Nothing fancy about this recipe, just tastiness.  I took leftovers to work for lunch, and it was delicious.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
Everyday Food, September 2011

The rice and sausage mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container until needed.

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used hot)
1 zucchini, diced small
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
4 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
4 large bell peppers (any color), halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed

1. Preheat oven to 400.  In  large skillet, cook sausage, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl, leaving fat in skillet.  (If sausage is especially lean, add 1 tsp oil.)  Add zucchini, onion and garlic to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, 8 minutes.

2.  Add zucchini mixture to bowl with sausage, along with Parmesan and rice; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.  Brush a rimmed baking dish with oil and arrange bell peppers, cut side up, on sheet.  Divide rice mixture among peppers and top with breadcrumbs.  Bake until breadcrumbs are browned and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Another good stir fry, another great recipe from Food Network Magazine.   Have you subscribed yet?

Chinese Beef with Broccoli

2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 thin slices peeled ginger
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise (I used halved cherry tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cooked white rice, for serving

1.  Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large bowl.  Add the steak and toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to cook.
2.  Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce, the oyster sauce, and chicken broth in a small bowl; set aside.
3.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the ginger, broccoli and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and stir-fry 3-4 minutes; transfer to a plate.  Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in the skillet, add the onion and stir-fry 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook, turning gently, 2 minutes.  Transfer the onion and tomatoes to the plate with the broccoli.
4.  Reduce the heat to medium high; add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet.  Add the garlic and steak and stir-fry 1 minute.  Whisk the sauce mixture, then add to the skillet and simmer 1 minute.  Return the vegetables to the skillet; cook until the meat is cooked through, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with rice.

We’ve made Salmon Sundays a pretty regular tradition here.  Usually Matt fires up the grill and makes Cedar-Planked Salmon, but this was a good change of pace and worked great on my grill pan.  This was delicious meal that came together easily.

Cuban-Style Grilled Salmon
Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of two lemons or limes
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin (we omitted this)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
4 6-oz center-cut salmon fillets, skin removed
1 14-oz can hearts of palm, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 cups mixed salad greens

Preheat a grill to medium high.  In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of one lemon, the garlic, shallots, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and half of the cilantro.  Add the salmon and turn to coat.  Let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, toss the hearts of palm and tomatoes in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon, and the rest of the cilantro.  Season with salt.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil.  Grill the salmon round side down until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes.  Turn and continue grilling until marked on the other side and cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes.  Divide the salmon among plates.  Serve with the greens and hearts of palm salad; drizzle the juices from the salad over the greens.

This was a good, easy meal that was a little different from our every day cooking.  It was great left over for lunch the next day too.  I recommend a spicy sausage.

Cajun Rice with Sausage
Food Network Magazine, June 2011

2 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces spicy chicken sausage (I used spicy pork sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup long grain rice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped frozen okra, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Add the sausage, onion, celery and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and the sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the skillet, then stir in the rice.  Add the chicken broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  Stir in the okra, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes.  Add the bacon and parsley and fluff with a fork.

Matt and I are trying to eat more fish lately, which has been interesting because both of us become pickier eaters where fish is concerned.  Cedar-plank salmon has become a Sunday night tradition, but this is the first time we branched out to eating fish on a weeknight.  I couldn’t find halibut, and probably wouldn’t have paid up for it anyway.  I used a package of frozen fish called dory, (not this Dory), straight from the cold waters of New Zealand (carbon footprint be darned!).  It was cheap, and this whole dish was remarkably tasty.  I’m putting the original recipe here, but next time I think we’ll use lime instead of orange.  Also, instead of the chipotles in the butter, I used several spoonfuls of the salsa negra I had made the night before.  Not bad for fish!

Halibut with Chipotle Compound Butter in Foil Packets
Source: Annie’s Eats

4 skinless white fish fillets (such as halibut), 6-8 oz. each
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, divided
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels
½ red onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

Directions: 
Heat a grill to medium-high heat.  (Alternatively, preheat the oven to 425? F.)

