I had 5 peppers and about 20 tomatoes laying around the house so I decided to get a-cookin! The beauty here is that both recipes call for onion and garlic, so I just carmelized a bunch and split it between the two recipes. I got the soup "method" from my Aunt Celia. I used a food processor to make the soup, but a blender will work fine too.
To start:
9 onions (mine were small), coarsely chopped
9 cloves garlic (or to taste), coarsely chopped
For the peppers:
1lb ground turkey
5 bell peppers (any color)
1 red frying pepper, chopped
seasoning of your choice (I used italian seasonings)
1.5c. cooked rice
1 tomato, chopped
salt
pepper
1/2c. ketchup
1/2c. beef stock
tabasco or hot pepper (minced)
For the soup:
as many tomatoes as you have ( I realize not everyone has 20!)
basil
italian seasoning
4c. chicken stock
So, to start, lets get those onions cooking! Heat skillet and add a little but of olive oil.
Once oil is heated, throw in onions and garlic, cooking until tender, about 20 mins (longer if you're patient. I am not).
Remove from heat and set aside.
Stuffed Peppers
Remove the tops from the peppers and clean the seeds out from the inside. Wash, and set in baking pan.
In a bowl, combine turkey, pepper, tomato, seasonings, 1/4 of the onion/garlic mix and rice. Mix well.
Stuff into peppers.
In a bowl, mix the ketchup and stock together until blended. Add tabasco or hot pepper mince to taste.
Spoon topping over peppers. Bake at 350 for 45 mins.
Notes: Alternately, you could cook the turkey before stuffing it into the pepper. I like it uncooked because then the pepper is filled with a little turkey meatloaf :) Pasta/spaghetti sauce could be used as a topping, but I prefer the sweetness of the ketchup. These freeze well. In fact, I made them for dinner but then the husband wanted grilled cheese, so they cooled on the counter and went right into the freezer. Freeze in baking pan, then bag them once they're frozen. This makes it easier to only have one or two at a time for dinner.
Tomato Soup
Get some water boiling in a large stock pot.
While you're waiting for it to come to a boil, turn all your tomatoes upside down and cut a tiny 'X' on the bottom of each one. This is useful, trust me.
When the water boils, throw the tomatoes (a few at a time, you don't want to overcook them here) into the pot. Retrieve after a minute.
This is where those X'es come in handy. Start there and remove the skin from the tomato. Place the tomato aside. Remove the skin from all tomatoes.
Discard the water and rinse your stock pot.
Remove the cores from the tomatoes and place in a food processor a few at a time. Process until smooth and all chunks are gone. Pour the puree into a stock pot.
Puree the onion/garlic mixture and pour into the stock pot.
Add your seasonings and the chicken stock. Simmer for an hour, letting all of the flavors blend.
Note: You could use veggie stock or omit the stock entirely.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Karen's "Famous" Taco Meat
My taco meat is one of my most requested dishes, whether in nachos, tacos, or crumbled on salad. And now! The secret can be yours!!!
1lb ground turkey (you could use beef too, we just don't eat much of it)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped fine (optional)
chili powder
cumin
Ortega Taco Sauce
2c water or chicken broth (for more flavor)
olive oil
Spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat. When oil is hot, add onions, jalapeno and garlic and saute about 3 minutes.
Add turkey and cook til *just* brown.
Throw on some chili powder and cumin (to taste), the water (all of it! it looks weird, but trust me on this) and half of the bottle or Ortega (less if you like your tacos more mild). Stir well.
Turn heat to Med-Low and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
VOILA. This was really good on nachos with sharp cheddar and the pico from the other day.
Bonus!
If you have some fresh bell pepper, try this:
Cut the top off a fresh bell pepper and clean seeds out from inside. Add layers of cheese, taco meat, and pico to fill the pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 mins. Bring for lunch the next day and make all your coworkers DROOL.
1lb ground turkey (you could use beef too, we just don't eat much of it)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped fine (optional)
chili powder
cumin
Ortega Taco Sauce
2c water or chicken broth (for more flavor)
olive oil
Spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat. When oil is hot, add onions, jalapeno and garlic and saute about 3 minutes.
Add turkey and cook til *just* brown.
Throw on some chili powder and cumin (to taste), the water (all of it! it looks weird, but trust me on this) and half of the bottle or Ortega (less if you like your tacos more mild). Stir well.
Turn heat to Med-Low and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
VOILA. This was really good on nachos with sharp cheddar and the pico from the other day.
