Category Archives: Main Dishes

Hungry Boy Chicken/Turkey Lasagne

chicken lasagna

Getting it done over the holidays, with a little help from the pantry.

Sometimes you just have to take a load off and use the can opener. It’s ok. This is the holiday season. Any day we consume something healthier than stollen, chocolate and egg nog is a good day. I recently heard a healthy living expert endorse the 80/20 rule for eating over the holidays. Do the right thing 80 percent of the time and don’t stress about slacking off for the other 20 percent.

Here’s your dish for the 20 percent. It’s not health food, but it is quick and delish and uses up leftover turkey. What more can we ask? This recipe came from my son’s school advisor, who served it to a pack of hungry boys one night. My son was smitten—both with the textural joy wrought by condensed soup and the butter soaked stuffing on top. Really, what’s not to love?

Stay warm out there and dig in to winter!

CHICKEN LASAGNA

Courtesy of Emily Luker, tamer of hungry boys

Ingredients

2 cups (16 oz) 2% cottage cheese
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted 
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt 
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (or no cook noodles and add some baking time)
1 package (6 oz) chicken stuffing mix (or cornbread stuffing or actual leftover stuffing. See note)
1/2 cup butter, melted 

Method

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese & cream cheese. (I add 1/3 cup milk here too). In a large bowl, combine chicken, soups, milk (or the other 1/3), onion & salt.

Spread half of the chicken mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. (or 2  9×9’s) baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread with half the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Toss stuffing mix with butter; sprinkle over casserole. 

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.  

Note: Clearly you can freelance at will here. Make your own bechamel sauce instead of using the soups if you are game. Or use actual leftover stuffing instead of the stuffing mix and butter. Add veggies. Use turkey. Add some grated Italian cheese when you find out you don’t have nearly enough cottage cheese. Relax, throw it all in a pan and bake at 350. Your family will love you.

Hakuna Frittata

 

Hakuna-Frittata

Lots of garden-fresh zucchini finds a happy home (and some sweet camouflage) in this frittata. Watch out–that freaky ceramic salt guy wants a bite of yours.

Stay with me here. This will all make sense. I promise. One of my favorite food sites is Food52, but sometimes I avoid clicking on their emails because it opens a time-sucking Pandora’s box of recipes and ideas. The whole concept of spending oodles of time looking for timesaving ideas is perverse and ends up making me angry, after much time is gone forever. BUT, all that anxiety aside, one of my go-to features on Food 52 is their “How to make X without a recipe.” Learning a method vs a recipe really sets you free because you never have to worry about having exact ingredients, exact amounts or an Internet connection.

One anytime meal for which I never ever use a recipe is a frittata. I can’t be 100 percent certain on this but I read (while looking for something else no doubt) that frittatas were actually invented to use up leftovers. If that’s not enough to make them the home cook’s best friend, consider these features: they use simple ingredients that are pretty universally loved and that you usually have on hand; they are infinitely tweakable for food issues (unless you are Vegan); they are cheap, quick, comforting and tasty. Yes folks, frittatas will indeed set you free.

When you are thinking of something simple yet substantial to serve for dinner or breakfast, or of something nutritious that you can eat hot or cold on the road, or of a quick, easy dish to bring to a pot luck, or of what you can make right now (when you are not busy), to eat later (when you are so busy you can’t take time to boil water)—in all these situations you can either starve, lament your inability to plan menus, buy $60 of takeout or…you can Hakuna Frittata.

That’s right. Go ahead and sing the rest of the verse, if only to pay back your kids for years of Lion King songs stuck in your head….It means don’t worry, as long as you have some eggs.

I went ahead and looked on Food52 and sure enough they beat me to it with How to Make Any Frittata in Five Steps. If you think you can resist the rabbit hole of fabulous recipes, pictures and ideas on Food 52 check theirs out. If, like me, you thrive within Internet boundaries, check out my version here. I have purposefully not included exact amounts, but rather loose guidelines which beg to be challenged:

Ingredients:

  • Onions etc: 1 cup or so of diced onions or something in the onion family, like leeks, shallots, scallions. You can use a combo of them as well.
  • Seasonings: salt, pepper, dried or fresh savory herbs of choice.
  • Vegetables: Any veggies you like or have on hand: Broccoli and cauliflower–good. Leftover roasted potatoes–so Spanish of you! Fresh corn and peppers–yum. Last night’s roasted root vegetables–yep. A whole lot of zucchini from the neighbor? Bring it on!
  • Meat option: Cooked meat like bacon, crumbled sausage, ham, cut up chicken or turkey.
  • Eggs: Start with about eight for a normal frying pan. You can work up or down from there depending on what you have.
  • Cheese: A handful or more of your favorite. Cheddar is king here, but dollops of soft goat or ricotta works well too. Go Gruyere to pretend you’re in the Alps. If you’re feeling a little mean or lactose intolerant or both you can skip the cheese.

