Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers

It's nice to be able to cook veggies once again. All the leftovers from the holidays are nearly consumed and I'm more than happy to get back into the kitchen to cook up some roasted veggies. This time choice of veggie is the bell pepper. I roasted them in the oven and while those cooked, I made some paprika rice with fresh tomato as a stuffing. This recipe is perfect if you've got some leftover white rice. I guess if you haven't figured by now that I have a love affair with paprika. It's all good in the hood. It goes well with the sweetness of the bell pepper and the savory flavor of the tomato.

Makes 2 stuffed bell peppers.

Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers

2 bell pepper
1-2 c cooked white rice
1 medium tomato - deseeded and chopped
1/2 small sweet onion - chopped
1 garlic clove fine chopped
2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp dry basil
1/4 salt
pepper
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra)
1/4 c shredded cheese - your choice

(note: you may used leftover rice)

Preheat your oven to 425˚F

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out the membrane and remove any seeds. Coat the inside and out of the bell peppers with a few drops of olive oil.  and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Saute the chopped garlic for roughly 30 seconds on medium heat, then add the onions. Saute until limp. Add the rice. Stir to combine. Add the tomato, paprika, basil, salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir well to combine everything for roughly 2-3 minutes.

When the bell peppers are done roasting, remove from the oven. Lower the heat to 350˚F. Stuff the rice mixture into the bell peppers. Stuff them well and let it overflow. Top with some of the shredded cheese and place back into the oven for roughly 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Roasted Carroccobean

Ok we're just about getting to the main dishes and I swear 'll be done with Thanksgiving.  So onto dish #5. Carroccobean. Carrots, broccoli, and green beans. I think I'm getting good at this combing words thing.

For this, I just did a simple roast and seasoning. I was still in a roasting kick, it's also a good excuse not to lug out any pot, pans, or steamers. I didn't want to make any complicated veggie dish. I think veggies are meant to be made into simple dishes. Just a simple seasoning on salt, pepper and paprika is all that I need. Tomorrow is the main event, so be sure to come back. You won't be disappointed.

Roasted Carroccobean
2 heads broccoli - chopped
1/2 lbs green beans - ends removed
2 carrots - peeled and chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
paprika


Preheat your oven to 375˚F

Toss all the veggies in a bowl and season with some olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.

Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes. Until carrots are still slightly firm, but tender.

Spicy Roasted String Beans

I love my roasted veggies. Any chance I get, I take the opportunity to roast any vegetable I can get my little paws on. For this, I used string beans. I actually needed to use them up as they were sitting in the fridge begging to be cooked. They were saying "Eat me! Please, eat me!" I replied, "I don't know what to make with you." The only choice I came up with was to roast them.

Seasoned it with salt, pepper, paprika and hot sauce to give it that little kick. I was going to use chili powder, but then I realized that I didn't have any in the spice shelf. Grr... That's another ingredient I need to add to the growing grocery list. My faithful tobasco had to make due for now. Love it. Topped it with some fresh grape tomatoes.

A simple healthy meal with a little kick.



Spicy Roasted String Beans

1 bundle string beans
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1-2 tsp Paprika
1-2 Tbsp Hot Sauce

Preheat your oven to 350˚F

Toss the string beans in the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and hot sauce. Make sure to coat them evenly. You may add more or put in less hot sauce to your preference.

Place them on an ungreaased baking sheet and into the oven for 30 min.

Ratatouille

I love that movie. Don't you? You can read the history of this dish via wikipedia. Several weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a recipe for a "chick pea ratatouille." It was a sign that I had to make it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any chick peas. Grr...

But I did have most of the veggies for an almost traditional ratatouille. I cut the eggplants and zucchini into thin coins. Helps it cook faster rather than going for cubed. I also sautéed the vegetables to help speed up the process of baking in the oven. Topped it with some shredded parmesan and let it melt for the last 5-10 min of baking. It gave the top crust a nice crunch that paired great with the tender veggies. Also the juices from the tomato mix with the veggies making a nice little sauce underneath.

