Bolognese Risotto Stuffed Peppers!

Mama mia!  More red peppers!  Well, I'm finished roasting and freezing peppers for the moment and just ready to prepare something for us to enjoy in the here and now.  Stuffed peppers just sounded really good right now, and I just made these with what I had on hand, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that (and writing it down as I went along).

Living way out in the countryside, I've got to keep a well stocked pantry and 2 freezers-full of frozen foods.  This way I'm always fairly prepared and don't have to resort to wasting expensive gas driving to the nearest town for one or two items!  We learned very quickly when we moved to the Carolina's that things are REALLY spread out from each other.  Plus when I come home from my hour and a half long commute from work, I am in no mood to shop for groceries!

For this recipe, I used my family's Bolognese sauce recipe.  Mr. M. and P. will not eat anything without meat, so a good Bolognese makes his tummy happy every time!  Vegetarians can use marinara sauce instead, but it will taste different.  The best flavored Bolognese is part beef, part pork, and part veal.  At least that's the way we make ours.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add what you like and delete what you don't like.  I think these would also be great with some sauteed, chopped porcini mushrooms added, or some diced prosciutto too!  Change the cheese varieties around, add some basil, etc!

Bill came home and dipped a spoon in some of the extra stuffing and said, "This is really, really good!"  Now that's a super comment coming from this quiet-natured man.

Before and after baking the stuffed peppers

Bolognese and Risotto Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers (red, yellow or a mix), halved lengthwise, tops and seeds removed
4 cups Bolognese sauce (I use my homemade sauce)
1/4 cup risotto
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, cut fresh from the garden if possible
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Shredded Asiago cheese and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish.

Heat up the Bolognese sauce in a large sauce pan.
Fill a large pot half-way with water.
Bring the water to a boil; add risotto and cook for half of the time indicated on the package directions (it will continue to cook in the sauce and peppers).
Add the cheese to the sauce.
Add the Italian parsley.
Add the red pepper flakes.
Add salt and pepper and taste, taste, taste.
Add more of whatever you prefer for your own taste.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the pepper halves in a bread loaf (keeps them in place when snug in this pan).
Fill each pepper half with the stuffing.
Sprinkle more grated cheese on top of each stuffed pepper.
Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley (or after they're finished baking if you prefer).
Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 30 minutes.

Such rich colors of summer!

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Mediterranean Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini!

As peppers continue to ripen in the garden and the heat of August lingers on, it seemed wise to simply make another sandwich.  The only heat involved when making sandwiches the Italian way is inside a panini grill.  There's no heat from a stove or oven and there's no outdoor 90+ degree heat to swelter in next to a grill!  I am truly a whimp when it comes to high heat without a swimming pool!

Last week I was inspired by the open-faced Ratatouille Sandwich prepared by Jessica of Kitchen Belleicious.  We're both firm believers of recommending that you adjust recipes to make them more to your preferences.

Isn't that part of the fun of cooking?  And that's exactly what I did with this sandwich.

First of all, I am a very strange Italian in that I don't care for eggplant.  It's just all moosh to me!  Mr. M. and P. won't touch eggplant either, so we were in synchronized culinary unison on that ingredient to substitute.  But similar to Jessica's sammie, I stayed true to using Mediterranean flavors:  homemade pesto, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and Italian Fontina cheese.  I also added sliced pepperoncini to give the sandwiches an extra kick!  I had a marvelous Tomato Focaccia bread on hand which made the sandwiches irresistible!  After layering everything, I sprinkled the top with freshly minced oregano picked from the herb garden.

In a previous post, I roasted red peppers and yet in another post I marinated red peppers in a balsamic-olive oil-caper mixture.  Since the peppers stay fresh in the frig for a week or two, I had a few left over to use in this sandwich.  Bill and I always look for ways to use up everything that we've previously made so nothing is wasted.

As the sandwich sizzled inside the panini grill, the aroma from the melting cheese, pesto and balsamic vinegar was intoxicating!  We couldn't wait to bite in and savor.  The flavors are once again powerful and wonderful.  This is not your ordinary bland sandwich.

Above:  Pesto on the top left, beautiful fresh prosciutto on the right.  

Marinating roasted red peppers on the lower left and the sandwich grilling in the panini press on the lower right.  

Just before grilling and pressing, the sandwich looks huge!

Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini
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Pre-heat a panini grill to high.
Focaccia bread - use your favorite flavor combination; cut into sandwich sizes and then slice each horizontally in half.
Layer the bottom half with basil pesto.
Layer next with thinly sliced red onions.
Layer next with the roasted red peppers.
At this point, add some capers if you don't have the original marinade.
Layer next with the Fontina cheese (grated or sliced).
Layer next, sliced Italian pepperoncini.
Pile on 3 to 4 thin slices of prosciutto.
Sprinkle with minced oregano.
Cover with the top half of the foccacia.
Place the sandwich on a hot panini grill.
Slowly press down the top of the panini grill.
Grill on high for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

After grilling on the panini press, everything blends together for a toasty treat!

Our beautiful "Mowee" checking out the peppers from the garden.

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Roasting Red Peppers (and Green, Yellow, or Orange)!

Roasted red bell peppers are great to add a layer of extra flavor in sandwiches, panini, pasta recipes, salads, and the traditional Italian antipasto platter.  With the intent to continue to grow my own (you can't get any more local than your own backyard or patio/balcony), I've enjoyed roasting my own and freezing them in small quantities.  This way they are only an arm's length away to use throughout the colder months.

The actual roasting is a simple task, not hard at all, but there is a bit of work involved once they are finished roasting and cooling.  But it's so worth it!  Here's what you do:

Roasting Peppers:

Wash the peppers and if they are store-bought, remove the sticker labels.
If using a gas range, turn the burners on high and place the peppers directly onto the grates.
Using tongs, turn the peppers for an even char.
The peppers will hiss and bubble while the peppers' moisture evaporates.
If using a grill, the method is the same.
However, if you're like me and roast a lot of peppers at a time, then use the oven broiler setting.
In all options, make sure that you continually turn the peppers over to ensure even charring.

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven on "Broil".  

Arrange the peppers evenly on a baking sheet.

Place in the hot oven on the highest rack position.

Roast, while keeping a constant eye on them, turning them whenever necessary to prevent burning/complete blackening.

Once nicely roasted and charred all over, put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean paper bag.  

Do not open or the steam will come out.

Keep the peppers in the covered bowl or bag for 30 minutes to allow the steam to help loosen their peels which makes peeling them easier.

Once the peppers have cooled, cut off the tops of the peppers.
Cut into half and then into half again (quarters) . . . actually I simply pull them apart in sections where they 'naturally' separate into sections.
Remove the seeds.
Carefully peel or scrape off the charred skin with either your fingers or a sharp paring knife.
Discard all peels, tops, and seeds or put in your compost pile.

Do not rinse the peppers as the water diminishes the smoky flavor.
When the skins and seeds have been removed, cover the peppers with olive oil, adding garlic slices, herbs or capers if desired, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
To freeze, I don't put them in any oil.

Below, for freezing, use zip-lock freezer bags, indicate contents and date, insert the peppers only (no oil), press lightly to remove extra air, and seal.  Freeze.

A simply gorgeous bounty . . . and this is just one of about 5 harvests thus far!

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Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday!

Does time just fly by in your life as it does in mine?  Gosh, it's already the wonderful weekend and I'm so excited!  I've got so many recipes to try and once I'm home from the office tomorrow, it will be time to let the cooking begin!

I'd like to say to those who live along the East Coast and who are in the potential path of Hurricane Irene, that you are all in our prayers and thoughts for safe haven!!   Hopefully you'll be able to keep your pets safe with you too!

Without fail, there were so many yummy recipes share last week, so without more yakking on my part, here are the 10 Featured Blog Posts and one is a food gardening post (yay!):

I thought that I'd start out the featured blogs with a bang with Amy's of "u try it" Chocolate Crepe Layer Cake With Hazelnut Cream !   Now this is how I want to be able to bake someday!  This is the quality of baking and cooking that I strive for!

To read more of the shared and featured posts, click on 'read more' below:

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Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday

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I'm inside this afternoon with a sunburn . . . it's not normal for me to burn easily, but I fell asleep under a palm tree yesterday and am now paying for it.  Ouch, that just means more sunscreen with higher SPF today.  Yet, this gives me a moment to post this get-together and to share some featured blog posts with you.



I've added a few more featured posts since I was traveling last Friday and had only the time to get the linky posted without any featured posts.  I've also made a decision to feature only posts related to food, garden, lifestyle, and hand-made items; the interior decor posts were rarely if ever shared, so the interior decor category has been deleted and now replaced with more featured foodie posts.  It's OK to link-up decor posts, I just won't be featuring any more.