 Method:

Saute the onions in some olive oil or butter or a mix of both. Sprinkle some salt on them as they cook. If you are cooking for someone on a low sodium diet make sure they are not looking during this step.

When softened add other veggies. Cook them up until all browned and yummy looking. Here is where to add fresh or dried herbs of choice and let them ramble around with the veggies at the end of cooking.

This is a good time to stir in the meat, if you are using it.

Whip up eggs with a fork or in a blender, and pour them into hot skillet. Lift up the edges a bit as the eggs cook so that the uncooked parts run onto the hot part of the skillet. A little omelet art is in order here.

When the eggs are getting near set, sprinkle on the cheese and put the whole shebang under the broiler until is it browned to your liking.

Serve it up hot or at room temp and enjoy realizing that there is only one pan to clean. Go you!

 

 

Summer Vegetable Curry

Beautiful summer vegetables in full swing

Beautiful summer vegetables in full swing

I saw this recipe for summer vegetable curry and I thought, what better way to round out the summer than to make a dish that uses lots of summer vegetables that are in full harvest right now. You can either go to your local farm stand or farmers market to load up on these vegetables.  Or, if you are talented enough to grow your own vegetables, then a short trip to your garden will probably do it.  Take the vegetables and add the curry spices found in this recipe, and you’ll have a dish packed with flavor.

This is a simple recipe.  All you need to do is prep the veggies and mix the spices first.  Then, it’s just a matter of throwing things in from longest cooking time to shortest. You can serve over brown rice or quinoa. And definitely have a chutney on hand. Or, I used this amazingly good tomato chile sauce that I found at the farm stand where I bought the vegetables.  But, whatever the topping, you’ll feel like you’re maximizing summer for all that it has to offer.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion (2-3 cups sliced)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground fennel
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp cayenne 
1 cup sliced carrots
3 cups sliced zucchini or summer squash
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
4 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Method

Before you begin to cook, shuck the corn and steam for 10 minutes.  Let cool and cut kernels off the husks.

To prep the onion, slice in half end to end and cut into half inch thick slices. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Then cut the carrots into 1/4 inch thick rounds, then halve or quarter depending on the diameter of the carrot. Same with the zucchini. Chop the pepper into roughly ½ inch pieces.

In a large skillet or soup pot, warm the oil over medium low heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the spices. Stir for a minute or so. Add the carrots and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and kale, stir well, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, cover and cook until the tomatoes release their liquid. Stir in the corn and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, stir, and serve right away with chutney or tomato chili topping.

Easy Grill Marinade for Summer Skewering

Skewers all around!

Skewers all around!

Bring skewers to your next cookout! You can prep them the day before and they are ready to go when you get to the party. Everyone loves to have their very own skewer loaded up with lots of tasty meats and fresh veggies. You can also use tofu for the vegetarians in the crowd. Skewers are fun and a change of pace from the standard hamburger and hot dog.  This marinade can be used on everything.  It is easy, light, and summery.

I got this recipe from the Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook. The Black Dog restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard is infamous for its fresh seafood and seasonal island dishes. Flipping through the cookbook almost makes me want to go there.  But then I remember that I break out in hives at the thought of crowds or traffic, so it’s really not an option for me. The only time I’ve ever been to the Vineyard was in November which was perfect – it was quiet and peaceful. It felt like I had the whole place to myself, just the way I like it.  Ah, I digress……back to the marinade and the skewers.  Here’s the recipe and tips for putting it all together. Happy skewering!

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method

Mix all ingredients and marinate your grilling choice in a large plastic container, covered and refrigerated. Makes 2 cups.

When you are making skewers, cut the meats and vegetables to similar sizes so they will cook evenly.  If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before assembling skewers so they don’t burn on the grill (if the skewers are going in the oven you don’t need to soak wooden skewers).  Alternate the meats and vegetables on the skewers.

