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.