Lighter Chicken and Biscuits

Although this recipe isn't for the Thanksgiving table, it might be more related to the post-Thanksgiving leftovers. Personally, I've never had too much of a problem with leftovers.  I love them, but if you're wondering how to use up any extra turkey, this seems like it would be an excellent way to do so.  Simply substitute the cooked turkey for the chicken (and skip the steps related to cooking the chicken -- always a bonus to shorten the steps!) and you'd have a great turkey and biscuits recipe.  However, this recipe is great as it is (you know, for the 364 days when you're NOT looking for ways to use up turkey leftovers).  I've made this twice in the last few weeks and was scraping the bottom of the dish at the end of dinner.

I actually don't love pie crust (even though I'm not one to turn down pie), so chicken and biscuits is so much better than chicken pot pie in my book.  And this one is full of vegetables so it makes an excellent one-dish meal, although we've served it with a green salad on the side, too.

Lighter Chicken and Biscuits
Taken from: Ellie Krieger
Serves 4-5

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-1 cup milk (I used whole milk; I prefer 1/2 cup but use 1 cup if you would like a creamier dish)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup peas
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or use 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• For the biscuit crust:
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (I add a generous squeeze of lemon to 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for a few minutes to make a good buttermilk substitute)

1. To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes per side, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken with its juices to a bowl.When cool enough to handle, shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Deglaze the skillet by adding 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to it and scraping the bottom browned bits (they add lots of flavor).  Pour chicken broth into a second bowl.  Add the flour to the bowl with the chicken broth and stir until combined
4. Add 2 more teaspoons of oil to the same pan and heat it over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Stir the broth-flour mixture into the pan.  Add the milk and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes more. Return the chicken with its juices back to the pan. Add the peas and thyme and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. (If not using an oven-proof skillet, you'll need to spoon the mixture into a large baking dish).
5. To make the crust: Whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the butter and cut with 2 knives or a pastry knife until the mixture feels like sand. pulse about 12 times. Add the buttermilk and stir until just moistened. Do not over mix. Drop the batter in 6 mounds on top of the chicken mixturespreading the batter out slightly. 
6. Bake until filling is bubbling and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 20-23 minutes.

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(Slow Cooker) Southwest Chicken & Barley Stew

These are some of my favorite flavors - we love Mexican flavors and usually eat them at least once o a week here.  I also love that this is not only a slow cooker dish (perfect for throwing together at toddler nap time) but it's also one-pot dish  and is pretty full of vegetables (although you could always serve with a salad on the side).  Also, it's completely adaptable - I often add in what I have in my vegetable drawer (and occasionally, like last time, completely forget to add something). Regardless, it still turns out delicious!

All three of us loved this.  The optional toppings are great, too - my personal preference is plain Greek yogurt, chopped avocado and a little hot sauce but I think tortilla chips would have been delicious, too!


Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken & Barley Stew
Heavily adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Serves 6-8

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1-2 zucchini, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed for a milder flavor)
• 1 large (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• dash crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/2 - 1 pound; I use frozen)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels (optional; I omitted)
• 3-4 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped (optional; I forgot to add!)
• juice of 1 lime
• Optional garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, sliced green onions, tortilla chips, hot sauce, sliced avocado

1. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients from onion to chicken breast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 3-4 hours.  
2.  Take chicken breasts out of the slow cooker; wait until chicken is cool enough to handle, then shred with 2 forks.  Stir shredded chicken back in the slow cooker.  Add the black beans and corn and then cook for another 15-30 minutes. (I like it thicker but if the consistency is too thick for your liking, you could add up to 1 cup of water here, too.)
3. Right before serving, stir in chopped spinach (if using) until wilted. Serve the chili with optional garnishes, if desired.
4. The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling. Add chicken broth or water as needed to achieve a desirable consistency (especially if reheating the leftovers).

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Chicken Fajitas

I first made this recipe for my husband's birthday.  While we technically have a grill (and I would love to try to make grilled chicken fajitas someday!), it doesn't have any grill grates so it's not exactly usable at this point.  So I needed to find a recipe that could be done on the stove or in the oven.  And, of course, Cook's Illustrated delivered.

While this does take some time to make, this recipe wasn't too hard and I love that much of it can be prepped ahead of time.  You cook the chicken on the stove, and the vegetables, surprisingly, get broiled in the oven (the onions are especially good).  And the end result is amazing!  Probably one of my favorite dishes that we've had all year.  We loved it so much that we served it to his parents when they came to visit a few weeks later.

I never could get the tortillas warmed by their recommended method so I always ended up putting them in the microwave for about 30 seconds right before serving.  But I've still included the instructions, in case you have more success than I did!

We served this with homemade tortillas, homemade salsa, homemade guac, homemade Greek yogurt, and black beans on the side.  And, of course, my husband's amazing margaritas!

Chicken Fajitas
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4-6

• 1/3 cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
• 1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings) -- we liked this so much I might have to double the onions next time
• 1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
• 1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
• 8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch) - I recommend homemade!
• Toppings: salsa (I recommend homemade), guacamole (I recommend homemade), sour cream/plain Greek yogurt

1. In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to remaining marinade. Place chicken in marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes (I often refrigerate mine for several hours if it's more convenient).
2. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position (about 8 inches from heating element) and second rack to lower-middle position; heat broiler.
3. Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion rounds and peppers (skin sides up) in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Wrap tortillas securely in foil in two packets, each containing half of tortillas.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Swirl oil to coat skillet, then arrange chicken smooth side down in skillet in single layer; cook without moving chicken, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until second sides are well browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning chicken once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest 5 minutes.
5. While chicken is cooking, place baking sheet with vegetables in oven on upper rack; place tortilla packets on lower rack. Broil vegetables until spottily charred and peppers are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer peppers to cutting board. Flip onion rounds and continue to broil until charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off broiler and remove vegetables, leaving tortillas in oven until needed.
6. Separate onions into rings and place in medium bowl; slice bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bowl with onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in separate bowl; arrange chicken and vegetables on large platter and serve with warmed tortillas and any additional toppings.

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Arroz con Pollo

Yum.  It's 8:30 am and I'm already looking forward to leftovers of this arroz con pollo for lunch. We really liked this dish and both might have gone back for seconds. I (not surprisingly) added in extra vegetables (I threw in chopped bell peppers, chopped zucchini and frozen peas) which worked really well with the dish although I can't speak for how that changes its authenticity.  But adding the veggies made this a one-pot meal which is never a bad thing in my book.  (Although for full disclosure, you will have to clean a food processor as well as a pot.)

While this is a one-pot meal, it isn't a quick recipe.  I did not find the recipe very difficult or laborious but it takes time for the different steps (much of the time is just waiting).  However, I made this one a night where we didn't have much going on so it was perfect - we even made cookies while we waited! And while the arroz con pollo does take some time, it was a seriously rewarding dish.  We both loved the flavor and everything melded together so well. The chicken was cooked perfectly - my husband didn't even use a knife to cut the chicken!

I found that my rice was a little wet at the end so I took off the cover of the pot cooked in on low for a few minutes until it reached a consistency we liked.

Arroz con Pollo
Taken from: Skinnytaste
Serves 5-6

• 6 skinless chicken thighs (I used 1 1/4 pounds of chicken breast, cut into 6 equal pieces instead)
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp sazon (as a homemade substitute, I combined a scant 1/2 tsp of each in a small bowl: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, dried oregano and paprika); you could also use a pinch of saffron as another substitute
• about 1/2 tsp adobo powder (I used about 1 tsp of abodo sauce, taken from chipotles in adobo sauce)
• about 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 scallions
• 2 tbsp bell pepper
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 2/3 cups enriched long grain rice
• 3 cups chicken broth (you could also use 3 cups water plus 1 chicken bouillon cube)
• salt to taste
• Optional additional veggies: I also cut up 1/2 green bell pepper, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 zucchini and added in about 1-2 cups of frozen peas at the end