Rules of Thumb

1) Marinade tougher meats or large cuts for 1-2 days.
2) Marinate smaller or more tender cuts of meat or poultry from 1-8 hours
3) Marinate large cuts of fish up to 1 hour. 
4) If you use the marinade for fish, omit the red wine vinegar.
5) Have fun!

Variations

1) Use a different vinegar such as balsamic, sherry, or rice wine.
2) Use different herbs such as chervil, tarragon, or cilantro.
3) Sweeten it with brown sugar or honey.
4) Spice it up with crushed red pepper flakes, minced jalapeno, or other fresh hot peppers.
5) Make a side dressing of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and minced herbs to brush on after cooking (as shown in photo).

Asparagus Panzanella

Spring fever in Doug and Kelley's asparagus patch.

Spring fever in Doug and Kelley’s asparagus patch. Arm yourself with a sharp knife and a healthy appetite.

As we come up on the one year anniversary of Bring It! we’re shaking it up a little (just a little, I promise) with the Ingredient of the Month. We pick something seasonal and feature it in a few posts that month. It’s not rocket science, but it’s progress. May’s ingredient is asparagus. We’re already getting to the end of the month but the tenacious winter kept those spears in hiding for quite some time. Now they’re out and those lucky enough (and smart enough) to have their own asparagus patch quite literally have their hands full.

Doug and Kelley Lewis are among the lucky/smart ones. Doug affirms that asparagus is indeed hard to start/plant, “but after two years of waiting for the roots to properly build, the harvests every spring are awesome. We got over 100 stalks just today!!!” Their typical spring dinner is grilled asparagus (preferably a bit scorched and black) with rice and cut veggies or grilled sweet potatoes as sides. Preferred cooking method is to lightly oil the spears with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and throw them naked on the grill. “Steaming is easy, fast and inside,” says Doug. “Just sprinkle with a bit of salt and/or a squeeze of lemon. And they are yummy in scrambled eggs.”

Too much asparagus is a good problem to have, especially when you know about Asparagus Panzanella. Panzanella is one of those genius dishes that almost makes you feels like you’re cheating by calling it a meal—like eating cereal for dinner but way better. It’s basically a salad of toasted bread and whatever combination of fresh herbs and vegetables makes you happy. Pharrell Williams dancing-in-the-kitchen happy.

Naked Guns—pure, clean asparagus ready to grill.

Naked Guns—pure, clean asparagus ready to grill.

The Holy Grail of Panzanella’s is Ina Garten’s classic, so I used her method for toasting up the bread. Whereas hers uses cucumbers, tomatoes and basil, this one uses asparagus,  ricotta salata and spicy greens. You can go peas, mint and parm, or cilantro, corn and avocados. You get the picture.  

Taste-wise ricotta salata is sort of a mild feta with good structural integrity. Look at this as a way not only to eat bread for dinner but also to use whatever fresh stuff you have on hand. You can boil, roast or grill the asparagus.

Asparagus Panzanella

Adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

Asparagus Panzanella

The Food and Wine version of this feast. Let’s just double the bread shall we? Now we’re talking!

4 large eggs
2 pounds fat asparagus, peeled (if using thinner asparagus just trim or snap off the tough ends)
3 Tbsp good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups packed young mustard greens or chicory (or arugula)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 lb ricotta salata, thinly sliced or crumbled
1 watermelon radish or 2 large red radishes, very thinly sliced

For the Vinaigrette

1 Garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Put the eggs in a saucepan of water and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Simmer for 6 minutes. Drain the saucepan and fill it with cold water. Crack the eggs all over and let stand in the water for 1 minute. Peel and thickly slice the eggs; the yolks will be barely cooked but not runny.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed. (Bread cubes can be toasted earlier in the day and left a room temp, and covered for God’s sake so nobody scarfs them down.)

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Cook asparagus until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to ice bath. Drain; place on a clean kitchen towel. (alternatively toss asparagus in olive oil and grill or roast). Cut stalks into fork-friendly pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together.
In a large bowl, toss the asparagus, toasted bread, greens, onion and cheese. Drizzle with the dressing, toss, taste, and adjust to desired dressy-ness. Let sit a few minutes for bread to absorb dressing. Garnish with the eggs and radish and serve.

Bring It!

This is a genius option to bring to a friend’s house, a picnic or a Drive-In. All the elements—toasted bread, veggies, dressing and cheese—can be prepped in advance, packaged separately and assembled on site.

