Stuffed Peppers

3/30/2021

Years ago, I asked my boyfriend what his favorite meal was he said Stuffed Peppers. I'd actually never had them, so I looked through many recipes and tried many different versions. After trying many recipes, this is the recipe I have created. It's made with passata and an unusual spice blend that works together in a delicious way you wouldn't believe!

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp. avocado oil
24 oz. passata
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig cilantro, + more for garnish
2 cups chicken broth
salt, to taste
Peppers
4 bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup rice
2 cups water
8 slices Munenster cheese
salt & pepper to taste
sour cream and sliced avocado, for serving

Serves 4 - 6
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 400.
Bring water to a boil over high heat; salt and add rice. Cook according to package directions.
Heat a deep skillet over medium heat and saute onion in avocado oil until softened, add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add passata and cook for about 5 minutes on low.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet brown beef over medium-high heat; salt & pepper to taste.
Once passata has deglazed the sauce pan add remaining sauce ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes to meld flavors together. Remove one cup sauce to save for serving. Once beef has cooked through, pour sauce into beef pan (the deep pan) and add rice. Allow sauce, beef, and rice to cook together for a few minutes until beef droppings have deglazed and the mixture is homogenous.
Pour 1/4 cup reserved sauce into a greased 2 quart dish and add peppers, cut side up (it sometimes helps to trim a little off the back side of the pepper so they lay flat). Fill peppers with beef mixture and top with a slice of Munenster. Cook in oven for 30 minutes to allow those peppers to soften.
Serve with sour cream and a garnish of cilantro.

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Asian Quail with Soba Noodles & Snap Peas

3/30/2021

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This marinade and sauce is full of Asian flavors and goes surprisingly well with quail. The soba noodles and snap peas are good enough to stand on their own for a quick lunch of leftovers!

Asian Quail with Soba Noodles and Snap Peas

Ingredients

Quail

4 quail
1/4 cup avocado oil, + 2 Tbsp. for cooking
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
2” ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 orange, juiced
Soba Noodles & Snap Peas
8 oz. soba noodles
2 cups snap peas or snow peas
4 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water, slurried
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds

Serves 4
Cook Time: 45 minutes

4 quail
1/4 cup avocado oil, + 2 Tbsp. for cooking
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
2" ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 orange, juiced
8 oz. soba noodles
2 cups sugar peas, snap peas, or snow peas
4 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water, slurried
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients (except quail) in a mason jar and shake to combine. Pour into zip top bag and marinate quail in the refrigerator for no more than 2 hours.
Remove quail from refrigerator after 1 1/2 hours to bring it to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400. Start water boil for soba noodles. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add avocado oil and sear quail once oil begins to shimmer (save your marinade). Once quail is seared on both sides put in greased pan with a little marinade in the bottom for basting and roast until the quail registers 165 - 15-20 minutes.
While your quail cooks, saute peas in a little sesame oil in a deep-sided skillet. Peas will turn bright green after a minute or two, at that time add the marinade and cornstarch slurry and stir to combine (mixture needs to come to a boil for the cornstarch to activate). Drop soba noodles into boiling, salted water and cook according to package directions (generally 2-3 minutes). Once noodles are cooked add to sauce and peas (save some of the cooking water); dilute noodles and sauce with about 1/4 cup pasta water.
Serve soba noodles with peas along with the quail.

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Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

3/30/2021

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This Gorgonzola Cream Sauce is delicious with steak or thick-cut pork chops. I like Gorgonzola, but any blue cheese you like will work great!

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients

5 oz. Gorgonzola
3/4 cup cream
1 tsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine. Cook for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and mixture is homogenous. Serve with steak (great with pork chops too).

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Apple Butter Pork Roast

3/30/2021

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My Apple Butter Pork Roast is perfect for a cool autumn day or any rainy day when you need some comfort food! It's easy to make, but does take a little time to cook (mostly hands-free).