1. Season chicken with vinegar, 1/2 tsp sazon, garlic powder, and adobo powder (if using adobo sauce, wait until step 3) and let it sit 10 minutes. While waiting, heat a large deep heavy skillet or pot (must have a lid) on medium, adding 2 tsp oil when hot. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Place onion, cilantro, garlic, scallions and pepper in food processor and process until finely chopped. Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet/pot and sauté onion mixture on medium-low until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato (and any additional veggies except peas), cook another 1-2 minutes. Add rice, mix well and cook another minute. Add chicken broth (or water and bouillon) and remaining sazon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Taste for salt, adding more as needed.
3. Bring to a boil.  Add chicken and nestle into rice. Simmer on medium-low until most of the water evaporates and you see the liquid bubbling at the top of the rice line, then reduce heat to low heat and cover. Make sure the lid has a good seal, no steam should escape (You could place a piece of tin foil or paper towel in between the lid and the pot if steam escapes).
4. Cook 20 minutes without opening the lid. Shut heat off and let it sit with the lid on an additional 10 minutes (don't peak!).  Add in frozen peas and fluff with a fork.  Wait for a minute or two to let the peas heat through and then serve (if rice is still a little wet, you can uncover and cook on low for a few minutes).

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Parchment Baked Salmon with Green Beans

So this was the rest of the meal that went with the Southern Skillet corn.  I wasn't sure what it was going to be like but I knew we liked all the components - salmon, prosciutto and green beans. It ended up being a light and elegant dinner.  The salmon is wrapped in the prosciutto and placed on top of the green beans (the original recipe called for asparagus but green beans are in season right now).  Drizzled with olive oil, everything is wrapped together in parchment paper and baked for 20 minutes.  And if you like pesto (basil, arugula or probably spinach), definitely add this to the dish, too. 

The end result is a flaky salmon with salty prosciutto and cooked green beans.  It's a must to serve this with a large slice of lemon and I also topped ours with salt and lemon pepper.  It makes an elegant presentation with relatively little effort.  And perhaps the best part? Almost no cleanup! All the mess stays in the parchment paper which just gets thrown away at the end.

Parchment Baked Salmon with Green Beans (or Asparagus)
Taken from: Heather Christo
Serves 4

• 1 pound asparagus or green beans
• 4-8 tablespoons pesto (optional but it was delicious!)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 16 ounces salmon, cut into 4 pieces
• 4-8 slices prosciutto
• lemon wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Prepare the asparagus or green beans by slicing each stalk in half. Set aside.
3. Cut 4 large squares out of parchment paper. Take a large spoonful of pesto and place in the middle of the bottom half of the parchment paper. Take a quarter of the asparagus/green beans and place them on top of the pesto. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Wrap the salmon in one to two slices of prosciutto (I just used one per salmon fillet. Place the piece of salmon on top of the asparagus/green beans, and drizzle the salmon with the remaining teaspoon of oil.
5. Fold the top half of the paper down over the salmon and asparagus/green beans. Starting at one end, pinch the paper over itself in small sections until the paper is sealed.
6. Place the packets on a sheet pan and place in the oven. Bake the fish for 20 minutes or until tender and still a little translucent in the center. The paper will start to get a little golden around the edges.
7. Each person can tear open the paper when served. Serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!

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Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

This is a wonderful non-meat dish.  I found it on Perry's Plate and immediately bookmarked it for a future meal.  We eat a meatless meal at least once a week and I've enjoyed the chance to try lots of different (and mostly successful) vegetarian recipes.  My husband, of course, will eat just about anything I cook so I'm fortunate to have a husband that doesn't need meat every night.

 

However, I think that even meat-lovers would still enjoy this dish! Cheese, roasted vegetables, tortillas and salsa.  Not too difficult to make although it does take a little time to roast the vegetables.  However, I think the roasting step could be done beforehand if you increase the cooking time for the entire dish.  

 

This enchilada casserole was cheesy and I loved all the colors from all the different roasted vegetables. You could also change it up with the vegetables used - to use up what was in my fridge, I left out the spinach, added broccoli and zucchini and substituted an Anaheim chile (I broiled it until the skin blackened and then took the skin off) for the poblano pepper.  I originally meant to serve this with a side of black beans but totally forgot.  So it would be delicious with a side of black or refried beans (this would also increase the protein in the meal) but we loved it on its own!