Please do note that this is more method than recipe. Experiment with combinations that you like in other dishes or whatever fresh veggies and cheese you like and have on hand. Again, it’s toasted garlic bread for dinner. Don’t fight this. It’s all good!

Jerk Ribs

What a way to kick off the grilling season!

What a way to kick off the grilling season!

Okay, not the post you would expect from a vegetarian, but my meat-eating boys love these ribs.  They ask for them repeatedly.  And every time I serve to guests or bring anywhere, I get asked for the recipe.  These puppies are good (so I’ve been told!).  Plus, what is easier than mixing some spices in a jar, rubbing it onto the meat, and throwing the whole mess in the oven or onto the grill. It really doesn’t get any easier than that.  You can prep these ribs in about 5 minutes and that is it.

So, this post is about as quick and easy as the recipe – enjoy!

Ingredients

2  lbs pork loin back ribs
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or preheat grill to medium low. In small jar with tight fitting lid, shake together all dry ingredients until well mixed.  Rub dry mixture onto all surfaces of ribs.  Make a container for ribs by taking double layer of heavy duty foil just large enough to hold ribs; crimp edges to make 1” sides. Place ribs on shallow baking pan with rack and bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Or place on grill for same amount of time. Cut into 1 rib portions. Serve!

Polenta with Kale, Balsamic, & Goat Cheese

Stir, stir, stir for a creamy consistency

Stir, stir, stir for a creamy consistency

My friend Teresa is not only a great cook, but she is also my food emergency hotline. If I’m in the kitchen and things are going awry, it is Teresa I get on the line.  She can talk me through any kitchen disaster with her simple tips and tricks.  Teresa has been cooking Italian and teaching Italian for many years.  She is brilliant in the kitchen no matter what the meal, and truly a shining star when it comes to Italian cooking. Teresa wrote a book called Pass the Polenta and so I thought it only appropriate dedicate this post to her.

As Teresa says, “Food is not merely about calories and minimum daily requirements and metabolic pathways.  At its very heart food is about people.” 

I love that quote. At Bring It blog, we are also all about people. Who wants to create all this great food and not have people to share it with, right?  So, bring some polenta and enjoy with friends.  I topped this recipe with sautéed kale, goat cheese, with a balsamic drizzle, but you can top with anything such as ratatouille, chicken stew, roasted vegetables, and the list goes on.

Il cibo è molto meglio con gli amici!

Savory Polenta

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
3 Tbsp unsalted butter (I use Earth Balance butter substitute)
1 1/2 tsp salt (I cut back on this amount because the Earth Balance butter substitute is salted)Couple grinds of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large, oven-safe saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and salt and sauté until onions are soft and translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.

Turn up heat to high and add vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil. Gradually add cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all cornmeal has been added, cover the pan and place in oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps from forming.  Once mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add butter, salt and pepper to taste.  Gradually add Parmesan, mix completely. 

Serve as is or pour into 8″ x 8″ or 9″ x 9″ baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Place in refrigerator to cool completely.  Once set, re-heat in 350 degree oven until warmed through, approximate 30 minutes.

Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients

1 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey

Method

Bring Balsamic vinegar and honey to a boil in a small saucepan.  Once boiling, turn burner to low and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes.  Sauce should reduce by about half or until desired thickness. 

Sautéed Kale

Ingredients

1 large bunch of kale
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper 

Method

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan.  Turn down heat to medium-low, add kale, salt and pepper.  Sauté kale until wilted and soft, approximate 7-8 minutes.  Turn off heat.

Final Preparation

Take warm polenta out of oven, place kale over top of polenta and drizzle with Balsamic sauce.  Crumble goat cheese on top, cut and serve.  Yum, yum, yum!

Makes for a warm comforting side dish

Makes for a warm comforting side dish

Bombproof Mac and Cheese

Bombproof mac and cheese

Still chili? A little cranky even? Crunchy-topped mac and cheese to the rescue!

Here it is, the end of March, and we’re still in search of comfort food. Well, I for one will take depressing rain at the end of March over depressing rain in February any day! All well and good, but it leaves us with depressing rain. Which leaves us with a need for mac and cheese. My kids would argue that this need is equally urgent in any season. Their gold standard for homemade mac and cheese involves the crunchy breadcrumbs on top and absolutely no green of any kind. Boys, as long as we hold the parsley your ship has come in.

