiling potatoes, I grilled them along with sweet onions.  I used yukon golds which give a buttery flavor that went well with the sweetness of the onions.  The dijon and chives added a nice zing. 

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, like new or small yukon golds, about 1 1/2″ diameter in size

1 sweet onion, sliced into 1/2″ think rounds

olive oil

salt & pepper

3 tablespoons chopped chives

for dressing:

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a bowl, drizzle potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.  Toss to coat.  Grill potatoes on Direct Medium heat for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.  Brush onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill on Direct Medium heat for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and tender, turning once halfway through grilling time.  Set potatoes and onions aside until cool enough to handle.  Cut potatoes in half and quarter onion slices and put into a large bowl.  Add chives to the bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, mustard, mayonnaise.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add dressing to the potatoes and toss gently.

I served the salad with a steak that I simply marinated with fresh rosemary, garlic, and olive oil and grilled.

 

Mushroom & Carmelized Onion Pizza May 11, 2008

There’s nothing like delicious toppings on a bubbly crust.  Lately, I’ve been making my own at home.  I’m working to perfect my crust, which I like thin and crispy.  I started by using Giada DeLaurentis’ pizza dough recipe that I found in the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.

Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees F)

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 cups (or more) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast.  Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil.  Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor.  Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball.  Transfer to lightly floured surface.  Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute.  Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coast with oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.  Punch down dough.  DO AHEAD:  Can be made 1 day ahead.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.  Roll out dough according to recipe instructions.  (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges by not rolling over them.)

I’ve altered this recipe each time with different flours or amounts of sugar, salt, etc.  I used a pizza stone when baking in the oven.

I prepared the toppings in advance.  I carmelized the onions until they were a deep, rich brown color and then added sliced baby bella mushrooms.  For the cheese, I grated mozzarella and fontina.  Fontina goes very well with the mushrooms. 

Cut in small squares and a great red wine, this makes for a delicious Thirstyday.