Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients: 

• 6 bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons seaseme (or, any high-heat) oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice
• 8 ounces tomato sauce (or, tomato soup)
• Diced tomatoes or freshly diced tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.
In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, garlic, salt, black pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce/ tomatoes and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Total Time:
1 hr 7 min
Prep:
12 min
Inactive:
10 min
Cook:
45 min
Yield:6 servings
Level:Intermediate
Ingredients

Adapted from recipe at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/mr-johns-meat-stuffed-bell-peppers-recipe.print.html#?oc=linkback

Dinner: Sage + Fennel Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

1 bag of fussili pasta

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Handful of baby carrots cut in half

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Pinch of fennel

Pinch of sage

Pinch of rosemary

1/2 onion

1/2 tbsp of sugar in the raw

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

 Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, onion, and carrots to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour, fennel, sage, rosemary and sugar; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Taste and add what's needed.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Dinner (Slow-Cooker): Pulled Pork Loin

(From video)

Ingredients:
4lb Pork Loin
1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP oregano
2 TBSP garlic
2 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 TBSP salt
For sauce:
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

1. Put pork loin in slow cooker
2. Mix all other ingredients together
3. Pour over pork loin
4. Cook LOW for 6 hours
5. Put loin in dish

To make sauce:

1. Strain leftover juice and trash the pieces left in strainer 
2. Put juice into pot on stove on medium/low heat
3. Add cornstarch and chicken stock
4. Mix
5. Simmer until thick
6. Pour sauce over pork

Side Dish - Lebanese Mint and Cucumber Yogurt

Ingredients

• 500 gGreek or European-style yoghurt
• 1large clove garlic, minced
• ¾ tspsalt
• 2 cupssliced Lebanese cucumbers
• ½ tspdried mint or 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• shredded mint leaves, to serve
• extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Instructions

Chilling time 30 minutes

In a serving bowl, combine yoghurt, garlic, salt and mix until smooth. Add cucumber and mint and mix to combine. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes until chilled.

To serve, scatter over shredded mint and drizzle with olive oil.

Dessert - Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

**All baking ingredients should begin at room temperature**
**Make ahead of time and keep in fridge. Remove and bring to room temperature before baking**

Baking spray, for spraying custard cups
1 stick butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray four custard cups with baking spray and place on a baking sheet. (Pull out ice cream to let it soften while making this.) Microwave the butter, bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate in a large bowl on high until the butter is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk until the chocolate is also melted. Stir in the sugar until well blended. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks, then add the vanilla. Stir in the flour. Divide the mixture among the custard cups. Bake until the sides are firm and the centers are soft, about 13 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Invert on individual plates while warm and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-lava-cakes.html?oc=linkback

Dinner - Non-spicy Mexican Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 2 cups water
• Chicken bouillon 
• 1 whole bunch of garlic (many bulbs) (minced)
• Mexican spices
• Canned diced tomatoes (large can)
• Frozen corn 
• Black beans (optional)
• Peppers (any combo of red, green, yellow or orange) 
• 1-2 large onions (minced)
• Optional: Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• Optional: Tortilla chips

Steps:

1. Mince onions and garlic. 
2. Using a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until smells begin to develop and they turn light brown. 
3. Mince peppers and add to pot. 
4. Add Mexican spices. 
5. Add can of tomatoes and water and bring to a simmer. 
6. Add 1 large spoon of bouillon. 
7. Once simmering, add chicken breasts and wait 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
8. Let chicken breasts cool.
9. Add corn and beans. 
10. Taste broth and add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder to taste.
11. Shred chicken with a fork and add it in.
12. Bring to a simmer and serve with cheese and tortilla chips.