peppers Archives -

January 11, 2017

Sausage and Peppers Polenta Bake

It’s been a few weeks since my last post, but I’m glad to be back here again beginning this fresh new year. I find January a particularly calming month as the days become quiet again, and we settle ourselves back into a routine. My soul finds refreshment in reflecting on the past year and in filling my heart with dreams and hopes for the new one. The biting cold means it’s also the month to bring out the coziest winter meals to bring warmth and comfort around the table.

June 24, 2015

Roasted Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf

Retro tv dinners come to mind when I think of meatloaf, probably because I didn’t grow up eating it and my preconceptions primarily come from passing through the frozen food aisle at the store. It took me some time to come around on meatloaf, but after I saw this recipe, it suddenly became appealing and worth giving a try. In the updated version here, classic meatloaf gets a lightened up summer spin with turkey and an abundance of colorful roasted summer vegetables and fresh basil. This does require turning on the oven, but it’s great when you need a make-ahead meal since everything can be assembled earlier and then simply baked in the oven before serving. Grilling is great in the summer, but it also requires someone actively being at the grill right before the meal is served. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to work ahead of time, put on the oven timer, and forget about it until the timer goes off. If I’m having guests over, meals like these make mingling so much easier. This recipe makes more roasted vegetables than needed for the meatloaf. I like having the extra veggies to serve alongside the meatloaf, but cut the vegetables in half if you only want enough for the meatloaf. Mustard mashed potatoes make a wonderful accompaniment as well.

Roasted Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 small zucchini, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
2 medium red onions, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 pounds ground turkey thigh
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1½ cups whole wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¾ cup ketchup, divided
2 large eggs
¼ cup white wine

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, toss together the zucchini, peppers, and onions with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of rosemary. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 375. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together turkey, mozzarella, panko, basil, thyme, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, and 1 cup roasted vegetables.
In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup ketchup, eggs, and wine. Add to turkey mixture and mix again to incorporate. (It may be easier to use hands to mix together.)
Transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Use the back of a rubber spatula to smooth and form a rounded top. Spread remaining ¼ cup ketchup evenly over the top of loaf.
Bake until cooked through and top is lightly browned, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow meatloaf to rest 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with warmed roasted vegetables and mustard mashed potatoes.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit

Mustard Mashed Potatoes

Serves: 6 side portions

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (or more) whole milk
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, cover potatoes in lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft when a knife pierces through. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
Roughly mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pastry blender. (I leave the skins on for a more rustic feel, but peel potatoes if desired.) Add ¾ cup milk, butter, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue to mash until you reach desired consistency. Add more milk a couple tablespoons at a time if necessary.

Notes

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

November 6, 2014

One-Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya {with Brown Rice}

Jambalaya is one of those comforting meals I remember my mom cooking for our family as I was growing up. She mostly cooked Chinese food for us, but she also adventured into other types of cuisine, one of those being Cajun. After our first baby was born, she made huge batches of gumbo and jambalaya as freezer meals for us. (Thank you, Mom!) Jambalaya is a hearty one-pot meal that usually includes rice, vegetables, and protein. Most recipes I’ve seen use white rice, but I’ve adapted this particular recipe to use brown rice by adjusting the amount stock and cooking time. There are two types of jambalaya- Cajun and Creole. Creole jambalaya is tomato-based, Cajun is not, and the Creole version will often include seafood. This Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya is of the Cajun variety and is seasoned with a spice mix of chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and garlic powder. It takes some patience to reduce the stock as the vegetables and meats are being cooked, but after one bite of deliciousness it will all be worth it! The reduction of the chicken stock is essential for developing the deep flavor of the jambalaya, so try not to take shortcuts. I try to make this on chilly days when standing by the stove is warming and comforting. This makes a fairly large quantity so it’s great to serve at gatherings and the leftovers taste even better the next day after the flavors have had some time to meld.

One-Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya {with Brown Rice}

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 (3½- to 4-pound) chicken, roasted (I used a rotisserie chicken)
2 medium onions, 1 quartered, 1 diced small
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound nitrate-free smoked sausage
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2½ cups uncooked brown rice

Instructions

Remove meat from the chicken and discard skin. Save the accumulated juices and fat from the chicken. Use hands or two forks to shred the meat into pieces. Set meat aside in the refrigerator.
In a large pot or cast iron Dutch oven, place the carcass, quartered onion, and any vegetable trimmings with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours. Strain pot and discard solids. You should have at least 7 cups of chicken stock.
In the same pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and sear until sausage starts to brown. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
Return the pot to heat and add the butter. After butter melts, add the diced onion and sauté until onion starts to become golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add ¼ cup of chicken stock and scrape any brown bits loose. After the onions are mostly dry, add another ½ cup of stock. When stock is almost reduced again, add the peppers, scallions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and tomato paste. Cook the vegetables for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to stick to the pot. Add another ¼ cup of stock and reduce until dry. Next add the shredded chicken, another 1 cup stock, and the accumulated juices from the chicken. Reduce the liquid by half.
Add the brown rice and 5 cups of chicken stock. Cover and cook on low heat for about one hour, until rice is evenly cooked.

Notes

This works best in a cast-iron dutch oven if you have one.

Save the trimmings from the vegetables and add them to the stock for more flavor.

adapted from Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana