Turkish Stuffed Peppers

I'm not sure what possessed me to make such a time consuming dinner on a weekday, when I knew I had a lot do to that day.  Oh, and did I mention that I chose to make hummus - from scratch, using dried beans - as a side dish? I suppose it's a good thing I bought the pitas, and didn't try to make my own!

Somehow, though, I managed to get the peppers done while my almost 3-month-old daughter, Tova, napped (thankfully, she decided to take a really long afternoon nap today!). And they were worth every minute they took to make! I tend to love savory recipes that have cinnamon it them, and this was no exception. We all loved these, and I will definitely make them again.

In case you were wondering how I fit the hummus into my schedule: I soaked the chickpeas overnight, cooked them as soon as I woke up in the morning while I was getting the two older kids ready for school, put them in the fridge, and the finished making the hummus right before dinner.
I used THIS recipe, from the same cookbook as the peppers. It's fantastic.

Stuffed Peppers (Turkey)
Mediterranean Harvest, Martha Rose Shulman

6 medium red bell peppers
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons dried currants, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups water, divided
1 1/4 cups short-grain rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
Lemon wedges

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Save the tops.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, wide saucepan or skillet over medium heat and add the onion and pine nuts. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute, and stir in the currants, cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Stir together, then add 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover the pan with a clean towel. Leave for 10 minutes, then stir in the herbs. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture and replace the caps. Stand the peppers in a wide pan. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoon olive oil, and the lemon juice, and pour over and around the peppers. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until there is no longer any liquid, just oil, in the pan and the peppers are very tender. Uncover and cool in the pan.

Arrange the peppers on a platter, garnish with lemon wedges for squeezing over the peppers, and serve.

6 main dish servings or 8 to 10 appetizer servings

Advance preparation: This is an excellent keeper, and since it should be served at room temperature, it's fine to make it a day ahead and refrigerate overnight. Bring back to room temperature before serving. You can also make the rice filling a day before stuffing the peppers.

Bruschetta with White Bean Puree

I've tried several white bean dips, and this one is by far my favorite. It's really creamy and fresh tasting. I had to hold myself back from going back for thirds!

(I forgot to save the bean broth, so I just used water in the puree and it came out fine. Also, my beans were finished cooking after the first hour, so make sure to keep a close eye on them.)

Bruschetta with White Bean Puree
The Very Best of Recipes for Health, Martha Rose Shulman

This recipe will give you more white bean puree than you'll need for the bruschetta. The savory, hummus-like mixture makes a great high-protein, high-fiber dip or spread, so you'll be glad to have plenty left over. You can use canned white beans for this, though they won't taste as good. Substitute milk for the bean broth and omit the garlic.

1 cup dried white beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked for 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water
1 medium onion, halved
4 garlic cloves, divided
1 bay leaf
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Ground black pepper
4-8 slices country bread, preferably whole grain
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, rosemary, or parsley

Drain the beans and transfer to a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onion, 2 of the garlic cloves, the bay leaf, and 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans are thoroughly tender. Drain through a sieve set over a bowl. Set aside the cooking liquid. Discard the onion and bay leaf.

Mash 1 of the raw garlic cloves with 1/4 teaspoon salt with a mortar and pestle.

Place the beans and the mashed garlic in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons of the bean broth, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and the lemon juice. Stop the machine, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Add more of the bean broth as needed for a creamier consistency. The mixture should have the same consistency as moist hummus.

Lightly toast the bread. Halve the remaining garlic clove and rub the toast, then brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Top with the white beans, sprinkle with the herbs, and serve.

4 servings (plus extra white bean puree)

362 Calories, 16 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 16 g fiber, 12 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium 

Eggplant Caponata

This is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplant. It's a fabulous sweet-and sour dish that is great served hot as a side dish, but my favorite way to eat it is at room temperature (or a little warm) with some really good crusty bread.

Eggplant Caponata
Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the caponata to a bowl, garnish with the basil leaves, and serve.

6 side-dish servings (will serve more as an appetizer)

Marinated Spanish Olives

I made these olives today to serve as part of an appetizer course for tomorrow evening. I tasted them after only about 4 1/2 hours of marinating, and they are fantastic! I imagine that they will only get better as they marinate longer.
These are great little nibbles that take minutes to put together and can be made ahead of time. Keep them in mind if you are going to be doing any entertaining this holiday season (or any other time).

Marinated Spanish Olives

Cooking Light, September 2002

You can make and refrigerate this dish up to a week ahead; the flavors improve as the olives marinate. Use a mortar and pestle, meat mallet, or rolling pin to crush the coriander seeds and the rosemary.

