Recipes
So, yesterday I decided to do ALL THE THINGS, which included making two dinners at once because...well, I don't quite know why. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And it was! Both meals were successful! At least, I'm assuming so--we'll be eating the second meal tonight and if it's OHGODAWFUL, I will update this post to let you know.
And since I like sharing recipes online, I figured I'd share the meals I made last night. They were nummy and, who knows?
So, shogunhb bought a bottle of Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar a few weeks ago because, mmm, apple cider vinegar. Who doesn't want a bottle of that in the house? And then a few nights ago, he turned to me and suggested that pork would probably be a good meat to go with whatever delicious thing we ended up concocting out of the vinegar.
So I got 6 boneless pork chops, seasoned them with adobo, rosemary, and pepper, added a few spoonfuls of brown sugar, then dumped the entire (8 oz, I think?) bottle of vinegar over them and let them sit in tupperware and marinate for about an hour or so. Then I cut up three Pink Lady apples and two onions into thick wedges and put them into a roasting pan along with a little bit of the seasoned vinegar before adding the pork. I didn't leave a lot of liquid in the pan but they ended up almost swimming anyway, because of the water in the onions and apple. Kept the pork chops nice and moist, so I can't complain. Cooked at 350 for about 45 minutes; according to the new FDA ruling, though, you could probably cut it down to 30-35. I would have, if I hadn't been cooking other things. I'd say the biggest problem of cooking both meals was that the chops stayed in longer than they really needed to. Were still good, but could have been better.
My stuffed peppers are a result of me messing about with an actual recipe, as opposed to making stuff up wholecloth, so this one gets real measurements.
Now, usually, I make stuffed peppers with green bells, but the other night, I decided I wanted to get fancy, and made stuffed peppers with a mix of green, red, and yellow. There was a distinct flavor difference between the green and the other colors, so when I decided to remake them (they were really good, okay? Dun judge), I skipped the green peppers entirely and subbed in orange peppers instead. The green were still good! Just not as good as the other colors.
Plus, these peppers are much brighter and more colorful, making for an attractive eating experience. It's why I'm calling them fiesta peppers.
Anyway, this recipe makes 6 peppers, with a bit of extra mixture I cook on the side.
Take 6 washed peppers, cut the tops off, remove seeds and membranes. Dice the edible parts of the top (around the inedible stem), set aside. Place peppers in a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, before draining the peppers and setting them aside.
Add a Tbsp of butter and another Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet. Add seasonings (I usually add pepper, adobo, parsley, basic, oregano, minced garlic, oooh, and I bet cilantro would work nicely. I couldn't tell you measurements; I'm a 'add till it looks good' kind of girl) to taste. Dice a medium-sized onion and a few stalks of celery, add those and the chopped pepper tops and saute for about 5-7 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Dice a small tomato (I used a can of diced tomatoes, but to each their own), add that to veggies along with a small bag of frozen corn. Add one jar of spaghetti sauce--I'm really loving the Newman's Own Extra Garlic sauce. I also add a few Tbsps of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to make the sauce better. They help remove any of that bitterness you can get with jarred sauces, as well as making the flavors more subtle and complex. Simmer all that for about 10 minutes on medium.
While it's simmering, make about a cup of rice.
In a small bowl, crack an egg, add a tsp of salt, some pepper, and 1.5 tsps of Worcestershire sauce. Stir until blended, then add 1.5 lbs of ground beef. Mix, then add cooked rice and at least half of the tomato & veggies sauce mixture. Mix well.
Put peppers into a baking dish, spoon the meat mixture into them, and ladle a little bit of the extra sauce over the top of each. Bake at 350 for an hour, then sprinkle some shredded cheese over the tops. Cheddar works, as does mozzarella, or colby-jack.
Bake for another 5 minutes or so to let the cheese melt. VOILA! Stuffed fiesta peppers! I will include pics if I remember to take them.
And now I'm hungry again. Is it suppertime yet?
And since I like sharing recipes online, I figured I'd share the meals I made last night. They were nummy and, who knows?
So, shogunhb bought a bottle of Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar a few weeks ago because, mmm, apple cider vinegar. Who doesn't want a bottle of that in the house? And then a few nights ago, he turned to me and suggested that pork would probably be a good meat to go with whatever delicious thing we ended up concocting out of the vinegar.
So I got 6 boneless pork chops, seasoned them with adobo, rosemary, and pepper, added a few spoonfuls of brown sugar, then dumped the entire (8 oz, I think?) bottle of vinegar over them and let them sit in tupperware and marinate for about an hour or so. Then I cut up three Pink Lady apples and two onions into thick wedges and put them into a roasting pan along with a little bit of the seasoned vinegar before adding the pork. I didn't leave a lot of liquid in the pan but they ended up almost swimming anyway, because of the water in the onions and apple. Kept the pork chops nice and moist, so I can't complain. Cooked at 350 for about 45 minutes; according to the new FDA ruling, though, you could probably cut it down to 30-35. I would have, if I hadn't been cooking other things. I'd say the biggest problem of cooking both meals was that the chops stayed in longer than they really needed to. Were still good, but could have been better.
My stuffed peppers are a result of me messing about with an actual recipe, as opposed to making stuff up wholecloth, so this one gets real measurements.
Now, usually, I make stuffed peppers with green bells, but the other night, I decided I wanted to get fancy, and made stuffed peppers with a mix of green, red, and yellow. There was a distinct flavor difference between the green and the other colors, so when I decided to remake them (they were really good, okay? Dun judge), I skipped the green peppers entirely and subbed in orange peppers instead. The green were still good! Just not as good as the other colors.
Plus, these peppers are much brighter and more colorful, making for an attractive eating experience. It's why I'm calling them fiesta peppers.
Anyway, this recipe makes 6 peppers, with a bit of extra mixture I cook on the side.
Take 6 washed peppers, cut the tops off, remove seeds and membranes. Dice the edible parts of the top (around the inedible stem), set aside. Place peppers in a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, before draining the peppers and setting them aside.
Add a Tbsp of butter and another Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet. Add seasonings (I usually add pepper, adobo, parsley, basic, oregano, minced garlic, oooh, and I bet cilantro would work nicely. I couldn't tell you measurements; I'm a 'add till it looks good' kind of girl) to taste. Dice a medium-sized onion and a few stalks of celery, add those and the chopped pepper tops and saute for about 5-7 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Dice a small tomato (I used a can of diced tomatoes, but to each their own), add that to veggies along with a small bag of frozen corn. Add one jar of spaghetti sauce--I'm really loving the Newman's Own Extra Garlic sauce. I also add a few Tbsps of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to make the sauce better. They help remove any of that bitterness you can get with jarred sauces, as well as making the flavors more subtle and complex. Simmer all that for about 10 minutes on medium.
While it's simmering, make about a cup of rice.
In a small bowl, crack an egg, add a tsp of salt, some pepper, and 1.5 tsps of Worcestershire sauce. Stir until blended, then add 1.5 lbs of ground beef. Mix, then add cooked rice and at least half of the tomato & veggies sauce mixture. Mix well.
Put peppers into a baking dish, spoon the meat mixture into them, and ladle a little bit of the extra sauce over the top of each. Bake at 350 for an hour, then sprinkle some shredded cheese over the tops. Cheddar works, as does mozzarella, or colby-jack.
Bake for another 5 minutes or so to let the cheese melt. VOILA! Stuffed fiesta peppers! I will include pics if I remember to take them.
And now I'm hungry again. Is it suppertime yet?