Home » Posts filed under peppers
Posted by
yanti on Thursday, September 3, 2015
My pepper plants are producing an endless supply of peppers (finally). I typically make one of two things with sweet peppers... some sort of fajita tacos, quesadilla, casserole... or stuffed peppers. You can change up both meals enough for it to feel like you aren't eating the same thing you had for dinner the night before. You won't hear a single complaint out of our house if tacos are in the menu for the third time this month, but you'll probably hear some sighing if I said "stuffed peppers". And I can understand, the filling to pepper ratio can be a little off for certain preferences. For me it's the fact you have this beautiful dinner package and then the first thing you have to do is cut it up for three minutes to be able to eat it. Why not just serve it all cut up to begin with? Because it's not as cute that way!
Well here comes mini sweet bell peppers to the rescue! It's like combining our not-so-favorite anymore standby with the fun of jalape�o poppers for something that works for dinner or an appetizer! Also, we normally have done either quinoa or ground turkey for the filling. Now I have completely converted to sausage. We get local sausage delivered by GreenBEAN Delivery and it is so good with bell peppers! Of course we're going to add a little more vegetables for flavor and nutrients... and there you go... a dinner you can eat with your hands. No more cutting up the cute presentation, just eat it!
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Posted by
yanti on Saturday, February 28, 2015
If you live in Ohio, you have probably heard of Melt Bar & Grilled. Even if you don't live in Ohio, you may have heard about these huge gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The first one opened in Columbus last winter (original is based in Cleveland) and I had a Parma, Italy which is chicken parmesan between two slices of Texas toast with a side of fries. While it was really, really good... I kind of feel like I might have a heart attack afterward! So I have been wanting to make a healthier version ever since.
So when Food Network teamed up with Sargento to do the Chopped at Home challenge, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to recreate this sandwich. I buy a lot of local cheeses, but I also love Sargento and their artisanal cheese wedges. I also like their commercials about how they are "real cheese people"... that cheese slices shouldn't come wrapped in plastic and I couldn't agree more!
Shredded cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich can get a little messy, but it's the best way to get all of those Italian flavors without tons and tons of cheese. Some other big differences between my sandwich and Melt's is that the chicken just has a light breading instead of being fried and the sauce is for dipping (kind of like tomato soup) because I hate, hate, hate soggy bread (can't have condiments of any sort actually touching the bread, ew). With the garlic butter, the bread ends up becoming garlic bread, so this really is a complete Italian meal without the pasta. Buon Appetito!Read more �
Posted by
yanti on Friday, August 1, 2014
You know that perfect spot in a campfire to roast marshmallows? Right by the red embers not too close to the flame. It gets the marshmallow gooey and lightly toasted without catching them on fire. Well, that same spot is the perfect place to cook your dinner too! Just wrap the ingredients in heavy foil, spray with cooking spray, carefully put the foil packet in that perfect spot, and enjoy some perfectly cooked dinner in about 30 minutes.
I made this dinner while we were camping last weekend. As soon as I got everything on the campfire to cook, the sky opened up and it started to pour. We took cover in our Jeep and checked every single weather app on our phones... possible tornadoes. Eek! Thankfully the storm passed by pretty quickly. There were a lot of puddles and the ground was muddy, but the campfire was still hanging in there (thanks to good tree cover)... but only by a little bit. The rain made the whole fire those perfect red embers for cooking. Surprisingly everything cooked just right and as the sun came out, we were chowing down on some delicious camp food. :)Read more �
Posted by
yanti on Friday, July 11, 2014
So before I started reading about nutrition and really learned how to cook, occasionally I would just make some nachos for dinner which involved some chips, lots of cheese, and a little bit of salsa. It was quick, of course. Only about one minute in the microwave. But had no nutritional value what-so-ever.
After reading a couple books about digestion and the ways what you eat can cause certain annoying symptoms, most of which you might blame genetics on like unclear skin, stuffy nose, or trouble concentrating... I realized that there was more to food than just tasting good. Food is really about nourishing your body because it takes a lot just to keep our heart pumping, lungs inhaling, and brain thinking. I started to make a conscious effort to make sure vegetables always had a spot on my plate for both lunch and dinner. I started to cut back on meats and gluten. I tried to limit how much dairy I ate, but I just couldn't give up cheese. It is little steps that make the difference. Going to the extreme will leave you hungry and feeling deprived. Being too strict makes it nearly impossible to enjoy a meal out with a friend. With most things, a happy medium is best.
It's been several years since those old microwaved nachos days, but sometimes you just want what you want. I follow a couple bloggers that plan out their meals as well and one of them posted that they were making nachos for dinner one night. I've been thinking about whether nachos are really dinner food ever since. I decided to make my version of loaded nachos and it was quite filling and loaded with veggies (and cheese!). This makes a great quick meal that you eat with your hands. Perfect for a casual weekend dinner or to have with a couple drinks tailgating. Read more �
More about → Loaded Shredded Chicken Nachos - total time 20 minutes
Posted by
yanti on Thursday, June 12, 2014
We used to have a game on trying to make every meal into a sandwich... you know, since sandwiches are so awesome. I think breakfast might have been the beginning of this challenge when I was using pancakes and sandwich ends before McDonalds made it a thing. We made spaghetti sandwiches between garlic toasts. Of course we sandwiched our pizza. Pretty much anything was fair game to be between two slices of bread.
Now I feel like it's tacos time to shine (or enchiladas in this case). Fish and veggie tacos that may have been hard to find a few years ago are not available everywhere. With Taco Bell's waffle taco, you really have to wonder what can't be turned into a taco (and when does it stop being a taco and start just being a way to eat with your hands and shove food in your mouth).
Enter breakfast enchilada! While it's not technically a taco, it sorta is. Ha. It's also kind of like a mini breakfast burrito. Perfect serving size for your brunch table or for making on a Sunday and heating up throughout the week. I went with more of a fajita approach, but add potatoes, beans, salsa, etc if that's what floats your boat!Read more �
Posted by
yanti on Saturday, May 31, 2014
Oh boy, I am such a messy eater. My husband can always tell when I've been getting into something sweet because I somehow end up with chocolate on my face. I really have no idea how it happens, but he always notices! I swear it's happened when I haven't had anything with chocolate...
So if it happens with a bit of chocolate, you can imagine what happens with something like wings or... heaven help me... sloppy joes. You don't even want to see the damage afterward.
As a result, I have steered clear of the sloppy joe sandwiches. The occasional exception needs to be open-faced with fork and 10 napkins in hand.
But what if you could make it less messy? Why not make it encompass all of the sloppiness? My husband called these sloppy joe hot pockets... but I would like to think these are of higher quality than a microwaved, processed, pocket of heat. It really is just sloppy joe made from scratch (although I just ran out of my own canned tomatoes) and just like you would eat a normal sloppy joe, just all wrapped up! Perfect for lunches and days your short on napkins. :)Read more �
Posted by
yanti on Saturday, April 26, 2014
I was just having a conversation about the last time we ate at McDonald's (it's been a while). I thought it was funny that I could recall the last time I ate at several fast food chains, all of which have been years ago, because they were all paired with awful belly aches or just bad luck. Last time at McDonald's was actually in San Fran and was the only thing open for breakfast by the rental car place so we could leave for Yosemite. They screwed up my breakfast sandwich order and I was too tired to realize it until it was too late and my stomach was already turning. The last time I went to Burger King was after a long day waiting in lines and shopping at a sample sale and a car ran into my car while I was waiting in the drive thru line. For KFC, it was after a canoe trip that was continuing into some backpacking in Zaleski. It was either KFC, McDonalds, or Clif bars (which meant we would have less to eat while hiking). We ate a quick lunch and off we went... it was 98 degrees, 100% humidity, and the trail started straight up some switch backs. We got to the top and both of us looked pale as ghosts... the friend chicken was not sitting well... And then lastly, I've never ate at White Castle, but my husband has once and told me the reason they call them sliders (TMI).
Ironically, with all of these fast food horror stories, surprisingly Taco Bell hasn't made our 'do not go there' list. They also have a decent selection of vegetarian options and the Catina Bell menu is better than the average fast food. Taco Bell just announced that they are testing some higher end fast-casual restaurants called U.S. Taco Co. in Florida, which will be interesting to see how they compete with Chipotle. Any way, I've always thought Taco Bell had something with their crunch wrap idea... a mix of soft and crunchy. There just had to be a healthier option than ladles of nacho cheese and sour cream with almost no veggies. So here's my version...Read more �
