01

Nov

Mashed potato-stuffed peppers

This was a grand idea on Matt’s part, stuffing raw red peppers with homemade mashed potatoes. The sweet and crunchy pepper makes a healthy bowl to hold the creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Pretty healthy side, too.

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Peppers

Makes 4 servings

2 red peppers, sliced in half lengthwise (remove stem and seeds)
4 red potatoes (I call them new potatoes)
Salt and pepper
Garlic and onion powder
1-2 TB margarine/butter
1/3 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

In a pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until tender. In a pan, saute mushrooms in 1 TB of butter/margarine for a few minutes, until tender.

Drain water from the pot. Using a potato masher or a wooden spoon (or mixer), mash potatoes.

Add salt and pepper, seasonings, margarine/butter, and milk. Stir. Fold in mushrooms and chives. Stuff peppers and serve soon after.

This can easily be made ahead of time for a dinner party (big or small) by preparing the potatoes and putting them in a large, covered bowl to keep warm. This was tasty, delicious, and I can’t wait to see what other varieties of mashed potatoes we can come up with. Great job, Matt. Perfect with salmon and crab cakes!

Hope your Tuesday is looking sunny. Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

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30

Sep

Dinners

Wow, it’s been a while! School and work have been so time-consuming, and I missed being here.

Let’s get right down to it with a little food, shall we? While I have been away from my blogging desk, I have NOT been away from the kitchen. Matt (and I) have whipped up some tasty things these last few weeks. Let’s start with dinner.

Stir fry. You love it. I love it. Healthy for your body, especially your heart.

i heart stir fry

*6 servings*
1 bag frozen or fresh stir fry mix (16 oz of chopped red pepper, edimame, water chestnuts, green beans)
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cups broccoli, bite-sized
16 oz extra firm tofu (I ate tofu, Matt chopped up 4 oz lean boneless porkchop)
Handful (about 1/3 cup) raw cashews or your favorite (peanuts, etc.)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 TB sesame oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt to taste + crushed red pepper (optional)
3-4 cups rice


TOOLS:
1 wok, 1 wooden spoon, 1 basting brush, 1 tiny bowl
1 rice cooker (or pot with lid), cookie sheet with parchment paper/foil
*you’ll need 2 woks or 2 pans if you’re cooking “meat” separately from veggies


1) COOK THAT MEAT! Press the tofu with a few paper towels to remove all excess moisture. Cut into reasonable slices (I did strips this time, about 1/4 inch thick). Lay down on parchment paper or non-stick sprayed foil. In the tiny bowl, mix 1 TB of sesame oil, 1/2 of soy sauce and orange juice (optional). Stir ingredients together with brush and brush generously onto the tofu pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Start cooking your rice, in whichever way you like.

If you’re cooking pork or chicken, put meat into a wok or pan and pour the “tiny bowl” ingredients into the pan. Stir and watch carefully. Cook until no longer raw, between 5–10 minutes. Set aside.

2) CRISP THOSE VEGGIES! Adding 1/3 cup of water to the pan, cook the veggies thoroughly, adding 1 TB of sesame oil once the veggies are lukewarm and the water has mostly evaporated. Allow the veggies to soak up the oil. Add in the rest of the soy sauce, cashews and 1/8 t. of crushed red pepper (optional). Cover and cook for a few minutes, until veggie are hot but not soggy.


3) STIR FRY! Uncover and stir the veggies. Combine the meat and stir, if you like, or serve separately. Add salt or more red pepper flakes to taste. Eat!

 

Tofu is awesome,
Tofu is yummy,
Tofu’s sure to make
A happy, full tummy!

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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07

Jul

Green Omelette

 
Tonight was an “on your own” dinner, which means Matt has something normal (like pasta or chicken) and I have breakfast (or something weirder like oatmeal and ginger tofu). An omelette sounded good, but I wanted to sneak in some veggies also, so here’s how it went.

Green Omelette
*serves 1, but easily doubles, triples, etc.*
2 eggs
2 small mushrooms
handful of spinach
3 TB cilantro
1 slice of bacon, chopped
Dash of salt and pepper

Preheat pan/skillet. FINALLY I remembered to spray with non-stick cooking spray after pan is already heated (right before you put food on). In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork or whisk, heh. 
Chop mushrooms and cilantro and add to small bowl. Add in spinach, bacon, salt and pepper. Stir a bit (if the bowl’s not too full).
Pour egg mixture into pan and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. When eggs are 75% cooked (just a little runny in the middle), flip half of omelette over. Let cook for a few more minutes, until no runnyness. Serve with your favorite bread and a fruit. A balanced meal, yes.

Have you seen these little gadgets?
They’re by Zespri, the kiwifruit company out of New Zealand. Matt got some from work a while back, and I love them. Fruit knife on one side, spoon on the other. Great for melon. I know there are lots of melon spoons out there, but I’m digging these.




Happy Wednesday, happy evening, happy life.

 

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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