So with that said, here's some incredible featured posts from the last two weeks:

Welcome to Amy from "u try it" who tempts us with her chocolate-y delicious mocha tiramisu cupcakes!  What a great way to enjoy this Italian 'pick-me-up' which is what 'tiramisu' translates to in Italian.

Spring-time is mushroom and fresh veggie time, and here's a wonderful meatless recipe for roasted vegetable pizza from Miriam on her yummy blog, "Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters".

Take a look at these refreshingly different strawberries and cream with vanilla icing scones from gnee at "Singing With The Birds".  What a refreshing, FRESH for spring, and oh-so-seasonal way to prepare scones!

Heather, from "girlichef" created this oozing-with-cheese, creamy four-cheese scalloped potatoes recipe that is irresistible for cheese lovers!  Yummo!   

Mz. Helen's on her Mz. Helen's Country Cottage, shared a ham and asparagus quiche, a perfect, fresh, and springtime-seasonal recipe that looks so hefty and full of flavor!  

Michelle from Ms. enPlace shares wonderful gardening advice and plus a great recipe using fresh garden herbs, toasted orzo risotto with fresh garden herbs.

Anna from "Ask Anna" shared a super idea for marking our garden's plants with silver spoon garden markers!  Thanks for such a helpful tip!

And last, but not least, another big welcome to Abby from "My Yellow Sandbox" with her series of posts on simply gorgeous ways to freshen up our hair in 30 hairstyles in 30 days.  

So link up your post or two below related to food, gardening, lifestyle, and/or hand-made items . . . all things fresh!



Copy and paste the button plus the link back to this blog on your post or others to find it and join in.  It's simply blog etiquette, especially if you'd like your post to be featured next week.  Also remember to enter the url address to your posts and not to your blog address in general.



All posts related to giveaways, coupons/sales, or trying to sell stuff are gently removed.



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Roasted Red Pepper & Italian Cheese Panini!

Red peppers are selling for 4.00 a pound here (green peppers: $3, yellow peppers: $5, and orange peppers: $6 per pound).  There is some serious legal highway robbery going on in our marketplace!  All the more reason that I'm grateful to grow our own fresh veggies in our garden.  Just one red pepper plant gifts us with a minimum of 6 peppers . . . that's PER plant!

This year we planted green, red, yellow, orange, and purple peppers and I know that with loving care they will continue to produce until the cool weather arrives (usually in late October to early November here).

I referred to Larry of "Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings" for advice on preserving all of our peppers.  Larry is an accomplished master gardener and has a weekly post with gardening tips every Thursday.  And he always answers every one of my questions!  So with his guidance, that little job of freezing peppers is behind me, at least for this week before more ripen next week to freeze more.  After that was finished, I quickly moved into roasting more peppers and freezing those as well.

However, one must taste and partake in one's labor, right?  There are so many excellent recipes for using red peppers and of the final ten that I saved, one simple recipe just screamed at me to make:  Ina Garten's Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich.

Adjustments that I made:  Since I'm not fond of goat cheese, I swapped that out and used a shredded 6-cheese Italian blend.  I always keep this bagged cheese on hand for simplicity, money savings, and to top home-made pizzas.  I added a top layer of cheese as well.  I also grilled them on a panini press to melt the cheese and re-heat the peppers that were cold from marinating in the frig.  Perfect choice!

I roasted the peppers a day earlier so I had that out of the way.

For Mr. Meat and Potatoes, we added smoked turkey and some prosciutto.  I chose the turkey for the mildness of flavor so that the peppers and basil could stay on center stage.  Genoa salami, capicola, and too much prosciutto would be too powerful for the peppers which are meant to be the star of the show in this sandwich.  Another recommendation:  keep the marinade from the peppers and use it for a dipping sauce for your sandwich.

This sandwich is simply indescribably and outstandingly delicioso!  What a wonderful, delightful flavor combination . . . and now one of my favorites!  The flavors are powerful, in perfect harmony, and addicting.  Trust me, this sammie is superb and full of perfect fresh flavors of roasted red peppers, fresh basil, cheese, capers, balsamic vinegar and EVOO.  You'll love this!

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Fresh Basil Pesto !

Over the weekend I harvested baskets and baskets of basil and joyfully made my second batch of pesto.  This rich green, earthy, aromatic sauce is such a basic Italian staple to prepare some simple, yet absolutely delicious gnocchi, pasta, and polenta.  But hey, do what I do, just lather a huge spoonful on top of a piece of toasted French or Italian bread, and that's as good as it gets!  Dollop some in a baked potato, add a layer in a panino, enhance a steak or piece of chicken with it on the side, use it to add to roasted cherry tomatoes . . . the yummy possibilities for using this summer-fresh green pesto is endless!