Stacked Roasted Vegetables Enchiladas
Taken from: Perry's Plate
Serves 4-5

• 1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks (I substituted an anaheim pepper, roasted it and removed the skin)
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I used half cauliflower, half broccoli)
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, halved and slivered
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• Optional: I added a zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls although I omitted)
• 9-10 corn tortillas, halved (I used about 3-4 burrito sized flour tortillas instead, cut in large pieces)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar-mozzarella blend)
• Optional: sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
2. Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots, stirring or shaking the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting.  While the vegetables were roasting, I made this salsa. 
3. Remove roasted vegetables from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
4. Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 10-20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. 
6. Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and scallions, if desired.

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Shrimp, Asparagus and Radish Pasta

There are a few dishes or ingredients that I like so much, it actually pains me a little to try a new recipe with them.  Take polenta, for instance.  I love polenta - a little honey and a little butter is all I need. I actually can't bring myself to add cheese to it and the one time that I topped polenta with a delicious vegetable tamale concoction, I scraped off the topping and ate the two separate.  To me, the sum was just not greater than the parts.

Asparagus is another ingredient that I don't very creative with.  Ever since I was little, it's been one of my top ten favorite foods.  I love roasted asparagus and since we've been getting it weekly in our CSA box, I've been roasting it weekly.  So finally, I forced myself to try something a little different.  I had seen a recipe for shaved asparagus pizza and while I wasn't making pizza that night, I thought that shaving asparagus sounded like an interesting trick. 

Also, my dad had told me how much he had liked a shrimp and radish pasta that was in one of the recent Everyday Food magazine issues.  We finally got radishes in our CSA box so I knew I had to try that recipe.  Only I decided to throw in some shaved asparagus.  And use less butter.  And add a little of that leftover white wine.  And top it off with a little lemon.  While I ended up deviating quite a bit from the original recipe, it was still a delicious pasta that seemed like a perfect spring dish.  And I didn't have to scrape off any toppings this time.

Shrimp, Asparagus and Radish Pasta

Loosely adapted from: Everyday Food magazine

Serves 4-6

• 3/4 pound linguine or other long pasta (I used white whole wheat pasta)
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided (plus more to taste)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch radishes, including greens
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 pound frozen large shrimp (peeled and deveined), thawed
• 2-4 Tbsp white wine (I freeze my leftover white wine in ice cube trays for recipes like this!)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (plus more to taste)

1. To prepare: Shave asparagus with a vegetable peeler into long, thin strips. Thinly slice or chop garlic.  Thinly slice radishes.  For the radish greens, rinse well and then give a rough chop.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.  When there is only one more minute of cook time left for the pasta, drop the shaved asparagus into the boiling water and let the asparagus and pasta cook together for 1 minute.  Drain pasta and asparagus, saving 1/2 cup of pasta water if possible.
3. While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and radishes and cook, stirring occasionally, until radishes are crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add radish greens and cook until wilted. 
4. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the shrimp to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is opaque throughout, 4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine (I used approximately 4 tablespoons for a stronger wine taste in the dish).  Add pasta, asparagus, and remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and toss to combine.
5. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.  Add more white wine, butter, lemon juice, pasta water and/or salt and pepper to taste.

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Lighter Shepherd's Pie

Since I am cheap frugal, I often check out cookbooks from the local library.  And the latest has been one of the best: Light & Healthy 2010 by America's Test Kitchen (the same people in charge of Cook's Illustrated).  I've made several of the recipes from this cookbook so far and they have been hugely successful! I still have several more to try before it's due back at the end of the month (apparently, I've overstayed my welcome and have to give the cookbook up). The recipes in this cookbook are a combination of naturally healthier dishes and lightened-up recipes (and bless them, they try to cut down on the cooking and prep time on the recipes, too!).

