Tag: Diced Tomatoes

Slow Cooker Venison Chili

Hooray for slow cooker season! I love a good slow cooker (paid link) recipe, and this Slow Cooker Venison Chili is no exception!

I decided it was about time to update my original recipe for Slow Cooker Venison Chili; I figured after 13 years it could use some sprucing up!

The ingredients haven’t changed much, but the method used to develop the flavors is updated. This hearty Slow Cooker Venison Chili will definitely be a family favorite!

Ingredients:

Chili Seasoning:

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Venison Chili:

  • 4 strips bacon, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat, or 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 lbs ground venison
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1/2 cup coffee

Toppings:

  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • Sour cream (omit for dairy free)
  • Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (omit for dairy free)
  • Cooked bacon crumbles

Continue reading Slow Cooker Venison Chili

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Dip

I love a good dip. It’s one of my favorite snack to bring to a party — it travels well and are always a hit! As a somewhat recent owner of COSORI 6 Qt Electrical Pressure Cooker and I had yet to use it for beans, so I needed to change that! In case you didn’t know, you can use an electric pressure cooker (or multi-cooker) to cook dried beans relatively quickly, without needing to soak them overnight or boil them for an hour.

This Pressure Cooker Black Bean Dip can be made in about 1 hour, and is creamy and flavorful, and comes topped with all the fixins!

Ingredients:

Seasoning blend:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Other ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked black beans, rinsed
  • 1 red onion, chopped and divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • seasoning blend (above), or 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • the zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

For serving:

  • bell peppers, finely chopped (I used mini sweet peppers for more color)
  • reserved red onion, chopped
  • cilantro
  • pico de gallo
  • sour cream (omit to make dairy-free)
  • tortilla chips

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Black Bean Dip

Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.

Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.

This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.

I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning,  collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black eyed peas
  • 6 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
  • 4 sprigs of thyme, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
  • about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch collard greens, ribs discarded, leaves chopped
  • 2 cups cooked rice

Continue reading Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

One of the perks of being a friend of, or related to, a food blogger, is random food deliveries. I try to keep my sister’s freezer stocked with comfort foods, but have been neglecting her a bit recently. So when I saw this recipe for Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew, it seemed right up her alley and I knew I had to make it for her.

I adapted the recipe for what I could find/what I had on hand, but the general gist is still there.

My sister doesn’t live in Philly, so I need to pack her goodies up in freezer-friendly containers to give her when I see her. Zyliss recently sent me a 10 piece fresh plastic food storage container set, which is perfect for freezable foods.

 

The containers are 100% leak proof and airtight, and are freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Zyliss was kind enough to send a second set my way to giveaway! More details at the end of the post.

Ingredients:

  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 lb shredded barbecue beef brisket (I purchased this at my local supermarket)
  • 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (14 oz) bag frozen corn kernels
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • the juice of one lemon
  • hot sauce (optional)

Continue reading Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

One of my favorite things to throw on the grill are vegetables, something magical and delicious happens when vegetables are grilled. One night, we were doing a bit of a fridge cleaning meal and ended up with ingredients for chicken cacciatore — mushrooms, peppers, chicken, etc. But, we wanted to use my Coyote Outdoor Grill, so Grilled Chicken Cacciatore was born.  I didn’t have 2 big enough grill-safe pots, so this entire recipe isn’t made on the grill, but it can be if you’d like!

(To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here.)

I threw in some summer squash and zucchini too, because it’s summer and we had some in the fridge. Feel free to omit.

Ingredients:

For the grill:

  • 2 bell peppers, any colors, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz) container sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 summer squash, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenders like I used)
  • 4 chicken drumsticks
  • olive oil, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste

For the stovetop (unless you have oven-safe pots):

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Continue reading Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Note: I was sent a Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to review. All opinions are mine alone.

 

We have had a pretty moderate fall so far, but the cold weather isn’t too far off. This time of year, I like to fill my freezer with different meals so I always have comfort food on hand for busy weeknights. One of my favorites, of course, is chili.

 

I was sent Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to try out, so it was the perfect time to make my annual batch of chili!

 

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids are a life saver – I typically just keep the containers from take out and they are all just shoved into a cabinet net to my stove, with no organization to them whatsoever. So i spend a good 10 minutes finding the right top to go with whatever container I’ve chosen. Rubbermaid’s storage set takes the annoyance out of trying to find the right top — the Lids snap on to the bottom of their respective containers so you can find them in no time! The containers also nest inside each other so you can have a small stack of all of your containers and lids in one spot.

 

The 20-piece set comes with  3 (0.5 Cup), 3 (1.25 Cup), 1 (2 Cup), 2 (3 Cup), 1 (5 Cup), and 10  respective Easy Find Lids. The plastic is dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe and is also BPA-free.

 

On to the recipe! This time around, I went for a classic – ground beef and beans with some bratwurst meat for additional flavor (I used beef bratwurst, but you can use any type you’d like).

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit for dairy free)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound bratwurst, removed from its casing
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  onion, chopped
  • 1 chipotle from can of chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (seeds removed if preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped (or whatever color you prefer)
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon espresso grounds
  • For garnish: 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 oz sour cream; 4 oz cheddar or pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Continue reading Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni

Whew. I am having a crazy busy month, so unfortunately my cooking is suffering. I can never have too many weeknight meal options (ie. meals that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less) at my disposal, so here’s another quick and easy dinner that comes together quickly- Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni! I tend to usually make chicken or seafood recipes, so I am finally doing a quick beef recipe!

 

This recipe for Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni uses Hillshire Farm’s Beef Smoked Sausage to add some yummy flavor to a quick fire roasted chunky tomato sauce. It’s a great alternative to chicken to snazz up a midweek meal.

The beef sausage cooks up in no time. Using the same pan to cook the sausage and to make the sauce gives the sauce a subtle smoky flavor that’s so tasty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16 oz) box rigatoni, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 package Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage, cut into slices
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped (~1 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated Parmesan cheese, optional

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment. Continue reading Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni

Seven Layer Dip Nachos

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JustAddRotel #CollectiveBias

With the big tournament upon us, having yummy snacks to share with a crowd is a must! I love party appetizers that can be set on the coffee table in front of the TV and enjoyed as a group.

This recipe for Seven Layer Dip Nachos adds the ingredients of a seven-layer dip right on top of tortilla chips to make a convenient and super yummy loaded nachos recipe.

I went to my local Walmart to pick up the ingredients and was really excited to find a can of RO*TEL Mexican Lime & Cilantro Diced Tomatoes in the canned aisle.

I was planning on using Original or Mild RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes to make a quick and easy guacamole and pico de gallo (no dicing of tomatoes, woo hoo!), so having the flavors of lime and cilantro already combined in the diced tomatoes was an awesome find!

The Mexican Lime and Cilantro Diced Tomatoes mix vine-ripened tomatoes, with jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice, making it the perfect ingredient for this recipe!

These nachos are topped with seven layers of deliciousness: cheese, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream, and sliced olives. You may need to double the recipe though, they are super tasty!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (10 oz) bag corn tortilla chips
  • 6 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese (or a mixture of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses)
  • 1 (10 oz) can RO*TEL Mexican Lime and Cilantro Diced Tomatoes, drained, divided
  • 1/2 medium sized red onion, diced, divided (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 1 large ripe avocado, diced
  • the juice of 1 lime, divided
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
  • 2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped, divided
  • 1 (16 oz) can refried beans
  • 1 cup thinly sliced lettuce (I used green leaf)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 (2.25 oz) can sliced olives

Continue reading Seven Layer Dip Nachos

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Creamy Polenta

With the weather starting to cool off a bit, I had a hankering for something a little more hearty that I could still prepare on a weeknight. This recipe from Cooking Light incorporates mushrooms and turkey sausage into a tomato sauce to make a filling but lighter meal. The polenta is kicked up a notch with the addition of some cream cheese to add some decadence to the whole dish. I kept this recipe mostly in tact and just messed with some of the amounts for the ingredients. To see the original recipe, click here. Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 20 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 2 large (or 4 small) garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Continue reading Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Creamy Polenta

Seafood Arrabbiata

My boyfriend and I have been trying to eat less meat and increase our seafood, shellfish, and vegetarian dinner options. In general, vegetarian and fish dinner options are also a great choice for a weeknight dinner because they take very little time to prepare.

 

This recipe for Seafood Arrabbiata from Cooking Light incorporates a few different types of shellfish into a spicy tomato broth that is served over pasta.

“Arrabbiata” means “angry” in Italian alluding to the spiciness of the dish. You can alter the spices to your liking. I’d suggest adding very little crushed red pepper, and then having a shaker of red pepper when serving so each person can customize their level of heat.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 1 (16oz box) uncooked linguine
  • 2 tablespoons chili olive oil, divided  (I used Nudo Olive Oil with Sicilian Chillies), (can substitute regular olive oil)
  • 8 ounces sea scallops
  • 8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon if using regular olive oil)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional
  • 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup clam juice
  • 24 littleneck clams
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Continue reading Seafood Arrabbiata

