Burritos aren’t complete without rice & beans, so Dre made some Rice-a-Roni (read: quick) with sauteed Red Peppers & Onion to jazz it up a bit. Glory Foods Seasoned Blackeyed Peas are a favorite go-to side dish and were a perfect addition. After adding the Catfish, Rice, & Beans to a Whole Wheat Tortilla, we topped them off with Romaine & Sour Cream for delicious Southern Catfish Burritos!

Southern Catfish Burrito

Golden Delicious

I referenced one of my favorite recipe sites, 101cookbooks, as I appreciate their dedication to an honest approach to cooking. After boiling the apple down in apple cider and a whirl in my Grandma’s 1970s era Cuisinart, I had fresh applesauce. Once chilled, each bite tasted as crisp as all the apple pieces I sampled along the way! I returned the majority of the applesauce to the pan with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & the remaining liquid. After 2.5 hours of reducing, stirring, & a delicious scent, I had a worthy batch of Apple Butter for Dre & Lexi to enjoy! I’m actually not a fan, but sharing such a warm, delicious treat with the people I love makes it all worth it.

PA Dutch Apple Butter on an Eggo

PA Dutch Apple Butter
adapted from 101cookbooks – Apple Butter with Carolina B.

• Apples - cored, peeled, & cubed – I used (1) lg Empire, (3) med Macintosh, & (3) med Golden Delicious
• Apple Cider - about (2-3) quarts – enough to cover the apples in a large saucepan
• Sugar - roughly (1) cup – probably good with brown sugar, too
• Lemon Juice - from a 1/2 lemon
• Cinnamon - a few dashes to taste
• Nutmeg - a few dashes to taste, though I hate to admit I didn’t use fresh ground

1. Simmer apple cubes with enough cider to cover in a large saucepan. Skim layer of foam as cider reduces.
2. Once tender, transfer apple to blender or Cuisinart with a slotted spoon and puree to desired texture. Spice now or leave plain for applesauce.
3. Return applesauce to saucepan and simmer on med-low for say… 1.5-2.5 hours, stirring regularly.
4. Once thickened to a rich brown color, spread on an English Muffin and enjoy!

Sarah's "Weird" Delicious Dough!

I fulfilled my new addiction to the sweetness of Roasted Tomatoes by popping a batch in the oven while I began filling the dough. I opted for leftover Roasted Yellow Peppers & Zucchini from our “Build Your Own Pizza Night” with Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, Mozzarella, Asiago, Tomato Sauce, & Fresh Basil. Per my lactose intolerant boyfriend’s nonsensical request, I filled his with “just cheese” including Mozzarella, Asiago, & Ricotta with a swipe of Tomato Sauce, a layer of Roasted Tomatoes, chopped Fresh Basil, & extra Minced Garlic. They weren’t too pretty going into oven once folded and likewise once they were baked, but they were delicious! The “weird” dough created a flaky crust a la a homemade Hot Pocket, versus a traditional stromboli/calzone crust. Yum!

My Roasted Veggie "Hot Pocket"

Dre's Cheesy Tomato "Hot Pocket"

The original plan was to do grilled pizzas, but after a summer of cooking and roasting Grape Tomatoes (via The Bitten Word’s amazing recipe) & Yellow Bell Peppers for pizza toppings, my grill ran out of gas. At least we always have the oven for back-up. I also prepared sauteed Zucchini, Chicken Andouille Sausage, Crab Meat, & Creole Shrimp, along with shredded Mozzarella, Smoked Gouda, Asiago, & Ricotta Cheeses, as topping options. Can’t forget some tomato sauce, as well! We all got to loading our shells with Dre opting for a Crab White Pizza & Tom piling on just about everying!

We were 3 episodes behind with all of our busy schedules, so we got together on a Thursday night to cook & recap via the DVR while the pizzas baked to perfection…

Dre's Crab White Pizza - Pre-Baked

My Pizza w/ the works

Build Your Own Pizza Night

Homemade Pizza Dough a la Sarah

Roasted Tomatoes, Yellow Bell Peppers, & Zucchini

Chicken Andoille Sausage

Crab Meat

Creole Shrimp

Mozzarella, Smoked Gouda, Asiago, & Ricotta

Fresh Basil & Lemon-Thyme

When there’s chicken of any kind on sale, I impulsively pack my already stuffed freezer with as much as I can. I thawed one of the roasting chickens to make some space for my next grocery trip, watched this very helpful video on butterflying a whole chicken, & got to butchering! Call me sadistic (I’ll spare my veggie friends/readers from seeing the pics), but I really enjoyed the whole hands-on process of removing the spine & breast bone of my chicken so it could lay flat for its visit to the grill.