Bonus!
If you have some fresh bell pepper, try this:
Cut the top off a fresh bell pepper and clean seeds out from inside. Add layers of cheese, taco meat, and pico to fill the pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 mins. Bring for lunch the next day and make all your coworkers DROOL.
Monday, September 8, 2008
pico de gallo
I got 11 tomatoes in the CSA share this week. AMAZING. Nothing makes me happier than tomatoes. I also got fresh cilantro and jalapenos in the haul. What's a girl to do? PICO!!! I stopped and picked up a red onion (I like the color better) and some other ingredients to get started.
1 large tomato or 3 medium to small ones, chopped small
1 onion, red or white (or green if you like), chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic (this is how much I used. YMMV)
2 jalapenos, seeds removed, chopped very fine
dash of lemon juice (or lime)
chopped cilantro (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit at least two hours. Its that easy.
Some notes:
If you like a hot salsa, use more than the amount I did for peppers. Or throw in a habanero. I ended up adding more after the fact.
This was *really* garlicky. If you don't like garlic, don't add as much.
This was also a little cilantro heavy. If you have friends who hate cilantro (*looks at melissa*), use less.
1 large tomato or 3 medium to small ones, chopped small
1 onion, red or white (or green if you like), chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic (this is how much I used. YMMV)
2 jalapenos, seeds removed, chopped very fine
dash of lemon juice (or lime)
chopped cilantro (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit at least two hours. Its that easy.
Some notes:
If you like a hot salsa, use more than the amount I did for peppers. Or throw in a habanero. I ended up adding more after the fact.
This was *really* garlicky. If you don't like garlic, don't add as much.
This was also a little cilantro heavy. If you have friends who hate cilantro (*looks at melissa*), use less.
The Pot Roast That Wanted to Be a Stew
So tonight's recipe was supposed to be a pot roast. But I added too much liquid and it decided on its own in the crock that it would be a stew. Imagine that!
Just like always, measures are approximate. You know me :) Upon a friend's urging, I busted out my new crock pot, despite the fact that I have NO ROOM in the kitchen to store it. Guess I'll just have to use it every night. My husband and I have been biking a few nights a week, so the crock pot will likely become an integral part of weekday meals. Thanks, Carolyn, for reminding me!!
Also, I have the crock pot that sautes on the stove and then goes into the base. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it!! Its awesome.
1 2.5 lb pot roast
1 packet onion soup mix
5 potatoes, cut into pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, chopped into 1/2in coins
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
beef broth
olive oil
In a skillet, heat a small bit of olive oil (did you get a MISTO yet??).
Brown the pot roast on all sides. Remove from heat.
In the crock pot layer potatoes, carrots, celery onions and sprinkle some of the packet of onion soup over top. Pour in about a cup of beef broth.
Lay roast over veggies.
Sprinkle some more of the onion soup over the roast and veggies.
Pour another cup of broth over the meat and the veggies.
Sprinkle the sliced garlic over the meat and veggies. Sprinkle with more soup mix. Pour over more broth. (a cup)
Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Adjust time for low. As you see it getting thick and stew-y, freak out and add broth liberally. ;)
Serve in bowls and be amazed at how happy this makes your husband.
Just like always, measures are approximate. You know me :) Upon a friend's urging, I busted out my new crock pot, despite the fact that I have NO ROOM in the kitchen to store it. Guess I'll just have to use it every night. My husband and I have been biking a few nights a week, so the crock pot will likely become an integral part of weekday meals. Thanks, Carolyn, for reminding me!!
Also, I have the crock pot that sautes on the stove and then goes into the base. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it!! Its awesome.
1 2.5 lb pot roast
1 packet onion soup mix
5 potatoes, cut into pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, chopped into 1/2in coins
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
beef broth
olive oil
In a skillet, heat a small bit of olive oil (did you get a MISTO yet??).
Brown the pot roast on all sides. Remove from heat.
In the crock pot layer potatoes, carrots, celery onions and sprinkle some of the packet of onion soup over top. Pour in about a cup of beef broth.
Lay roast over veggies.
Sprinkle some more of the onion soup over the roast and veggies.
Pour another cup of broth over the meat and the veggies.