Really simple easy dish to make. No need for anything fancy. I served it with a couple of sausage slices. You can have it with some toasted bread or rice, too.

Here's my adaptation of the ratatouille.

Serves 2-3.







Ratatouille
adapted from recipe on Epicurious and from my friend's "Chick Pea Ratatouille."

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (drained, but keep 1/3 of the liquid)
2 medium zucchini - sliced or cubed
2 medium Japanese eggplant - sliced or cubed
1/2 large onion - sliced
1 large garlic clove (minced)
1/3 c shredded cheese
1 Tbsp Dry Rosemary
1 Tbsp Dry Thyme
Olive Oil


Preheat oven 425˚F

Drain most, but not all of the juices from the fire-roasted tomato.

Heat a tiny drizzle of olive oil in a pan, sauté the garlic and onion. Remove from pan when onions are slightly tender. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Heat another drizzle of oil, sauté the bell peppers. Remove from pan when nearly tender.

Heat a third drizzle of oil, saute the eggplant and zucchini until slightly tender. Season with the dry rosemary and dry thyme.

Take a baking dish or 9-inch pie tin. Layer a portion of the eggplant and zucchini, followed by half the onions, bell peppers and fire-roasted tomato. Do this layering a second time topping it with a few eggplants and zucchini slices. Drizzle the tomato juice over the finished dish.

Place in the oven for 30 min. 5-10min before removing, sprinkle some shredded cheese and baked until melted.

Open-Faced Roasted Green Bean Sammie

Not much of a story to tell on this one. I was just hungry. That's about it. A simple meal for a semi-hectic day. Another variation on the green bean and tomato combination. A yummy open-faced sammie with a hot avocado spread and melted manchego cheese.

The avocado spread has just a nice little kick to it from the hot sauce that it adds to the sandwich. Sooo delish! You can cut up the green beans, if you don't want to have to bite into them while eating.


Open-Faced Roasted Green Bean Sammie

1/2 lb Green Beans (washed with ends removed)
2 Medium Tomatoes (quartered and deseeded)
4 Slices of your bread of choice
Cheese (slices or grated. I used manchego)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dry Basil
1 Tbsp Dry Parsley
Salt & Pepper to season


Preheat oven to 450˚F

In a large bowl, toss the green beans and tomato with a nice long drizzle oof olive out coating each piece. Add in basil and parsley. Toss to combine. Season with some salt and pepper. Toss again.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake to 20-25min. Half way give the green beans a little stir to let it roast evenly.


Hot Avocado Spread:
1-2 Tbsp Hot Sauce
1 large avocado (mashed and pitted)
1 Tbsp Dry or fresh chopped Basil
1 Tbsp Dry or fresh chopped Parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients together into a mash. You may add more or put in less hot sauce to fit your preference.


Putting it together: Preheat the broiler. Take a slice of bread (toasted or untoasted) and spread on a nice helping of the hot avocado spread followed by some of the roasted green beans and tomato. Top with some cheese. Place the sammie in the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is nice and melted.

Buttered Veggies with Roasted Eggplants

Home-cooking doesn't get any better when my mom decides to cook a weekend lunch. Yum!




Buttered Veggies

2 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbps Butter
Salt
Pepper

1 Carrot
1 Large Potato
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Large Chayote

Cut and peel veggies into 1 inch sticks that are a quarter of an inch thick.

Heat oil and melt butter on medium heat in sautee pan. When butter is nice and melted, add in veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Stir veggies until they look soft and of a "mashed potato" texture.


Roasted Eggplant

2 Large Eggplants (peeled)
1 Medium Sweet Onion - Sliced into rings or strips.
1/2 c Soy Sauce
Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Oil


Place eggplants in an oven safe pan and put into the broiler for a good 30 min. It will make the eggplants soft. Let cool.

Mix soy sauce and lemon in a small bowl.

Heat oil in sauce pan and sweat onions. You want them just to become almost translucent. Add in soy sauce mixture and stir.

Put the eggplant into the pan and coat with soy sauce to marinate. It will be ready to serve in 2 min.

Serve with steamed or fried rice.