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.

Crisp Spiced Chicken with Hummus Vinaigrette

I had originally planned on making this for dinner last Sunday, but the store I shop at (which always has pomegranates) was out of pomegranates. They finally had some in stock today, so I was able to make this for dinner tonight.

The combination of just a few ingredients added up to a delicious chicken - I even ate the skin, which I almost never do! The couscous was fantastic, too. And the vinaigrette was really good - I could see myself using as a dip for raw veggies, or even as a salad dressing.

Needless to say, this is definitely something I will make again!

Crisp Spiced Chicken with Hummus Vinaigrette
Food & Wine, February 2001 (Recipe by Adam Erace)

4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups cooked couscous
1/2 cup coarsely chopped  roasted pistachios
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup prepared hummus
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 450F. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the coriander; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet, skin side up. Roast in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes, turning twice, until chicken is cooked through. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the couscous with the pistachios, pomegranate seeds and 1/2 cup of the parsley. In a blender, puree the hummus and vinegar with the remaining 1 cup of parsley and 1/4 cup of oil. Add 2 tablespoons of water and puree until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Stir one-third of the dressing into the couscous and transfer to a platter. Arrange the chicken on top and serve right away, passing the extra dressing on the side.

4 servings

Chicken, Broccoli and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

For something so simple, this was a really good dinner! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, so the chicken stayed really moist, but you can use breast meat if you prefer. You can also use different vegetables for variety.

Just make sure to have all your ingredients chopped and measured ahead of time, because once you start cooking, it goes really fast.

Chicken, Broccoli and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips

Salt & Pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger

2 cups broccoli florets

2 medium red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

Pinch red pepper flakes

Combine broth, soy sauce, wine, and cornstarch in a small bowl, whisking until smooth; set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir-fry 2 minutes.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and pepper flakes; stir-fry 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through.

Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.

4 servings

Fish Tacos

I made these fish tacos again for dinner tonight. They were fantastic! I served it with Spanish rice and a ccorn salad.

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.