Pat the fish dry with paper towels.  Season the fillets with salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, half of the chipotles, the orange zest, half of the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.  Stir with a fork until well blended. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the fillets.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining chipotles, the orange juice, the remaining garlic, the beans, corn, onion, scallions, and half of the cilantro.  Add in ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.  Mix well to combine.  Lay four 14-inch squares of foil out on a work surface.  Divide the bean mixture evenly between the pieces of foil, placing it over the lower half of each piece.  Top each mound of the bean mixture with a fillet.  Fold the foil over the fish and fold up the edges to seal the packets.

Place the packets on the grill, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish registers 160? F.  (You can poke the probe of a thermometer directly through the foil rather than opening the packets.)  Alternatively, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes just until the fish is cooked through.

Open the packets carefully to avoid contact with the steam and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.  Serve warm.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen The Best Simple Recipes via Pink Parsley Catering

I made this salsa from my hero Rick Bayless, and it is delicious and a departure from typical red Tapatio/Tabasco-type hot sauces.  It was extremely spicy when we first made it, but we think it mellowed out considerably after a few days in the fridge, (if such a thing is possible).  But this is a keeper.

Salsa Negra
Food & Wine July 2011

3/4 cup chipotles in adobo sauce (from a 7-ounce can), stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon molasses, preferably unsulfured
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a blender, combine the chipotle chiles with the molasses, balsamic vinegar, dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the water. Blend until the mixture is smooth.  Strain the sweet chipotle puree through a fine strainer into a small saucepan, pressing on the solids with a spatula to extract as much of the puree as possible.  Simmer the chipotle sauce over moderately low heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof rubber spatula, until it is very thick, pasty and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove the salsa from the heat. Stir in the soy sauce and remaining 1/4 cup of water. Serve the salsa negra hot or at room temperature.

I told Betsy we did not have enough desserts on this website, so I am correcting that!  This is hands down the best cake I’ve ever made.  Dad and Will love this cake (both being lovers of lemon desserts) so I suppose if you ever get on their bad side, you could make this and make up for whatever it was that you did. Since I never do anything to get on Will’s bad side, I just make this for him on his birthdays and our anniversary.  Turns out perfect every time.
Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
•1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temp.
• 1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Grease and lightly flour three 9×2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed or
parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time.
• Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk an dthe lemon juice and
zest, beating well after each addition.
• Divide the cake batter among the cake pans.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out
clean.
• Let the cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire
rack.
• When cake has cooled, spread the icing evenly between the layers and over the top of the cake.
Lemon Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Directions:
• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar and then the juice and the zest.
• Beat until smooth and creamy.
• Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to be of
good, spreadable consistency.
• If desired, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and mix thoroughly.
• Use and store at room temperature.
Source: The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

We had friends over yesterday to watch the season premiere of Modern Family so I made this tart.  Mmm, it was good! I changed a few things: I needed more flour, the dough was super sticky at first.  It worked great though when I added more flour (maybe even as much as 1/4 cup). I changed some things about the pastry cream as well.  I used regular old vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean and added Cognac to the mixture as well.  And it was good.

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pea-size pieces
• 1 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the pastry cream filling:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon Cognac

Topping:

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, topped and sliced
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

For the crust:

In the food processor,combine the butter,flour, almonds and salt and pulse until it looks like grated cheese. Add the egg yolk and half the water and pulse; the dough should start to come together. If it does not, add the remaining water and pulse until the dough forms into a ball. Dump the “doughball” onto a floured work surface and using the heel of your hand, schmear it across the work surface. Repeat this process 1 to 2 more times, then form the dough into a disk, wrap it inplastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 to 45 minutes.

