Halloween Pot-Luck? Try these Stuffed Slugs! (Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers)

This recipe is a fun and tasty Halloween recipe!
With the sweetness of the peppers and the tart craisins this is quite the appetizer! 

We have used this as a Harry Potter Party recipe (Mimbulus Mimbletonia stuffs Slugs) as well as just a great quick and easy appetizer for any pot-luck dinner party.  Feel free to comment and rate!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

20-30 Mini Sweet Bell Peppers  

          (depending on size)

¾ Cup Ricotta Cheese

1 Bunch Spinach (medium to finely 

           chopped)

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

¾ Cup Craisins

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 ½ Cups Cooked Quinoa

Directions:

Precook the quinoa (just like rice, 2 parts water to 1 part Grain and simmer/steam until cooked.  Should be a little nutty in texture, but not to crunchy/chewy.  Should be firm- similar in texture to steel cut oats.)

Mix all the ingredients minus the bell peppers in a bowl until well-blended.

Cut the tops of the peppers either all the way off or mostly off and fill with stuffing.

There are two ways to stuff the peppers....

1.) Use a spoon/your finger...

or 

2.) Use a piping bag.  

I use a baggie and cut the corner just big enough for the craisins to squeeze through easily.  

  

Continue stuffing the peppers until all the stuffing or peppers are gone.   

       ****Side Note!!!****

If there is extra stuffing, it is good to just eat as a side ‘pilaf’ or to add it to a green salad.

 

Line them evenly on a cookie sheet and 

Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until fork tender.   

Serve hot and enjoy! 

What to do with Zucchini!? STUFF IT!!!

Carrie and I had planted a garden this year, and we were both pleasantly surprised to see such success come from it! (despite the horrid little squash bugs!!! yuck!)
We also saw some red peppers on sale!  YEE!!!  So I bought a few and roasted them in the oven on broil, peeled a & sliced them and added them to jars and put them in the fridge for the perfect recipe!
I LOVE fresh herbs, and in our garden, we have basil, which we never run out of uses for, and oregano among other herbs.  The oregano was taking over everything, so this was the perfect recipe for it!

Stuffed Zucchini

 2 Large Zucchini (preferably a little over-grown)
1/2 lb ground beef hamburger
1 Shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Can diced tomatoes (I used tomatoes w/ sweet onions)
1 bunch fresh oregano
Pepperjack cheese
1 egg
1 Red bell pepper, chopped finely (preferably pre-roasted!)
1/4 cup bread crumbs

In a saucepan, cook garlic, ground beef, and shallot until cooked through and broken into small pieces.  I added Montreal Steak Seasoning to this for flavor. YUM!

Between stirrings, cut the zucchini into 2- 2 1/2 inch lengths and hollow out to make into cups.  *Be sure to leave enough on the bottom so the juices don't leak out too much!

When the hamburger is cooked through, remove from heat and add tomatoes, oregano, egg, bread crumbs, chopped roasted red bell peppers and some Pepperjack cheese.  I used very little of this (maybe 2 slices cut into small pieces for the entire mix)  Stir it all together, the cheese should melt a little so it's distributed evenly throughout the mixture.
Fill the cups with this mixture and place on tin foil on a jelly roll pan (a.k.a. cookie sheet) and top with your favorite cheese!  In my case, it was a small strip of muenster and pepperjack together.

Cook at 425 F until fork-tender.  Serve with a nice summer salad and enjoy!!!

Easter 2011: Potatoes and Dessert! Yum!

My mother asked me what I would cook this year for Easter and I let her know I would be making the dessert and the potatoes.  Two of the most delicious (and usually fattening) dishes!  So a warning for the following recipe!  For the potatoes I tried a mock-up of a dish we had in Ireland and it turned out fabulously!  Here's the recipe!

(I DID warn you!!!)

I will also add pictures when I make it again!)

Creamy Bacon & Garlic Stuffed Potato Skins (a.k.a: twice-baked potatoes)

6-8 pre-baked potatoes

1 pk smoked bacon

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Cup cream or whole milk

1/2 Cup Butter, melted

12 oz Savory Garlic made-for-cooking Cream cheese or similar (this is a newer product that can be found by cream cheese at grocery store)

1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

In a saucepan cook bacon and when it's about 1/2 done add the garlic until both are thoroughly cooked.  Drain and let cool.  Break the bacon up into pieces and put in a large mixing bowl.

Cut the potatoes in 1/2 and scoop out middles and add to the bacon.

add all other ingredients, reserving a handful of shredded Parmesan to top the dish with.

Mix together with handheld mixer.  If the mix is too dry, add a little more milk.

S&P to taste.  I also added a little more garlic salt, but that is also to your particular taste. 

Fill in the potato skins with mixture and top with the rest of the shredded Parmesan cheese.  Bake in oven at 350 F until the top is starting to brown and the mixture is completely heated through. (about 20-25 min)

Enjoy!