We recently tried their shepherd's pie recipe.  Shepherd's pie isn't exactly known for its light fare but with ATK's changes, they nixed 300 calories and 26 grams of fat.  It was delicious and quite honestly, you couldn't even taste that it had been lightened. In this recipe, I decreased the chicken broth to provide a slightly thicker sauce as ours was a bit too soupy.  However, Bryant still said it was one of the best he's had.  And just in time for St. Patrick's Day!


Lighter Shepherd's Pie
Taken from: Light & Healthy 2010 by America's Test Kitchen
Serves 6

•  3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef (I used 93% ground sirloin)
• 5 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth (preferable homemade and low-sodium)
• 3/4 cup beer (Sorry Guinness, ATK actually prefers amber beers for this recipe - O'Douls was their surprising number one choice!)
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn

Topping:

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (3-4), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk*
  *A good substitute for buttermilk is pour 1 Tbsp of lemon or white vinegar in a 1-cup measuring cup and then fill the rest with milk

1. Adjust the rack to upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375.
2. Combine carrots, onions, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch skillet (I used my dutch oven instead). Cover and cook over medium-low until the carrots and onion have softened, 8-10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium, add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute.
3. Gradually whisk in the broth, beer, Worcestershire, and thyme. (Start potatoes in step 4 at this point). Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened but still saucy, 20-25 min. Take off heat and stir in peas and corn, season with salt and pepper and transfer to broiler safe 2-quart casserole dish (my dutch oven was broiler safe so I didn't switch dishes).
4. While filling simmers,bring 2 quarts water, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a simmer in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 min. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Mash potatoes with buttermilk until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the potatoes over the filling (they recommend starting at the outside of the dish and spreading to the middle with a rubber spatula) and smooth the top.  Make sure that the filling completely covers the top. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 min. Turn on broiler and broil until top is golden brown, 3-5 min. Transfer dish to wire rack and let cool 10 min.

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Stuffed Bell Peppers & Week's Menu Plan

Stuffed bell peppers was one of the first meals I ever made...actually, it was the first meal I ever remade, straying from the exact recipe and making my own changes to make the dish healthier.  Although most of my changes are now forgotten, I do remember one as switching from a combination of ground pork and ground beef to lean ground turkey (ground beef could work but just try to make it at least 90% lean).  I have no idea where the recipe was originally from but on the index card, I have the title as "Big John's Stuffed Bell Peppers."  Maybe Big John wouldn't be so big if he had made some of these updates! It's delicious as a one-dish meal and is a recipe that I keep coming back to. It's especially good now that bell peppers are in season here.

As I was making my farmers market grocery list for this coming week's meal plans, I realized that I'm using just about every vegetable that our market offers. While I didn't do it on purpose, I'm happy to fully take advantage of having such a variety of fresh vegetables while I can!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 6

• 6 bell peppers, tops removed and ribs and seeds removed (any color but our favorite is red)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• leftover bell peppers tops, diced 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
• 3/4-1 lb. ground turkey, 93% lean (you could also use lean ground beef)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup marinara sauce 
• cheese, if desired (we often grate a bit of mozzarella cheese on top) 

-Make sure to cook brown rice beforehand. 
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In a large pot of boiling water, boil prepped bell peppers for 5-7 minutes until peppers are fairly soft.  Drain on paper towels and then put peppers in 9 by 13 baking dish.  Add water to the bottom of the baking dish until the bottom of the dish is barely covered.
-While bell peppers are in boiling water, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and cook garlic, onions and peppers tops until soft, 5-7 minutes.
-Add ground turkey, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Cook until brown and all pink is gone, about 5 minutes.   Drain off extra grease.
-Add brown rice and marinara sauce.  Combine and remove from heat.
-Spoon mixture into bell peppers.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Add grated cheese, if desired, on top and cook for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
-Serve with additional marinara sauce.


Week's Menu Plan

Saturday: Spicy Chicken Avocado Sandwich with steamed artichokes

Sunday: Ratatouille

Monday: Chicken Piccata with summer Vegetables

Tuesday: Italian wedding soup

Wednesday: Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce (served with steamed broccoli)

Thursday: Bryant makes dinner!

Friday: steak fajitas (pear butterscotch pie for dessert)

Saturday:  Chicken, Apple & Cheese Quesadillas

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