I picked some Fresh Herbs from my garden, chopped, & combined with Olive Oil & Minced Garlic for a simple chicken rub. I coated both sides of the chicken & marinated in the fridge overnight. I also peeled & cubed a butternut squash; to me, its serves as a starch & veggie side to any meal.

Spatchcocked Chicken w/ a Basil, Lemon-Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary, Garlic, & EVOO Marinade

Grilled Butternut Squash w/ Fresh Herbs, Spices, & Garlic

Saturday morning, we got the grilled warmed to about 350 degrees per the Whole Foods recipe that Pinch My Salt referenced. I seasoned the Butternut Squash with Fresh & Dried Herbs, Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes, S&P, Garlic, & Olive Oil and divided them among 4 foil pouches while the chilled chicken came up to temperature. When it came to grill time, I realized that, uh…  umm… I didn’t have any bricks! So the only troubleshoot I could come up with was a heavy, foil-covered cast iron pan, which proved to be a perfect substitution. The original recipe called for a 3-4lb chicken, but I was working with a 7lb bird, so it took about 20-25 minutes per side. I tossed the squash pouches onto the grill, too, as they were tender after flipping a few times in about 40 minutes. Towards the end of grilling, the drums of the chicken fell off, but it fortunately gave them some extra time to cook when the breast & wings were perfect.

All future birds cooked in my household will surely be spatchcocked & grilled, as this was the juiciest & tastiest one I’ve ever made. Looking forward to a Turkey Under ALOT of Bricks this Thanksgiving!

Grilled Chicken Under a Cast Iron Pan

Grilled: Chicken Under a “Brick” & Herb Butternut Squash

Butterflied Whole 7lb Chicken – Rubbed & marinated w/ Basil, Lemon-Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary, Minced Garlic, & EVOO, grilled under a Cast Iron Pan

Grilled Butternut Squash – Cubed & tossed w/ Fresh & Dried Herbs, Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes, S&P, Garlic, & Olive Oil, grilled in foil packets

Earlier that week, I bought 2 large bunches of Collard Greens from the Italian Market. It was alot of greens for only $2! I rinsed & chopped them before sauteing in garlic, shallots, EVOO, & butter and simmering in chicken stock. I didn’t have any turkey bacon on hand as a usual ingredient in my greens, so just settled for some Sriracha & Worcestshire to jazz it up. I STILL had Grape Tomatoes from my Spicy Fish Tacos & Avocado-Salad and Sweet Peppers from my Mexi-Risotto, so I tossed them into a Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice Mix.

Dre whipped up a batch of Cornbread using trusty ol’ Jiffy mix. We tossed in some sliced jalapenos & the leftover sweet peppers, and sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar halfway thru the baking process. With the greens sauteing, rice simmering, & cornbread baking, it was time for crab!

After a few knife pokes, a brush of butter, & 5 minutes on each side, we had ourselves a summer afternoon feast. Oh, and MOJITOS! After some experimenting, Dre mixed up a perfectly refreshing batch using Apple Mint from my garden.

Grilled Crab Legs, Spanish Rice, Collard Greens, Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread, & an Apple Mint Mojito

Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread - Photo: Dre

Grape Tomatoes

Fresh Collard Greens from the Italian Market

Summer Grilled Crab Feast:

Grilled Snow Crab Legs – Brushed in butter before grilling, dipped in Butter after

Sauteed Collard Greens - Wilted w/ Shallots, Garlic, & Olive Oil, simmered in Chicken Stock w/ S&P, Worcestershire, Dried Herbs, & Sriracha

Spanish Rice – Sauteed Garlic, Sweet Peppers, & Grape Tomatoes added to Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice

Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread – Sauteed Sweet Peppers & Jalapeno added to Jiffy mix, topped w/ Shredded Sharp Cheddar

Classic Mojito w/ Apple Mint from my Garden

I wasn’t sure about the blend of flavors once I combined all of my lettuce wrap ingredients, but they meshed perfectly!

