Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Orzo & Chicken

Super delicious! Made these with mom and again, we all loved them!

 

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/orzo-and-chicken-stuffed-peppers-8698013

Ingredients:

4 medium-size (~10 oz. each) red bell peppers, divided

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, thinly sliced (~3/8 c.)

1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 T. smoked paprika  

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 c. uncooked orzo

1 1/2 c. chicken stock, divided 

1/2 T. + 1/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1 c. leftover roasted chicken, shredded (rotisserie works as well) 

1 T. chopped fresh oregano

2 T. panko

1/2 oz. low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

 

2. Cut 1/4" off the tops of 3 peppers, reserve tops. Remove and discard stems, seeds, and membranes. Place peppers, cut side up, in a 13" x 9" baking dish; trim bottoms of peppers if needed to help them stand up straight. Set aside. Chop the reserved pepper tops and remaining 1 bell pepper, set aside.

 

3. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 T. of the oil over medium heat. Add shallot and chopped peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned (~10 min.)

 

4. Add garlic, smoked paprika, and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (~30 sec.)

 

5. Add orzo. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min.

 

6. Add 1 1/2 c. of the chicken stock and 1/2 T. of the kosher salt. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, keep at simmer, until orzo is al dente (~5 min.)

 

7. Remove from heat. Stir in the chicken and oregano until combined.

 

8. Divide mixture among peppers in baking dish (about 3/4 c. per pepper). Pour remaining 1/2 c. chicken stock around stuffed peppers. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake for 30 min. Note: we had some of this mixture leftover, so we served it on the side; highly recommend!

 

9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together panko, cheese, remaining 1 T. oil, and remaining 1/8 tsp. kosher salt until combined.

 

10. When peppers have baked for the 30 min, remove and discard foil. Top each pepper with an even amount of the panko mixture. Transfer back to oven and bake for additional 10 min. Let cool for 5 min, then serve and enjoy!

Steak au Poivre Pasta

Yum yum yum! Made this with mom and we all absolutely loved it!

 

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/steak-au-poivre-pasta-8621647

Ingredients:

8 oz. mafaldine pasta (dry weight), broken into 1-3 inch lengths

1 1/4 lb. beef strip steak, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes

2 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided

1/2 T. kosher salt

1 T. canola oil

5 T. unsalted butter, divided

1/2 c. finely chopped shallots

1/4 c. brandy 

1/2 c. unsalted beef (or chicken) stock

8 oz. crème fraîche

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

 

Directions:

 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. When draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 c. of the cooking water and set aside.

 

2. Meanwhile, pat steak dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with 2 tsp. of the pepper and 1 tsp. of the kosher salt.

 

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil plus 1 T. of the butter. Once melted and combined, add half the steak pieces, being sure to keep space between pieces. Cook, undisturbed, for around 1 min, then flip and repeat for each side. 

4. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining steak pieces. Do not wipe skillet clean.

 

5. Reduce heat to medium and add the shallots and thyme to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until shallots have softened (~2 min).

 

6. Carefully deglaze skillet with the brandy, stirring and scraping up browned bits, for around 30 sec. Pour in the beef/chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Keep at simmer for 2 min.  

7. Stir in the remaining 4 T. of butter, 1 T. at a time, until sauce is glossy and smooth. 

8. Stir in crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each of pepper and kosher salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened (~ 5 min.)

 

9. Add the drained pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 c. of the reserved cooking water. Stir to combine and coat. If needed, add additional cooking water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

 

10. Stir in the steak cubes and cook for 1 additional minute. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

Yumm! This easy-peasy stir fry is super tasty and comes together in a flash. Try it tonight!

 

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: coming soon!

Original recipe credit: https://www.eatwell101.com/pepper-chicken-stir-fry-recipe

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. brown sugar (packed)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 T. Frank's Red Hot Sauce (regular/original)

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

8 oz. chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1 T. toasted sesame seeds

 

Directions:

 

1. Combine garlic cloves, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, hot sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

 

2. In a wok (or large skillet), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once it's shimmering, add the bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until cooked to desired tenderness (for me, it was around 5 min). Transfer cooked bell pepper to a plate and set aside.

 

3. Add the chicken to the wok (plus a little more oil, if needed). Cook, stirring often, until browned all over / cooked through.

 

4. Return the cooked bell pepper to the wok, then add the reserved sauce mixture. Stir to coat/combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 min, until beginning to thicken a bit.

 

5. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds. Serve with desired side and enjoy!

Coq au Vin Blanc

Excellent. Made with mom, everyone raved about it!

 

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/coq-au-vin-blanc-8784803

Recipe below contains our modifications.

Ingredients:

4 lb. chicken drumsticks

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

~2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. (heaping) chopped bacon (4 regular slices)

2/3 c. frozen pearl onions, thawed

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 T. sugar 

1/3 c. plus 1 T. unsalted butter, softened, divided

3 celery stalks, chopped

2/3 c. sliced carrots

2 oz. dried wild mushroom mix, reconstituted in 2 c. water, reserve 1 1/2 c. soaking water

2/3 tsp. dried thyme 

3 T. dry vermouth

2 c. dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)

2/3 c. chicken stock 

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 large dried bay leaf

1 partial star anise

1 T. all-purpose flour

fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Season chicken all over with 1 tsp. of the kosher salt.

 

2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Cook chicken in batches, until golden brown on sides, around 6-8 minutes (do not cook all the way through). Transfer cooked pieces to plate and set aside.

 

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add bacon pieces and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown (around 3-4 min).

 

4. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until translucent (around 2-3 min).

 

5. Sprinkle sugar evenly over pot. Add 1/3 c. of the butter and stir well until butter is melted.

 

6. Add celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to soften (around 3 min).

 

7. Add the mushrooms and dried thyme. Cook, stirring gently, for around 3 min.

 

8. Deglaze pot with vermouth, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Stir in the wine and chicken stock.

 

9. Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs, bay leaf, star anise, and remaining 1 tsp. kosher salt. Nestle the chicken pieces into the mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

10. Using a fork, stir flour and remaining 1 T. butter in a small bowl together until combined. 

11. Add the flour-butter mixture to the pot, then stir gently to combine.

 

12. Bake, uncovered, until meat is very tender and sauce has reduced, slightly thickened, aroudn 2 hours. Turn chicken occasionally in the sauce as it bakes.

 

13. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 min. Garnish with parsley and serve with desired side (highly recommend these cheddar crusted potatoes with onion and rosemary).

Cheddar Crusted Potatoes with Onion and Rosemary

Served with the Coq au Vin Blanc. Excellent side dish!

 

Original recipe credit: https://www.sargento.com/recipes/meals/appetizer-and-sides/rosemary-cheese-crusted-potatoes/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp. Lowry's seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. lemon zest

8 oz. Sargento shredded mild cheddar cheese, traditional cut, divided

1/4 c. panko  

1 T. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. crushed dried rosemary

 

Directions:

 

1. Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan. Heat oven to 400°F.

 

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook for 5 min, stirring occasionally.

 

3. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.

 

4. Stir in the potatoes, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Remove from heat.

 

5. Layer half of potato mixture into the prepared baking pan. Top evenly with half of the cheese.

 

6. Spread remaining potato mixture atop the cheese, then top evenly with remaining cheese.

 

7. In a small bowl, combine the panko, butter, and rosemary. Sprinkle atop the cheese.

 

8. Cover the pan and bake for 40 min. Uncover and bake for additional 20 min, or until lightly browned. Serve and enjoy!

Boneless Pork Chops in Creamy Garlic Sauce (with video link)

Another win from Eatwell101.com---10/10! Have made this a couple of times now and really enjoy it. Roasted potatoes make a great pairing (provided you don't over-roast them like I did for the ones in the video, d'oh!), and next time, I will pair with egg noodles.

 

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/bUEO0z9fptk

Original recipe credit: https://www.eatwell101.com/boneless-pork-chops-in-creamy-garlic-butter-sauce

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops

salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 tsp. paprika

olive oil

2 T. butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/3 c. chicken stock

1 3/4 c. heavy cream (or half and half)

3 c. baby spinach

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 sage leaves, chopped 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt & pepper (to taste) both sides, then season with the paprika (half for one side, half for other). Place pork chops in pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side (or more), depending on thickness of your chops, until completely cooked. Remove from pan, cover with foil, and set aside.

 

2. Add the butter to pan. Once it has melted, add the garlic and onion. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

 

3. Deglaze pan with the chicken stock, stirring and scraping pan to release fond. Stir in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.

 

4. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the heavy cream. Let sauce come to a gentle simmer (you may have to increase heat back up a little).

 

5. Add the spinach leaves. Stir and cook until the leaves have wilted a bit.

 

6. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped sage until cheese has melted into sauce.

 

7. Return pork, along with any accumulated juices, back to pan. Stir to coat in sauce and reheat. Serve with desired side and enjoy!

Best(?) Chocolate Chip Cookies (with video link)

According to this recipe, these are the BEST chocolate chip cookies. Well, with a claim like that, you know I had to try them! And, as I stated in the video, yeah, they really could be! Thing is, I've made many different recipes for them and it would be impossible for me to name just one as the very top. I think I could do a top 5, though, and this would be one of them for sure :)

 

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YJkVIxZ9Zw

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a50605/chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

*pardon my dust, entry in progress! for now, please see video for instructions*

Ingredients:

320g (2 2/3 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/4 c. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 c. light brown sugar (packed)

1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

120g coarsely chopped chocolate, 70% cacao

 

Directions: