Parsley | I Can Cook That

Grilled Duck with Warm Mushroom Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Grilling is synonymous with Memorial Day in my mind, so I was so happy to receive a Grilling Cookbook from Cooking Light a few days ago. The cookbook: Cooking Light Way to Cook Grilling: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Grilling is pretty darn snazzy. The photos are gorgeous, so um, please don’t compare my crummy photos for this recipe to the ones in the book, that will make me sad. Anyways, when I saw a recipe for grilled duck, I wanted to try it. I love duck, it’s a go-to for me at restaurants. But, I’m beyond terrified to cook it myself. It’s a tough meat to cook, and if overcooked, can be super crummy. Plus, it’s not exactly cheap! But grilling? I think I can handle that…

This recipe sounded like it was written just for me and my boyfriend. Before even opening the cookbook this was our conversation:

“We should try grilling a meat we’ve never made before, I’m not in the mood for a normal burger”

“Yeah, and maybe we can grill up some asparagus and mushrooms as well. I do want a meat as part of the meal though.”

We turn to this recipe, which managed to incorporate all of our requirements, and we were sold. The only thing we weren’t sold on? The marinating time. The original recipe suggested marinating the duck overnight, up to two days. We wanted duck, and we wanted it well before tomorrow, so our marinating was closer to 3 hours instead. There are also some pretty pricey ingredients in this dish, so this would definitely be a special occasion type of meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) boneless duck breast, skinned
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced portobello mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons truffle oil

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Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes

These Lipman Tomatoes just keep on giving! This time around, I used their gorgeous cherry tomatoes. Cooking Light had a wonderful recipe in their most recent issue for Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes. Fish is a favorite of mine for weeknights because it cooks so quickly; this meal took me 25 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients: (this serves 2)

2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
A few basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 (6-ounce) skinless flounder fillets
Cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While waiting for the oven to heat up, combine the capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the cherry tomatoes in an oven safe dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes.

When there is about 10 minutes left on the tomatoes, combine the panko, parsley, and thyme in a shallow dish.

Coat the fillets with the cooking spray and dredge the fillets in the panko mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat and add the fillets to the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

The tomatoes should finish almost the same time as the fish.

To serve, add the flounder to a plate. Top with the tomato mixture. Add some fresh sliced basil.

I love how the cherry tomatoes burst in the oven while roasting.

The capers add a little saltiness to the whole dish which is nice. I think you only need 1 tablespoon of capers though, instead of 2.

I couldn’t really tell that there was thyme with the flounder but I loved the parsley flavor. If you’re a thyme fan, try upping the amount to get more flavor.

This was one delicious meal! With the exception of the flounder, the ingredients are things I usually have on hand anyways so this is a great last minute dinner.

Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce

Yes, you read that title correctly. Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce. I have wanted to make some recipes using Bakon Vodka ever since I heard of its existence. My mind immediately went to Bloody Mary’s (which I will have a post on soon), but a coworker suggested I use it for Penne Vodka. Brilliant, no?

Ingredients:

1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil

2/3 cup Bakon vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 box penne pasta

Chop the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cloves and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add the Bakon vodka and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; it will thicken and reduce a bit.

While waiting for the sauce to reduce, boil a pot of water and cook the penne according to directions, you want the pasta al dente. After the 15 minutes have passed, add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Add the pasta and mix to combine. Cook for another minute or so to allow the sauce to absorb into the pasta.

Mmmm. Smoky goodness.

This was really tasty! The bacon vodka added a subtle smokiness, kind of like using roasted tomatoes, or smoked paprika.

It wasn’t an overpowering, punch-in-the-face kind of bacon taste though. Honestly, it might be tough to pinpoint the flavor if you didn’t know that was in it.

So if you’re really in a bacon-y mood, I’d suggest adding some crumbled bacon or pancetta on top of the finished pasta.

Yum

Penne with Bacon Vodka Sauce

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
2/3 cup Bakon vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 box penne pasta

Instructions

Chop the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cloves and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, and basil. Add the Bakon vodka and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; it will thicken and reduce a bit.
While waiting for the sauce to reduce, boil a pot of water and cook the penne according to directions, you want the pasta al dente. After the 15 minutes have passed, add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Add the pasta and mix to combine. Cook for another minute or so to allow the sauce to absorb into the pasta.

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Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes

Have you ever opened up a food magazine, and have decided by a photo only that you want, no need, to make that recipe? I didn’t even look at the title, or read the ingredients, before I had earmarked this recipe to make. Shrimp, asparagus, and tomatoes? This is right up my alley. The best part of cooking with seafood is that it’s almost always a quick meal. This Cooking Light recipe for Crispy Herbed Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes can be made in only 40 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Shrimp:

3/4 cup panko, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Chive Aioli:

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes:

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray

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Guest Post – Falafel

Today, I have a guest post from Trudy Abhood of GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Not only does she deliver a delicious (and super simple) falafel recipe, but she even helps take the guesswork out of dessert. Falafel, if you haven’t had it before, is a fried patty made from chickpeas or fava beans. They are delicious with some tahini, hot sauce, hummus, and cucumber on a pita, or as part of a mezze platter. The best part? This recipe only takes 15 minutes! Enjoy!

There comes a time when food and boredom go hand in hand and when finding something to eat is harder than going on a diet. I have found that Falafel can heroically fill both these problems. This Middle Eastern food has become more and more popular over the years, but my friends remain hesitant; most are even unsure of what food group it belongs to. Falafel is made of mainly mashed up chickpeas, so it is the protein food group, for all those now wondering. I have found a super delicious and easy recipe that has said it fifteen minutes, including prep time! I tried it out and yes, it takes fifteen minutes, but a food processor is in dire need to make this time!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Preparation:

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. I have found that you may want to mash the chickpeas before combining everything. Also, having a food processor would be very handy for mashing them. Without a food processor, this may take longer than fifteen minutes! You want everything to be a nice thick paste that can be made into chick pea balls. Make them about the size of a ping pong ball.Now just use a frying pan with about 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees.

The balls should take about 2-5 minutes to be nice and golden. And that’s it!
Now serve falafel by itself, or with hummus and pita bread. Yum!

Everyone knows what comes after the meal…dessert! Since it was just Valentine’s Day, I have been searching for scrumptious sweets and came across a loaded gift basket with red velvet cake. They also have gift baskets with wine! Who doesn’t want to curl up with a bottle of wine and cake? I had never even though of gift basketsas an idea for myself, but why not? Some are only $24.99. This is less than a pair of jeans nowadays. Time for some falafel, wine, and cake!

My advice: Don’t be afraid of deliciousness.

About the author; Trudy Abood is the VP of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, one of the top suppliers of quality gift baskets. She is a mom of 2 boys, one of which founded GGB and the other is also VP at the company. She formally owned Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, NH; the largest flower shop in the state.

Thanks so much Trudy! The falafel sounds absolutely delicious! If you’ve never checked out GourmetGiftBaskets.com, I suggest popping over there soon. It’s a really great site, with inventive baskets as well as traditional treats. They have such a wonderful selection that I can’t choose my favorite! (The cocktail, breakfast, and the coffee & chocolate baskets are definitely at the top of my list but I also love the organic baskets and the unique gift baskets are really great. They even have a Phillies themed basket! See? Told you I couldn’t decide).

Couscous-Stuffed Chicken

I haven’t posted a chicken recipe on here since September! I figured it was definitely time to change that. I really don’t eat much chicken so I guess I’ve gone a long time without even making it without realizing. I have been on a couscous kick so when I came across Cooking Light‘s recipe for Couscous Stuffed Chicken I was pretty pumped. However, I apparently do not possess the skill to create pinwheels with chicken. What they lack in beauty though they most certainly make up for in flavor!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First make the couscous. Add the broth to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes.

Add the couscous to a small bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool. Add the chopped tomato, olives, feta, olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. (I failed at this step. My pounding brought it by no means close to 1/4 inch thickness. Next time I make this, I think I’ll try it with chicken tenderloins instead).

Add the couscous mixture on top of each piece of chicken.

Roll up and secure with wooden picks. Pretty sure this should have looked prettier than mine ended up.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add the chicken rolls. Cook for six minutes until the chicken is browned. Turn over and bake at 400 degrees.

The original recipe said 5 minutes. Because my pieces were so thick it took closer to 20 minutes.

So yeah. My presentation isn’t going to win me any awards. BUT this dish tastes so good! The chicken remained really moist and flavorful.

The couscous mixture was fantastic. I am not the biggest fan of olives so I included fewer in my rolled up chicken (which meant my olive-loving boyfriend got more in his mixture. No complaints from him).

I think thin chicken tenderloins would work much better with these if you are big on presentation.

Mango Couscous with Salmon

I really don’t like winter. I know we are having quite a mild winter in Philly this year but it goes past the cold and snow. I miss sunlight. And sitting outdoors. And most of all, I miss summer foods. So I decided it was time for a little peek into summer: Mango Couscous with Salmon. (I found the recipe on Taste of Home).

Ingredients:

Salmon:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
2 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Couscous:
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup couscous (I used tricolor, because it’s so darn pretty)
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 medium mango, peeled and chopped

Mango Sauce:
1 medium mango, peeled and cut into chunks
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
2 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

In a pot, bring the broth and butter to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, mango, and 1 tablespoon parsley.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a bowl.

Rub on the salmon.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Add the salmon to the pan skin side up. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for 4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

While the salmon is cooking, combine the mango, lemon, honey, basil, parsley, water, and mustard in a blender.

Puree for 1-2 minutes.

To serve, add the salmon and couscous to a plate. Spoon the sauce over the salmon.

Look at those colors!

What I love most about this dish is you get to enjoy mango two ways: sweet within the couscous and tangy within the sauce.

I made this for my boyfriend and he loved it! He was all but licking his plate clean. He even started trying to eat off of mine!

So.. I think it’s safe to say this is a winner. 🙂

Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce

It’s very rare that I make a meal without some kind of goal in mind. I’m not terribly creative, so I usually do at least some research before making a meal: read a magazine, google a recipe, ask a family member, or have a craving from a restaurant I want to try to make at home.

I guess my subconscious was channeling a craving for Bona Cucina‘s mussels in white wine because I kind of sort of ended up with that at the end of my cooking, so here’s my version of their Mussels in White Wine Garlic Sauce. I was just trying to whip up a quick meal, so I actually didn’t take any photos until the finished product (whoops) but I thought I’d share it anyways. I still had some mussels left over from when I made Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce so I figured I should use them.

Ingredients – serve 2 as an appetizer, multiply as needed (get all ingredients here):

1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves, minced (depending on how much you want to offend those around you)
1 shallot, minced
Chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers

Oh yes, you read that correctly. A delicious grilled lamb burger, with goat cheese inside. I have been craving Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers for a good week now and finally managed to find ground lamb (which was surprisingly difficult for some reason) to make them. I used a recipe off of Finish Your Broccoli‘s blog that she made a while back to make the actual burger. I took some liberty in making it but for the most part it’s basically the same.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp minced fresh mint
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
4 oz log goat cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped basil
Tzatziki
Sliced cucumber
Pita bread or hamburger buns, toasted

Add the ground lamb, plain yogurt, panko, mint, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne to a large bowl.

Mix to combine.

Add the goat cheese, olive oil, parsley, and basil to a small bowl.

Mix to combine.

Take the meat mixture and divide it evenly into four patties.

Make a well in each patty and add an equal amount of the cheese mixture into each well.

Form the meat patty around the cheese mixture.

Heat a grill pan (or grill) and cook the burger to your liking. Because they are so thick, you might need to cook them long and slow.

Grill the hamburger buns or pita bread.

Top the burger with tzatziki and sliced cucumber.

And there you have it!

You bite in and get a really delicious, moist burger.

With a flavorful, gooey center.

Mmmm.

This is EXACTLY what I was craving. And it’s really quick! What more could you ask for?

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

So I realized today that this post for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is my 200th! How crazy is that? Okay, back to your regular programing… time for an awesome recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!

Winter weather really makes me crave comfort food. When it snows (like it did this weekend) my need for comfort food escalates.

I’ve been looking for any excuse to make another mac and cheese recipe, so I jumped at the chance to make it during the snow.