Plus pesto is so incredibly easy to make and freeze!

A plethora of recipes for pesto can be found everywhere; however, as a purist, I prepare my pesto in the most traditional manner with only fresh basil, high-quality pine nuts (pignoli), freshly ground Parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, and sea salt.

You can use either a mortar and pestle, which I prefer if time permits, or a food processor when time is scarce in a busy life (that would be crazy me!).  Some purists believe that a food processor takes away some of the flavor and doesn't allow the oils to release properly.  I think that it's really more about the ingredients than the process.

One thing that is critical to remember though, especially for garlic freaks such as myself:  do not use more garlic than required because you use only fresh cloves of garlic in pesto and not powdered or flaked.  Too much fresh garlic will overpower the delicate sweet flavor of the basil and make it taste bitter.

For the basil, Genovese is the variety of choice, but don't worry if you don't have that, it's all good!  But do make sure that the basil is dry or the water will cause the pesto to spoil much faster.

Finally, have more than enough olive oil on hand so that you can pour a layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to preserve it even better and prevent browning/freezer burn.

Basil Pesto
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4 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried (Genovese if possible)
2 - 3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted if preferred
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
extra olive oil to cover the top of the pesto

In either a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, blend/press the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano cheese into a paste-like consistency.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is still running.
Add the sea salt.
Blend thoroughly until a smooth consistency is achieved.
Top off your jar/container with a layer of extra-virgin olive oil to better preserve the pesto.

Pesto stays fresh in the refrigerator for one week in a covered container.

For freezing pesto, simply fill an ice cube tray with pesto and freeze until solid.
Once frozen solid, remove the cubes from the ice cube tray and wrap in plastic and return the cubes to the freezer.
Use these pesto cubes in future recipes at ANY time of the year!
You'll be SO happy that you did this in the summer!
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Grilled "Belleicious" Buffalo Chicken is Truly Delicious!

"Very, very good!" were the first words that my husband used after tasting the chicken drumsticks that I prepared tonight using a marinade recipe from Jessica of Kitchen Belleicious for Buffalo Chicken Skewers.

These words are not spoken every day, peeps!  Mr. M and P (meat and potatoes) is  a hard one to please when it comes to trying new recipes!

Last week we made the oh-so-scrumptious Grilled Thai Chicken from Sam of My Carolina Kitchen, so this weekend we felt it was time to try a twist on a beloved American flavored-chicken:  BUFFALO!

Although I much prefer white chicken meat, all I had on hand in the freezer were dark meat drumsticks/drummies that I was saving to make buffalo drummies (I'm just not crazy about the greasiness of dark chicken meat).  But I'm a firm believer in using up what is on hand!

I made a few personal adjustments to Jessica's excellent recipe, simply from wanting a more fiery hot taste.  To enjoy Buffalo chicken, we like to have steam coming out of our mouths and ears, along with tears streaming from our eyes!  That level of heat is the only change that was made to her great marinade!

As I was mixing up the marinade, the aroma was drifting through the kitchen and family room, just teasing us for what flavor was to come!  This is a winning recipe!

Drummies singing in their bath of zingy marinade!

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Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday!

I'd like to first thank each of you for your kind words of support during my week from hell this first week of classes, meetings, deadlines, and more!  I kept your thoughts on my mind as I perservered through the demands that had to not only be met, but that had to be met with excellence and focus.

But oh, with a sigh of relief, I can now relax over the weekend and visit your latest blog posts.  I don't know the reasons why each of us 'blog', but I can say that I gain so much enjoyment from not just 'it' (this blog), trying new recipes, reading about your recipes, trips, and gardens, but also from the friendships in this unique community!

Enough of my jibber-jabber (it comes easily to those of us who teach!), it's time to have some fun and share some super recipes.

Here are the 10, yes 10 Featured Blogs from last week. . . as this blog get-together continues to grow, I felt the need to keep the percentage of featured blogs more in-line with the number of those posts linked up.  So here you go!

My oh my what a beautiful pizza pie!  Cathy from "Wives With Knives" brought along this summer-fresh pizza to the party, Fresh Home-made Tomato and Herb Pizza!  Mmmmm, yummo!  Please visit her blog and follow along at her new web address. 

From Annamaria from "It's In There" is this super-rich Blue Ribbon Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake.  I love trying any recipe that has won that beloved, treasured blue ribbon!  Welcome Annamaria!