*TIP- this can be done up to a week in advance or frozen for a longer time.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

To roll the crust:

Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before rolling to let it soften. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Lay the dough in the tart pan. Make a small “doughball” with a little of the dough that is hanging over the edge of the tart pan. Dip the dough ball in flour and use is to carefully push the dough into the corners of the tart pan. Once the dough has been pushed into the corners of the tart pan, use the rolling pinto roll over the top edge of the tart pan to cut a clean edge. Line the tart with aluminum foil, be sure to push it into the corners. This will keep the sides of the tart tall and straight and able to hold the filling. Fill the tart with the dried beans. Place in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. The dough should be cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the pastry cream:

Place the cream, 1/2 cup of the sugar and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil over low heat. While the cream is coming to a boil, combine the eggsand remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl and the cornstarch and milk in another bowl. Beat with a whisk to a homogeneous mixture, no big lumps of egg white! When the cream comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. *Whisk half of the cream into the egg/sugar mixture and then IMMEDIATELY whisk it back into the pan with the hot cream.

Return the pan to a medium heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch/milk mixture. Bring this to a boil to thicken the pastry cream. Add the Cognac. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. It is necessary to bring this mixture to a boil to cook the starch. If the mixture is not brought to a boil the mixture will feel starchy and gritty. The desired outcome is the consistency of vanilla pudding. YUM! Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill. This can be done really quickly over an ice bath.

To assemble the tart:

Fill the tart shell with the chilled pastry cream. Top with the sliced strawberries. You can arrange the strawberries in circles or in lines; it’s up to you! Just make it look pretty. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Stolen 100% from Smitten Kitchen.  And sooooo good.  Will even liked these– and he “doesn’t like” eggplant.  I made these to go with Roasted Red Pepper pasta.  Great vegetarian meal!

1 medium eggplant, about 3/4 pound, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for oiling baking sheet
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled crumbled feta
1 scallion, thinly sliced
8 1/2-inch slices of baguette, brushed with olive oil (I used 1-inch slices in the photos, then decided they were too thick)
1 small clove garlic, peeled and halved

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or roasting pan. Toss eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and a generous amount of black pepper together in a medium bowl until evenly coated. Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, moving pieces around occasional so they evenly brown. For a cold salad, let the eggplant cool a bit before mixing it with red wine vinegar, feta and scallion. For a warm salad where the feta glues itself to the eggplant a bit, toss the vinegar, feta and scallion together when the eggplant just comes out of the oven. You’ll want to eat the warm salad quickly.

Broil or toast baguette slices then rub them with a garlic clove before heaping on eggplant salad.

Betsy actually had this on her Meal Plans document, which I look at from time to time for ideas, under the stuff to try section.  I made it a month ago or so and it was delish!  I’m putting it on here, in hopes that you will all make it.  Caution:  it makes quite a large amount!  You could almost halve the quinoa and do 1 bell pepper and a whole can of beans (can’t really halve a can of beans!), and halve everything else.  I like making ours with lots of chili powder and cayenne, because we like it with some kick!  Also, I cook the pepper for longer than she says to, but still leave them with some crunch.

This is a vegetarian meal, but apparently quinoa is one of the “grains” (actually, it’s a seed…) out there.  It’s full of complete protein, meaning it has all nine amino acids.  So what if Will and I get nerded up about these things? Anyway, you don’t miss the meat on this one at all!

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a red bell pepper, chopped
• half a green bell pepper, chopped
• half a yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, depending heat preferences
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 -15 ounce can black beans, drained
• 3/4 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 2 limes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6-8 ounces baby spinach
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/3 cup cheddar or feta cheese
• 1 avocado, diced

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, swirl a bit of olive oil in a saute pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne and peppers and saute an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir in quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill.

Roughly cut baby spinach into strips like you would shred iceberg lettuce for tacos. Remove about 1 cup of cilantro leaves from the bunch, rinse and pat dry, and toss with the spinach. Divide spinach and cilantro mixture evenly among 4 salad plates. Top each plate with a scoop of the quinoa salad. Top each salad with your choice of cheese and diced avocado. Cut the remaining lime into slices to garnish the plates.