Ratatouille

With the influx of vegetables in my life from my CSA, I am swimming in quite a large amount of highly perishable produce. So to preserve (and use) a bunch of my CSA veggies, I decided to try my first hand at Ratatouille. I looked at a bunch of recipes online and they can get really quite complex! There are some that cook each vegetable separately to bring out the flavor of each, some that layer the ingredients into a beautiful casserole. Well, I’m making this on a weeknight after work. So this is one of the easier versions, a one pot wonder if you will. One day, I will make the other version, but tonight, I just want a delicious meal that I can freeze for later.
So what is ratatouille, besides a really cute kids movie? It’s basically a stewed vegetable dish, usually served with bread, or maybe egg noodles or polenta (something to sop up all the deliciousness). There are many different recipes for the dish, but most include eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and onions. The spices can range from thyme or marjoram to herbes de Provence.
I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com and kind of messed with the ratio of ingredients, so be sure to check out the original recipe to see if that is more to your liking.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil (or enough to cover the bottom of your pot)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 small eggplants,  cubed
2 large zucchini, cubed
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 yellow or bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cubed (use any color pepper you want)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

To make, add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or other large pot that has a lid. Heat over medium heat. While waiting to heat, chop your onions, garlic, eggplant, and zucchini.
I want to take a minute to discuss a method of cutting eggplant. I googled this just as I was about to make the recipe so it was new to me too and it worked quite well. I found the method on recipetips.com.
To cut the zucchini, remove the skin using a knife by cutting the zucchini into a square shape (or close to a square.)
Slice the zucchini into smaller square disks.
Stack a few of them, and cut into fours to make smaller squares. This doesn’t have to be uniform, you just want them to be the same general shape so they cook evenly.
Add the onions to the pot and stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the eggplant and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup of water, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring once half way through. While waiting for the 5 minutes to pass, chop your peppers.
Add the peppers to the pot and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and thyme and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The recipe said to stir often. I didn’t. I got distracted and walked away. Oh well.
Remove from heat and serve.  Top with a few slices of basil.
If freezing, leave the basil out and freeze.
For being vegetarian, doesn’t this look fabulously hearty?
I paired mine with day old bread which was a perfect amount of crispiness to go with the veggies. It may not be terribly pretty, but it was comforting and really flavorful.
I ate one serving and froze the rest for nights when I don’t have time to cook. I’m glad I did or I’d still be sitting here eating it!

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

I love chili, and with the warm winter we’ve been having, I didn’t have nearly enough of it. So before spring is truly here, I wanted to make another batch. This meatless chili has so many different beans and flavor, you won’t even miss the meat! I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, using more peppers, diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out a little.
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped yellow bell pepper
1  chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped orange bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth


To make, heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium- high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion, peppers and garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

That’s it!

A delicious, hearty, meatless meal in 40 minutes.

Serve with corn bread if desired.

I love the colors in this! Look at all those different tones!

The chili looked a little too chunky without the vegetable broth, but if you like it that way, feel free to omit the broth.

 

Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup is the perfect combination of comfort foods. Rainy, snowy, or just plain crummy days are instantly better after a warm bowl with cheesy bread for dipping. Cooking Light had a quick recipe for Tomato Basil soup in their March issue that sounded so easy I had to try it. (It helped that I had most of the ingredients on hand as well!) The soup is served with toasted bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just used the whole bag shown in the photo)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (half a container)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 ounce shredded Asiago cheese

Preheat your broiler to high. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped basil.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the cream cheese.
Stir until melted.
If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a normal blender and remove the plastic center from the top. Place a paper towel over the opening and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the liquid is really hot! Pour back into pot over medium high heat.
I received an immersion blender for Christmas so I was so excited to use it for this recipe. This is my first try with it and it was awesome! So much simpler than pouring into a blender and pouring back into the pot. If using an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency (I wanted a few chunky pieces left in mine).
Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
To make the bread, arrange bread on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Broil for 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and rub garlic over the bread pieces. Turn bread over, top with cheese and broil for an additional minute.
Serve with the soup.
The soup managed to taste light and creamy at the same time, very impressive!
The basil flavor shown through which was a really nice enhancement to a normal tomato soup.
I loved the crispy bread topped with cheese. This would be a great appetizer at a party (using the tomato soup as a warm “dip” for the toast).
The entire meal ended up taking about 30-40 minutes so it is definitely an option for a weeknight.

Stuffed Peppers

I have been a part of a food swap for about 6 months now, and I am already running low on ideas.  As I was frantically looking for an idea, I realized no one had made stuffed peppers yet, win! Stuffed peppers are a perfect, hearty meal for relatively little cost. They are pretty adaptable and can honestly be made with whatever you want. To make vegetarian, sub in beans or just omit the ground beef all together.
Ingredients (this makes 10 stuffed peppers)
10 peppers
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2.5 lbs ground beef
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 can diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon each of basil, oregano and parsley (dried)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

5 cups cooked rice
½ cup grated Parmesan
Cut off top of peppers, removing the seeds and membranes. Dice the edible parts of the tops of the peppers.

 

Add the whole peppers to a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from water and set aside.

 

Add the butter and olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, diced peppers, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef, stirring to break up the meat.

Cook until browned. Add the Worcestershire, diced tomatoes, and tomato puree, stirring to combine.

 

Season with oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked rice and parmesan cheese.

 

Stuff peppers with mixture, sprinkling with more parmesan cheese if desired.

 

Because I made these for a swap, I froze the peppers at this stage.

 

To cook, thaw completely then bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes.

I hope they like them!

Tomato Seafood Chowder &Review of Pomi Vodka Sauce

We all have those nights where we are absolutely too exhausted to cook. I tend to go straight for pasta whenever these nights come up, but recently I’ve been running low on my homemade tomato sauce. Sigh. I will of course whip up a batch of my tomato sauce when I have time, but it takes a good three hours to make!
Luckily, Pomi must have sensed my tomato sauce drought, and asked if I’d be willing to try some of their new sauces, specifically the Vodka Sauce and the Alfredo Sauce. (They also have traditional Marinara and Tomato & Basil sauces.) Not only do I get to try theses sauces, but Pomi is also going to send one lucky reader one box each of the Vodka Sauce and the Alfredo Sauce! I will discuss the giveaway at the end of this post, so stick with me!
I was excited to try Pomi. Unlike most tomato sauces, Pomi products actually come in boxes and are BPA-free. BPA, or bisphenol A is a compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are typically used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles, and baby bottles. Epoxy resins are mainly used to coat the inside of metal products, such as food cans. The issue is there is evidence that BPA can seep into food and be absorbed into the human body, causing damage to the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, possibly leading to cancer, diabetes, asthma and obesity. Although more research needs to be completed, it has been suggested that consumers should try to limit their BPA exposure. Pomi also uses 100% natural tomatoes (no pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified seeds are used) and they do not add preservatives or artificial flavors to the end result.
Naturally, you can used these sauces just poured over freshly cooked pasta. But I decided to also test how versatile these sauces are. To save from a ridiculously long post, the Alfredo Sauce post will be coming shortly!
I decided to use the Vodka Sauce to make a Tomato Seafood Chowder. Pomi’s vodka sauce ingredients include: tomatoes, heavy cream, vodka, onion, cheeses, garlic, basil and parsley, which sounded like a wonderful base for a soup.

 

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup orzo, uncooked
1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped
1 pound raw bay scallops
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 box Pomi Vodka Sauce
1/2 can diced tomatoes, optional
1 dozen clams
8 oz crab meat
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Cook the orzo according to package instructions on the package. Drain and set aside. While the orzo is cooking, prepare your ingredients: chop the onion, garlic, basil and parsley.
In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion ,garlic, dried basil and dried parsley. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the scallops and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Add the clam juice and chicken broth. If you want, you can sub out the clam juice for all broth.  Add the Pomi Vodka Sauce, red pepper flakes, and diced tomatoes. If you do not want a chunky stew, you can leave out the chopped tomatoes.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the clams and cover, cooking for 3-5 minutes or until the clams open.

Stir in the orzo and the crab meat and serve with day old French bread.

 

There is plenty of salt from the clam juice, chicken broth and Pomi Vodka sauce so you really don’t need to add any. Feel free to add a bit of ground pepper if you’d like.

The Pomi Vodka sauce added plenty of flavor to the soup. It created a wonderful base and tasted awesome with the clams, crab meat and scallops.  I strongly suggest adding the red pepper flakes for a tiny bit of heat, it works so well with the tomatoes. My boyfriend, who was really wary of trying the chowder, ended up polishing off his bowl, and he doesn’t even like scallops!

 

So now, for the giveaway! As a reminder, one reader will receive one box of Pomi Alfredo Sauce and one box of Pomi Vodka Sauce, mailed to your home. Unfortunately, this is only open to U.S. residents.
To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know how you’d use one of the sauces (this one is mandatory).
For extra entries, you can do as many of the following as you please. Leave me a comment below letting me know you’ve done them, each comment counts as a separate entry!
  1. Like I Can Cook That and Pomi on Facebook (comment saying you did so or let me know if you already do)
  2. Follow I Can Cook That on twitter (comment saying you did so or let me know if you already do)
  3. Tweet the following: “I just entered @icancookthat’s Pomi Sauce Giveaway! https://tinyurl.com/3c56eep” (leave a comment saying you did so below)
The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced Friday, October 21. All entries must be received by 12:00pm EST on Friday, October 21. Good luck!
Note: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for participating!
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