24 large unpitted Spanish olives

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Fresh rosemary sprigs, optional

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

6 servings (serving size:4 olives)

Per serving: 49 Calories, 3.6g fat, 0.2g protein, 3.1g carb, 0.2g fiber, 0mg chol, 0.4 mg iron, 322mg sodium, 13 calc.

Potato Latkes

Most potato latkes are made with either grated potatoes, resulting in a crisp latke, or with a smooth batter, resulting in a latke with a wonderfully creamy interior. This recipe combines the two, giving you the best of both. I started making these a few years ago, and it is by far my favorite latke recipe.

Happy Hanukkah!

Potato Latkes

Kosher by Design, Susie Fishbein

You can make the latkes up to 4 hours in advance. When ready to serve, bake at 375F for 5 minutes. They can also be frozen and reheated at 375F for 8 minutes per side.

Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.

2 pounds Yukon gold or Russet Potatoes, peeled

1 medium yellow onion, quartered
4 medium scallions
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional)
1 cup peanut oil (I used canola)

Using the grating disc of a food processor, grate the potatoes. Remove half of the grated potatoes to a large strainer set over a large bowl. Replace the food processor disc with the metal blade. Add the onion and scallions. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

 Add the potato/onion mixture to the grated potatoes in the strainer. Push down to strain out as much liquid as possible. Let the liquid sit in the bowl for 5 minutes. Pour off the liquid, reserving the potato starch at the bottom of the bowl.

Add the potatoes to bowl with potato starch. Mix in the egg, salt, pepper, and parsley, if desired.

In a large skillet, heat the oil until very hot, but not smoking. Add the potato mixture 1 heaping tablespoon at a time. Fry until golden, flip and fry until golden on the other side. Drain on paper bags or paper towels. Do this until all the batter is used.

14-18 latkes

Goat Cheese Spread

I made this spread to have with the bread I made. It was SO GOOD - I highly recommend that you try it. If you want to keep it simpler, just make the goat cheese/cream cheese mixture. It was wonderful even without the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.

(I was unable to take a picture until the day after I served it, so here it's a little bit lopsided, but when I served it the loaf came out perfectly from the pan. It looked great in addition to tasting great!)

Goat Cheese Spread

Southern Living, September 2002

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

8 ounces goat cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons chopped fresh, or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried, oregano

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped

Process first 5 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture onto the bottom of a plastic wrap-lined 8-x4-inch loaf pan. Top with pesto; spread one-third cheese mixture over pesto. Sprinkle with dried tomatoes; top with remaining cheese mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours. Invert spread onto a serving plate, discarding plastic wrap.

12 to 16 appetizer servings

Meatballs in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Every so often I just want to have a not-quite-so-healthy comfort food kind of meal. When I do, I often turn to this meatball recipe. It's meant to be an appetizer, but if you make the meatballs larger and serve it over rice, it makes a really great dinner.

I did serve it with a veggie-filled slaw to add SOME nutrition to this meal :)

Meatballs in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 onion, grated (I use 1/2 onion, minced)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

In a large saucepan combine cranberry sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until smooth, 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings. Form into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, for one hour. Serve hot.

Moroccan Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

These smelled sooo good while they were cooking, and they tasted pretty darn good, too! You can serve them alone as an appetizer or serve them with some rice, pasta or couscous for a main dish.

Moroccan Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures, Rick Bayless & Lanie Bayless

1 1/4 pounds ground beef or lamb

3 teaspoons paprika, separated (I used 2 1/2 teaspoons regular, 1/2 teaspoon hot)

2 teaspoons ground cumin, separated

Leaves from 12 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons), separated

Salt

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 small onion, peeled and cut into 8 pieces

Place beef or lamb in a large bowl. Measure in 1 1/2 teaspoons of the paprika, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, half of the chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon salt (I used less). Mix or knead to thoroughly distribute flavoring through the meat. Roll meat into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon meat mixture), laying each on a plate as rolled. Set aside.

Turn on food processor. Drop garlic through feed tube. Let machine run until garlic is chopped, then stop. remove lid and scrap down garlic from sides of processor. Add drained tomatoes, olive oil, tomato paste and onion. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin and parsley. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until nearly smooth. Scrape into pan or deep skillet that is about 10 inches across (size is important here). Set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Nestle meatballs into sauce in a single layer. Swirl pan gently to ensure all meatballs are covered with sauce. Set over medium heat with lid slightly ajar and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. If sauce is very thick, add a little water. Spoon onto individual plated and serve.

4 servings