I originally printed out this recipe from Cooking Light, but I changed it so much to fit what I could find it’s barely recognizable. The overall method is basically the same though.

Ingredients:

1/2 an onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/4 cups 1% low fat milk
1 box uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
4 ounces cubed sharp cheddar cheese
4ounces cubed gouda cheese
Panko breadcrumbs
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped

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Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Who honestly doesn’t love crab stuffed mushrooms? Little bite sized bits of happiness: mushroom, crab meat, cheese, and crunchy bread crumbs. I always have my fingers crossed that these party staples show up as an appetizer at any and all social events. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make them myself. I finally whipped up a batch of theses crab stuffed mushrooms to eat while watching the games on Sunday. They are actually quite easy to make and are awesome right out of the oven or cooled to room temperature. Taste of Home had a great recipe I decided to try. My only “big” change was that I substituted Old Bay in for the cayenne. I’ve spent many a summer on the Chesapeake and now can’t eat crab without at least a little bit of this seasoning!

Ingredients:

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Old Bay
1 can (8 ounces) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
2 containers of fresh baby bella mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

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Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce

I’m on a slight mussel kick at the moment. I can’t stop thinking about Eulogy’s beer mussels, Bona Cucina’s mussels in white wine, and most recently, a mussels in red sauce I had back in college. I found a recipe for Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce in an old Cooking Light I thought I’d try. I was hoping for a slightly spicy dish, so I altered some of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 a yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 bag mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. Drain, and keep warm.

I wrote in my paella post how to clean and debeard mussels. It’s not terribly complicated, but it took me a while to be ok with debearding. Once the mussels are cleaned and debearded, you can begin cooking.

Add olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Chop your onion, garlic and bell peppers.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

Remove the tomatoes from the can, reserving the liquid. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, liquid, and wine to the pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add mussels, increase the heat to medium and cover.

Cook for 7 minutes or until the shells begin to open. If any do not open, throw those out; do not eat them. Add the pasta to the same pot and mix to coat with the sauce.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

When I first tried this, I didn’t add any cheese. And there was a little something just missing. It was ok, but somewhat bland.

I’d add a bit more spice next time. Maybe more red pepper flakes, or even a few drops of hot sauce.

My boyfriend suggested adding Parmesan cheese, and it did really help the flavor of the dish, so be sure to add some at the end!

This could be a really stellar recipe with a few modifications. What would you add to change this from a three star recipe to a five star recipe?

Yum

Angel Hair Pasta with Mussels in a Red Pepper Sauce

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 a yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 bag mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. Drain, and keep warm.
Clean and debeard the mussels.
Add olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Chop your onion, garlic and bell peppers.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
Remove the tomatoes from the can, reserving the liquid. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, liquid, and wine to the pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add mussels, increase the heat to medium and cover.
Cook for 7 minutes or until the shells begin to open. If any do not open, throw those out; do not eat them. Add the pasta to the same pot and mix to coat with the sauce.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

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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!

Champagne Risotto Primavera

I still have some prosecco sitting around after New Years Eve that I don’t want to go to waste. It’s already open so there’s really no way to save it. I usually use leftover wine in my risotto, so why not use sparkling wine instead? After all the food I ate in the past week, I thought I should probably incorporate some vegetables into my risotto as well. I adapted a Weight Watchers recipe to incorporate the sparkling wine.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup champagne, prosecco, or other sparkling wine, divided
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
fresh parsley, chopped

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Spinach Spaghetti with Salmon Cream Sauce

Have you ever bought a bunch of ingredients just because they sounded good? I try to stick to a list, but this time I couldn’t help myself. I found fresh spinach spaghetti and it just sounded so wonderful, I had to buy it. I wanted to make a simple but flavorful dish so I was pretty happy to find salmon as well. I already had heavy cream and parsley in my fridge so this recipe for Spinach Spaghetti with Salmon Cream Sauce was the result!

Ingredients:

1 package fresh spinach spaghetti
1 tablespoon butter
1 8 oz fillet of salmon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
freshly grated Parmesan

Continue reading Spinach Spaghetti with Salmon Cream Sauce