This recipe comes straight from a fellow ski racer Mom in Colorado who frequently finds herself with a houseful of hungry teenagers. As she says, “The true beauty of this is that two ski race dads dumped the whole casserole in a crock pot at Winter Park and served it for lunch with a ladle into plastic cups—genius!” Dads in a ski lodge dishing out hot food into plastic cups? I am so in! Thank you Tania (who clearly knows that parsley can be a deal killer) and I hope you are seeing some sun out in Colorado.

 And now, we bring you…

Bombproof No-Boil Mac and Cheese   

From Bon Appetit, by way of our Rocky Mtn correspondent Tania

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter divided
1/4 flour
3 cup whole milk
3 cups water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lb elbow mac (or bigger tubes like rigatoni, medium shells, etc)
2 cups shredded cheddar divided
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup panko
2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley (never used it)

Method

Preheat oven to 400.

Melt 1/4 c butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add flour whisking constantly for 1 min. Whisk in milk and 3 c water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook, whisking often, for 10 min.  It should be a thin glossy sauce. Add salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

Toss pasta and 1 1/2 cups of cheese in a 3 quart baking dish.  Pour sauce over pasta.  It should be submerged.  Don’t stir.  Cover with foil and bake 20 min.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 c butter in large skillet over med heat.  Add garlic, panko and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove foil from dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover with panko mixture.
Bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes or until pasta is tender, edges are bubbling and top is golden brown.

Mexican Lasagna

Crowd pleasing for sure!

Crowd pleasing for sure!

I love Mexican food!  Well, everything except for the Chimichanga – why you’d fry all that wonderful food is a mystery to me. But other than that, Mexican is way at the top of my list.  This recipe for Mexican lasagna is great and super easy.  Tortillas replace the normal lasagna noodle, salsa replaces the normal red sauce, and jack cheese replaces the normal mozzarella.  You can add anything from ground beef to lots of veggies (that’s me!) to many different kind of Tex Mex sides….think black beans, corn, chili peppers, and lots of cilantro.  Plus you can make this to bring anywhere.   Don’t forget to bring a small bottle of hot sauce for those that want to ramp up the spice.  I eat this lasagna with a bottle of chipotle Cholula hot sauce in one hand and a fork in the other.  Bueno!

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cilantro
4 scalllions, coarsely chopped
10 oz fresh baby spinach
 8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cup of your favorite salsa (Green Mountain Gringo Medium is the only kind I buy!)
2 cups pepper jack cheese 

Method

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   

2) Coat bottom of baking pan with oil or cooking spray.

3) Spread 1/2 cup of salsa on the bottom of the pan and cover with tortillas (they will overlap).

4) Layer with cilantro, scallions, spinach, beans, cheese, salsa.  Try to divide the fillings so that you have enough for 2 layers plus some cheese to sprinkle on top. Once you’ve put down one layer, start your second layer with tortillas and then add the fillings. End with cheese on top.

5) Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes; remove foil and continue baking until golden 15-20 minutes more. Cool 5 minutes before serving if your crowd can wait!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed and ready to eat!

Stuffed and ready to eat!

I’ve never made stuffed peppers.  It seemed like something my family would have no interest in. Then we went to a friend’s house for dinner recently and he made stuffed peppers. Well, you would have thought I was holding out on my family for all these years! When they tasted the stuffed peppers, they turned to me and said, “Why don’t you ever make these”?  And so, this recipe immediately went on the list of things to make and bring anywhere!   I now make stuffed peppers, stuffed zucchini, stuffed acorn squash and anything else I can stuff on a regular basis. I use brown rice, cous cous, quinoa (as in this recipe) and I mix it up with meat and veggie so everyone is happy.  My family and friends love them and what a great way to add another vegetable to the meal.  Plus, how easy is this recipe?

Ingredients

4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
4 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 15 oz can chick peas
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Grated sharp cheese (optional)

Method

1) Cut peppers in half lengthwise by cutting right through the top of the pepper and the stem.  Scoop out seeds and inner membrane from pepper but leave the stem (this will help hold the pepper together when you stuff it).
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place halved peppers cut side down on a large baking sheet. Cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes, or until peppers begin to soften.
3) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Sauté onions and carrots for 5-7 minutes.  Add curry powder, garam masala, and ginger and cook 1 minute.  Stir in chick peas and cooked quinoa until they are warm.  Mix in raisins and peanuts if using.
4) Fill each pepper half with 3/4 cup quinoa mixture. Top with cheese if using. Re-cover and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes until cheese or top starts to brown.