Stuffed Bell Peppers

Method: 

First,

I cleaned and baked the bell peppers like Rachael Ray suggests. Cut in half, slat and peppered, bake cut side down in a hot oven or until tender and slightly charred.

Next, I made the quinoa according to package directions. I used Roland brand Roasted Garlic flavor.

Then,  I sauteed together: 

a pat of butter and a bit of olive oil

a small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

a small egg plant, cubed

1 yellow squash, cubed

2 zucchini squash, cubed.

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 roma tomatoes

Salt & pepper to taste

Next, I cooked up a package of mild italian sausage. The ground kind without casing. 

Next, I drizzled a bit of olive oil in my baking dish. I placed the peppers in the dish and then layered everything: quinoa, veggies, cheese, sausage. I used only a tablespoon at a time continuing layers until they were full. Then I topped with cheese.

I baked at 350 until warmed through.

Got the idea from Rachael Ray's recipe, which you can find here.

Haley's Cashew Chicken

My friend Haley made this recipe for us one night. It was fabulous. The peanut sauce is a bit spicy.

Cashew Chicken
Serves 4 to 6

You will need: 
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions, chopped (white and green separated)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons peanut sauce
3/4 cup unsalted, roasted cashews, roughly chopped
1 large zucchini, sliced into half-moon pieces.

Directions
In a large zip top bag, toss the chicken with the cornstarch, salt and pepper until the chicken is coated.

In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, tossing often, until browned and cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, white ends of the scallions, and zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Add the vinegar to the pan, toss for 1 minute. Add the peanut sauce and a few tablespoons of water; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and top with scallion (green part only) and cashews. 
Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve over rice.

Momma's Fried Cabbage

Growing up, I didn’t have a problem eating most veggies. I think it’s because my mom gave everything a good dose of butter (OK, I’ll admit it, margarine…), microscopically diced onions, and seasoning.

This was one of her go to recipes, that’s not really a recipe. Just one of those things you throw together to feed your mob of hungry children. A quick and easy side dish.

Step One: Melt some butter in a pan … oh how much? Mom would say “A lot!” I think I used 2-3 tablespoons… Shh… don’t tell her! I’m sure she used a stick…lol

Step two: sauté a little bit of finely chopped onion. No, I don’t know how much a tablespoon or two. Depends on how much you like onion.

Step three: Add in some sliced mushrooms, and a sliced yellow squash or zucchini. Give it a stir. Cook it a minute or two before proceeding to step 4.

Step Four: Add in some chopped cabbage. Stir every now and then until it cooks down. Add some salt and pepper. Taste it. Do you need more butter?

Voilà you are ready to serve it.