Sprinkle the sliced garlic over the meat and veggies. Sprinkle with more soup mix. Pour over more broth. (a cup)
Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Adjust time for low. As you see it getting thick and stew-y, freak out and add broth liberally. ;)
Serve in bowls and be amazed at how happy this makes your husband.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Leftover Turkey "Tacos" in a Pita
So what do you do with all that leftover tasty turkey? Here's something I threw together before bed last night, thinking that letting it sit would help the flavors really mesh. This is one of those things where I threw together the about right amount by eyeballing. I wanted this for lunch for a few days. So use however much you think looks and tastes right.
leftover turkey, cooked
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 habanero or jalepeno pepper
taco sauce
salsa
chili powder, to taste
cumin, to taste
fresh ground sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Grab a bowl. Cut up some of the leftover turkey and throw it in.
Add the garlic, onion, red pepper, habanero (if desired) and tomato.
Throw on some salsa (fresh or jarred) and some taco sauce (or leftover taco bell packets your husband seems to be collecting).
Add chili powder and cumin to taste. Sprinkle in a little salt and some pepper.
Mix it all around and let it sit overnight.
Stuff into a pita bread with a bit of cheese at lunch and enjoy!
leftover turkey, cooked
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 habanero or jalepeno pepper
taco sauce
salsa
chili powder, to taste
cumin, to taste
fresh ground sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Grab a bowl. Cut up some of the leftover turkey and throw it in.
Add the garlic, onion, red pepper, habanero (if desired) and tomato.
Throw on some salsa (fresh or jarred) and some taco sauce (or leftover taco bell packets your husband seems to be collecting).
Add chili powder and cumin to taste. Sprinkle in a little salt and some pepper.
Mix it all around and let it sit overnight.
Stuff into a pita bread with a bit of cheese at lunch and enjoy!
local eating
i wish more people would pay attention to things like this.
i'm late to the game of local eating, i'll admit. i never even heard of the concept til i joined the CSA and then for a month or so i largely ignored it. then as i felt better and was buying less junk food, i started thinking about it. eating locally has quite literally changed my life. well, my culinary life, anyhow. lets look:
1) the farm share has more veggies than i could ever imagine. instead of buying junk food and other snacks, i find myself snacking on them because, well, i don't want them to go bad and waste them.
2) i am enjoying foods i never thought i would ever enjoy. eggplant? no thanks. but now?! OMG EGGPLANT. give me more! i want to put it in everything. more variety= more vitamins and nutrients.
3) eating better overall has increased my energy, motivation, and emotional well being. in fact, i am off all of my "head meds" and am having almost NO problems without them. i am coping better than i ever have and despite this being the busiest year in my life, i am flourishing, for the most part.
4) i eat less chemicals in my foods which is probably going to make me healthier. i would assume so.
5) i am learning to enjoy preparing my food. for once in my life, food and i don't have a bad relationship. it tastes good and nourishes me. i use it to experiment with different flavors and textures. its not scary or full of numbers or separated into bad and good food. food is food.
right now, i would say that about 70% of what i eat is locally grown. i expect this to jump to 90% once i am all finished registering with the farm that delivers fresh meat once a month. i'm really proud of this. i'm not going to be all gung ho OMG YOU AREN'T FEEDING ME LOCALLY when i go to friends houses or restaurants, nor will i ever balk at the occasional pizza or potato chip (trust me. i won't). i will never ever give up buffalo wings. ever. period. but i might make them at home sometimes, with my locally grown meat, and the butter i got from the dairy, or throw together a pizza with some fresh ingredients. and i will eat and be merry.
look it up, people. try it out. its worth a second and maybe a third look. its a little more work, depending on how much you get into it, but sometimes work is satisfying :)
i'm late to the game of local eating, i'll admit. i never even heard of the concept til i joined the CSA and then for a month or so i largely ignored it. then as i felt better and was buying less junk food, i started thinking about it. eating locally has quite literally changed my life. well, my culinary life, anyhow. lets look:
1) the farm share has more veggies than i could ever imagine. instead of buying junk food and other snacks, i find myself snacking on them because, well, i don't want them to go bad and waste them.
2) i am enjoying foods i never thought i would ever enjoy. eggplant? no thanks. but now?! OMG EGGPLANT. give me more! i want to put it in everything. more variety= more vitamins and nutrients.
3) eating better overall has increased my energy, motivation, and emotional well being. in fact, i am off all of my "head meds" and am having almost NO problems without them. i am coping better than i ever have and despite this being the busiest year in my life, i am flourishing, for the most part.
4) i eat less chemicals in my foods which is probably going to make me healthier. i would assume so.