Look what my good friend, Kim from "Stirring The Pot" prepared:   Basil Potato Puree!  I could pour this bowl of deliciousness down my throat and ask for more on top of that!  What a recipe, Kim!

What a wonderful way to serve and enjoy fresh peaches.  This recipe, Peach Compote with Cream and Almonds, was shared by Jeanie Rose from "Traditional Foods".  Welcome to the party, Jeanie Rose!

Just take a look at this simply beautiful dish shared by Concetta of "Concetta's Kitchen":  Concetta's Chicken Salad.  She says that this specialty of hers is 'cool, creamy, and dreamy'.  Works for me, Concetta!

Welcome to Carol from "Easy To Be Gluten-Free" and a big thanks for sharing this cheesy Rice and Veggie Alfredo Pie!  Great meatless recipe too!

Danielle from "Hugs and Kisses XOXO" is new to the get-together and shared this luscious Red Velvet Cheesecake.  What a scrumptious marriage of flavors!  Welcome!

Miranda from "Mangoes and Chutney" shared another superb chicken salad recipe, this time enhancing it with an accent of cranberries:  Cranberry Chicken Salad!  Fruit added to savory salads are so enjoyable, don't ya think?

A new, updated version of Gazpacho was linked up by Kate of "A Spoonful of Thyme".  For this, Kate added lovely tiny shrimp and perfectly ripe chunks of avocado.  Now THIS is a winning soup recipe!

Emily, from "Recipes To Nourish" brought an eye-candy beverage to refresh with on any late summer day, Watermelon Lemonade.  Welcome too, Emily!

So please go ahead and grab the "I've Been Featured" button if you like and place it anywhere on your blog.  It's my way of saying 'thank you' for sharing your great recipe!  The code is at the bottom of my sidebar on the right.

Thanks to everyone for sharing and making this such a fun get-together.  Everyone is appreciated by all of us, not just me!

Please use the URL address of your blog post and not of your blog in general.
Recipe and food gardening posts only, please.
Share as many posts as you like.

** To be considered for next week's Featured Blogs, the button and/or link for "Fresh Food Friday or Seasonal Saturday" needs to appear on your post.  The codes are at the bottom of my sidebar on the right. **  


And may God bless you and yours over the weekend and always!

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Seasonal Saturday and Fresh Food Friday!

Oh what a busy time it is for me!  As a college educator, I'm busy, busy, BUSY with prepping for the beginning of fall semester.  I am trying to get to all the various linky-parties that are open for sharing recipes (I do enjoy sharing the love!).  And so I realize I may be a little bit late in posting this linky, please forgive me.

Please remember that everyone who has a foodie or food gardening recipe is welcome here. . . new or established bloggers!  It is important for those starting out to introduce themselves as well as to discover those who've been food blogging for a period of time.  I guess that's the educator in me; to help pull up those younger than I am!

With that said, here are the lovely 8 featured blog posts that were shared last week!

This mouthwatering Grilled Polenta was shared by Karen at Goodbye City Hello Suburbs. 
I know how seriously delicious this polenta must be!

click below to read all of the shared and featured posts from last week!

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Grilled Thai Chicken

I just love Thai cuisine!  Having had the good fortune to visit Thailand twice and experience truly authentic (and very hot and spicy) Thai food, I'm always on the look out for great recipes (and great Thai restaurants).  One of my favorite food bloggers, Sam, from My Carolina Kitchen, posted a wonderful, grill-outside-don't-heat-the-kitchen recipe for chicken that really pleases the taste buds and satisfies one's Thai food fix.  Sam is a food professional and I trust her judgement and the recipes that she develops.

I had to try her recipe for BBQ Thai Chicken and just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand . . . I love it when that happens!

The chicken marinates in a sweet and spicy coconut marinade for 4 hours.  And oh does this marinade make the chicken moist and bursting with flavor.  When you first read the ingredients you might think that this is going to be spicy-hot.  But it really was not; in fact, it gave the chicken perfect undertones of lime, coconut, red pepper, and cilantro.

We just loved it!

I served this with basmati rice cooked in Tom Gha Kai coconut chicken soup . . .  superb!  And served some bright green, fresh steamed broccoli alongside a fresh fruit salad.

I would have preferred to serve my recipe for Thai Cucumber Salad, but my husband's tummy can't handle cucumbers.  But here's a photo and link for the recipe (also on my sidebar) for you.  It would pair perfectly with the chicken.

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