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp Lettuce Wraps:

Sweet & Spicy Garlic Shrimp – U-30 Shrimp tossed in this amazing & easy Big Oven Recipe

Leftover Mexi-Risotto

Tomato-Avocado Salsa – Leftover Avocado, Grape Tomatoes, & Green Onion w/ Lime Juice & S&P – made by Dre

Whole Romaine Leaves

Spicy Fish Tacos w/ Mexi-Risotto

Spicy Tilapia, Grape Tomatoes, Romaine, Green Onion, & Flour Tortillas

Spicy Fish Tacos & Mex-Risotto:

Spicy Tilapia Fillets – Marinated in Sazon, Sriracha, Garlic, Shallots, & Lime Juice, Pan-Fried

Flour Tortillas

Mexi-Risotto – Red, Orange & Yellow Sweet Peppers, Cheddar, Garlic, Shallots, Chicken Stock, & Arborio

Whipped Potatoes w/ Fresh Herbs via my Cuisinart Stand Mixer

I kept the rest of my dinner quick with the entree & side:

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Breast – Marinated in Italian Salad Dressing & Balsamic Vinegar, Pan-fried

Fresh Snow Peas – Sauteed w/ S&P, Shallots, Garlic, EVOO, & Butter

Whipped Potatoes – White Potatoes, Whipped w/ S&P, Lemon-Thyme, Parsley, Basil, Garlic, Shallots, Milk, & BUTTER! in my Cuininart Stand Mixer

A tall glass of Dr. Dre-2O

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Breast, Sauteed Snow Peas, & Whipped Potatoes

I had “plans” for a Friday night at home, cooking dinner & enjoying some TV/relaxation. A quick Google search for “chicken bok choy recipe” brought me to Food & Wine’s Ginger-Sesame Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Bok Choy, and thank goodness I had some fungi in the fridge! I always interpret recipes into my own taste, so I omitted the red peppers, prepared the baby bok choy on the side, & added my own splashes & dashes to the sauce. This recipe will def stay in my back pocket, especially for the brown sauce! I finished the meal with some white rice & good laughs via The Love Guru.

Ginger-Sesame Chicken w/ Mushrooms

Baby Bok Choy

Last Lonely Whole Grain Tortilla

Dollop(s) of Daisy

Lots o’ Shredded Romaine

Coulda used some Fresh Salsa or Chopped Tomatoes… but otherise, LEFTOVER LIGHTING!!

Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

red bell peppers, ground turkey, turkey bacon, brown rice

tomatoes, garlic, red onion

soy sauce, Worcestershire, Sriracha, olive oil, Italian spices, & Parmesan

Grilled Stuffed Peppers via Blackerry

Check out my Flickr for some better, non-BBerry shots of my Grilled Stuffed Peppers!

“Recipe” after the jump…

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Red or Yellow Bell Peppers (preferably over green ones IMO), cut in half, cored, & greased w/ olive oil

Saute chopped turkey bacon, minced garlic, chopped red onion, & Italian spices

Remove from pan & brown turkey meat w/ soy sauce, Worcestershire, & S&P

Add in the cooked turkey bacon, garlic, & shallots mixture, a can of diced tomatoes, and some semi-cooked brown rice. Stir & heat for a few minutes.

Fill pepper halves with mixture, top with drops of Sriracha & shaved Parm, & grill until charred!

Feel free to use ground beef, beans, or any other veggies like zucchini or mushrooms!

Posted in Quickie, To Taste ~ Recipe, via Blackberry Tagged: brown rice, dinner, garlic, grill, grilled, ground turkey, Italian spices, olive oil, parmesan, recipe, red bell peppers, red onion, soy sauce, sriracha, stuffed peppers, summer, to taste, tomatoes, turkey bacon, Worcestershire ]]> http://nolovemoresincere.com/2009/07/27/grilledstuffedpeppers/feed/ 5 nolovemoresincere http://nolovemoresincere.com/2009/07/02/first-fail-pesto/ http://nolovemoresincere.com/2009/07/02/first-fail-pesto/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:43:40 +0000 Erin L. http://nolovemoresincere.wordpress.com/?p=3 Keep reading →]]> It took 24 hours to ponder my first blog post before I realized it shouldn’t take so much thought… I just needed to start cooking for it to come to me & it did!

Monday night I dove into my first experience making homemade pesto; seemed easy enough. I’ve been so excited to start an herb garden to kick off the first summer with our big patio & my Siam Queen Thai Basil went wild! Well, I went a bit wild too… with the garlic. You’ll find in my food ventures that I’m not big on following recipes (will explain my philosophy in its own post soon enough!) & for once, my absentmindedness paired with a disregard for proportions turned into an initial flop.

With an enthusiasm for cooking passed down from my Grandma, I whipped out her 70s era Cuisinart food processor to get chopping. In goes a handful of pine nuts & an unidentified amount of garlic cloves. 15 sec, a swipe of my rubber spatula, & we’re on to the fresh basil & fresh grated parm. I pumped up the my fresh picked stock of basil with some grocery store basil. Flavor was delicious, but as I picked leaves, the plant seemed to look more & more like a mutant GMO basil plant. Delish, nonetheless, but prob will prob consider some organic action. Can’t forget I threw in some fresh Apple Mint & Parsley from my garden as well!

I bought some good Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make my first pesto feel special. I drizzled it into my roaring food processor until I found a good consistency. A few more spatula swipes & 10-15 sec of blending & it was time for a taste… that almost burnt my tongue off! Holy raw garlic overload!

Unwilling to give up on my precious homegrown basil, I went into pesto emergency mode. This is what I get for bragging that I never cook anything bad! I reached for more parm & blend blend blend… no good. More pine nuts & blend blend blend & more olive oil drizzles… still no good. Lightbulb!! Pesto Cream Sauce!! So I threw in some FAGE Greek Yogurt waiting to mix with red curry paste to marinade chicken (for Tuesday’s summer dinner party) & blend blend blend. FAIL turned WIN by way of yogurt!!

I tossed a few tablespoons of the pesto cream (a little at a time of course, as it still had quite the garlic punch) with some rotini pasta & paired it with my Italian Ranch Grilled Chicken for a perfect summer dinner!

~~~~ Post Script ~~~~

Not just being a bit more attentive, I may follow suit of a recommendation from one of my fave food blogs, 101 cookbooks, and hand chop my next attempt at pesto. Texture & elbow grease are both staples in my cooking (as much as I don’t want to overlook my love for the ol’ Cuisinart), so recipe-following or not, I look forward to putting a bit more attention & love into the next go-round.

Finally, in all the pesto frenzy, I continued the FAIL by not taking any photos of my creation & re-creation & final deliciousness. My fresh basil & non-recipe notes (see: 3-9!! cloves of garlic) will have to suffice. Beginnings of the beginning…

Pesto Recipe Notes

Pesto To Taste

• 2-3 cloves of Garlic – To start!! Add more to taste
• 1-2 handfuls of Pine Nuts – or Walnuts or Toasted Almonds or…
• 3-4 fistfulls of Fresh Basil – Pick, Rinse, Spin
• 1-2 handfuls of Fresh Grated Parm – or Asiago or Romano or Mahon
• Good Extra Virgin!! Olive Oil – enough to get the consistency you like
• S&P to taste
• Flair: Mint – Parsley – Cilantro&Lime – Spinach&Arugula&Lemon – Rosemary&Walnut – Sundried Tomatoes – Yogurt or Ricotta for a Creamy Sauce – Roasted Red Peppers

1. Chop garlic & pine nuts together first 15 sec in a food processor.
2. Add basil, parm, & S&P, process another 15 sec.
3. Turn processor on & slowly drizzle olive oil until you find a consistency you like. Light but pasty so it sticks to your pasta, salmon, etc.
4. For fridge storage, make sure to either create a film by drizzling a film of olive oil or putting saran wrap on top. For freezer storage, spoon into an ice cube tray, freeze overnight, & store in air-tight freezer bags for a quick dinner.

Many thanks to my brave tastetesters who didn’t flinch (too much) in sharing everlasting garlic breath w/ me.

Lex & Dre <3 my fave people to cook for!