Apple Butter Pork Roast

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 lb. pork loin (not tenderloin)
2 onions, wedged
2 fennel bulbs, wedged
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” segments
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 apples, wedged
1/4 cup sherry, white wine, or apple brandy
1/2 cup apple butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 6 - 8
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 lb. pork loin (not tenderloin)
2 onions, wedged
2 heads fennel, wedged
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" segments
2 apples, wedged
1/4 cup sherry or white wine (apple brandy would be nice too)
1/2 cup apple butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat a large Dutch oven or medium-high heat; meanwhile, generously season pork loin with salt and pepper. Coat Dutch oven in olive oil and sear pork loin on all sides until brown and crispy (you are not cooking through though, just searing). Once seared, remove from Dutch oven and set aside.
Sautee vegetables (except apples) in olive oil and pork drippings until beginning to brown, but not too soft. Deglaze Dutch oven with wine/sherry/apple brandy. Set pork loin on top of vegetables, cover with lid and roast until a thermometer reads about 120 (roughly 45 minutes).
Once thermometer reads 120, remove Dutch oven from oven and coat pork loin in apple butter. Add apples around loin with other vegetables. Return to oven, covered, and cook until pork loin register 145.
Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, then remove pork loin from Dutch oven and slice; serve with vegetables and drippings.

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Crusted Pork Loin Chops

3/5/2021

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These pork chops are full of flavor...but easy flavor that doesn't leave you in the kitchen for long! They do need to marinate for a few hours (and don't over-marinate or they'll be rubbery), so prepare in advance. Make sure you use a really good aged cheddar here, you're only using a little, so the quality really does count!

Crusted Pork Loin Chops

Ingredients

4 thick-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil, + more for drizzling
1/4 cup hoisin
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup aged white cheddar, shredded
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. steak seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, hoisin, and soy sauce. Marinate pork chops in mixture for 2 hours (no more).
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and preheat oven to 400. Pat excess marinade of pork chops and sear each side; remove to a baking dish when seared. Meanwhile, combine panko, cheddar, parsley, and steak seasoning; evenly press mixture onto each pork chop. Drizzle pork chops with olive oil and bake until thermometer registers 145.

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Individual Meatloaves

3/5/2021

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These cute little meatloaves pack all the flavor of the big version, but cook more quickly and are just plain fun! Served with English brown sauce instead of ketchup they are an update on an American classic.

Individual Meatloaves

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
2 lb. ground chuck
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sauce, + more for serving
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4 - 6
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and saute onion and pepper until softened; add garlic and parsley and saute one more minute. Set mixture aside to cool.
Once cooled, combine with ground chuck, breadcrumbs, eggs, and Worcestershire sauce until all ingredients are evenly dispersed. Shape into 4-6 individual meatloaves and top with brown sauce.
Bake until a thermometer register 155-160 about 30 minutes. Top with more brown sauce to serve.

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Lasagna

3/5/2021

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This lasagna is full of rich and complex flavors....and unlike some lasagnas doesn't skimp on the cheese! The creamy ricotta mixture is balanced with the rich sauce and topped with stretchy mozzarella!

Lasagna

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 to 2 lb. ground beef (a mix of beef, pork, and veal is good too)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (1 can drained of juices)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped, divided
1/2 cup basil, julienned
1 package no-cook lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
16 oz. cottage cheese
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Parmesan, grated, divided
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 8 - 10
Cook time: 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the meat and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until all liquid has evaporated, then deglaze with wine and cook until alcohol cooks off. Add tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for about an hour, until thickened and the sauce is a deep, rich red. Make sure to break up the tomato chunks as the sauce simmers. Add half the parsley, mix in, and turn off the heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, the egg, the basil, the remaining parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 X 12 rectangular casserole dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the part-skim mozzarella, half the ricotta mixture, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, the remaining part-skin mozzarella, the remaining ricotta mixture, and finally, the rest of the sauce. Top with the sliced fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about an hour, until the sauce is bubbling.
This needs to be set aside for at least 30 minutes to set up before slicing into.

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Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

Peppers

Asian Quail with Soba Noodles & Snap Peas

Asian Quail with Soba Noodles and Snap Peas

Ingredients

Quail

Soba Noodles & Snap Peas

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Apple Butter Pork Roast

Apple Butter Pork Roast

Ingredients

Crusted Pork Loin Chops

Crusted Pork Loin Chops

Ingredients

Individual Meatloaves

Individual Meatloaves

Ingredients

Lasagna

Lasagna

Ingredients

Stella

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