5) i am learning to enjoy preparing my food. for once in my life, food and i don't have a bad relationship. it tastes good and nourishes me. i use it to experiment with different flavors and textures. its not scary or full of numbers or separated into bad and good food. food is food.
right now, i would say that about 70% of what i eat is locally grown. i expect this to jump to 90% once i am all finished registering with the farm that delivers fresh meat once a month. i'm really proud of this. i'm not going to be all gung ho OMG YOU AREN'T FEEDING ME LOCALLY when i go to friends houses or restaurants, nor will i ever balk at the occasional pizza or potato chip (trust me. i won't). i will never ever give up buffalo wings. ever. period. but i might make them at home sometimes, with my locally grown meat, and the butter i got from the dairy, or throw together a pizza with some fresh ingredients. and i will eat and be merry.
look it up, people. try it out. its worth a second and maybe a third look. its a little more work, depending on how much you get into it, but sometimes work is satisfying :)
Roasted Turkey Breast
Roasting a turkey breast has always seemed really daunting to me. I mean, its roasting! Meat! In an oven! Most people seem to think of roasting as something they can't do. But its easier than you could possibly imagine. It gives you leftovers for a week! And its damn satisfying to see that bird (or part of) come out of the oven all browned and crispy, even if you did give up eating the brown crispy skin years ago (but if you're me, you steal a bite anyhow!). The grossest part is jamming all the yummy spices on the skin, but you can do it. If I can, you can.
Wanna roast? Lets go!
1 turkey breast, or split breast
thyme
sage
rosemary
garlic, to taste (I used 6 cloves), coarsely chopped
olive oil
6 carrots, chopped into coins
celery (hard to measure, I used CSA celery which is much smaller), chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3/4-1 c water
fresh ground pepper
fresh ground sea salt
Wash turkey and pat dry.
Use your hands to loosen the skin all around the turkey. If the turkey has one of those fancy-schmancy pop-up indicators, remove it now, but don't lose it!
Holding the skin up, sprinkle some thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper on the meat. Get your hand in there and mess it all around. C'mon! Don't be squeamish.
Push the garlic cloves under the skin as well. Spread them out evenly. We want that taste to penetrate all the juicy meat! YUM.
Pull the skin back in place. Depending on how much you loosened it, you may or may not need to keep it in place with toothpicks. I loosened mine a lot, apparently, because i just kinda draped it over the edge.
While you're at it, if you removed the fancy-schmancy pop-up timer, put it back now in the thickest part of the meat.
Spray the skin with olive oil and sprinkle on some more salt and pepper.
Place in a shallow roasting pan on a rack (or if you're ghetto like me, make some tinfoil balls and put it on top of them in the pan). The key here is to just have it raised.
Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan with the water.
Cover the turkey with a tinfoil tent.
Cook according to package directions, basting every 15 mins or so. Remove the foil tent for the last 15-20 minutes to allow skin to brown. If you have the pop-up timer, it will tell you when its done, otherwise, watch the clock.
Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
Wanna roast? Lets go!
1 turkey breast, or split breast
thyme
sage
rosemary
garlic, to taste (I used 6 cloves), coarsely chopped
olive oil
6 carrots, chopped into coins
celery (hard to measure, I used CSA celery which is much smaller), chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3/4-1 c water
fresh ground pepper
fresh ground sea salt
Wash turkey and pat dry.
Use your hands to loosen the skin all around the turkey. If the turkey has one of those fancy-schmancy pop-up indicators, remove it now, but don't lose it!
Holding the skin up, sprinkle some thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper on the meat. Get your hand in there and mess it all around. C'mon! Don't be squeamish.
Push the garlic cloves under the skin as well. Spread them out evenly. We want that taste to penetrate all the juicy meat! YUM.
Pull the skin back in place. Depending on how much you loosened it, you may or may not need to keep it in place with toothpicks. I loosened mine a lot, apparently, because i just kinda draped it over the edge.
While you're at it, if you removed the fancy-schmancy pop-up timer, put it back now in the thickest part of the meat.
Spray the skin with olive oil and sprinkle on some more salt and pepper.
Place in a shallow roasting pan on a rack (or if you're ghetto like me, make some tinfoil balls and put it on top of them in the pan). The key here is to just have it raised.
Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan with the water.
Cover the turkey with a tinfoil tent.
Cook according to package directions, basting every 15 mins or so. Remove the foil tent for the last 15-20 minutes to allow skin to brown. If you have the pop-up timer, it will tell you when its done, otherwise, watch the clock.
Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
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