Stuffed Bell Pepprs

I'm sure there are as many ways to stuff a bell pepper as there are colors, shapes, and sizes of them. I tried this last night and it was delicious!

Brown 1 coarsely chopped red onion and several cloves of minced garlic in a small amount of olive oil until well browned....be patient, this brings out the flavor.

Add 1 lb. ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 1/2 cups hummus-any variety. Stir until well combined and heated through.

Cut off the tops of 6 medium bell peppers and clean out the seeds and membranes. Rinse and allow to dry.

Generously stuff peppers allowing filling to form a small mound on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Bread and Sausage Stuffing

I tried this recipe from the Williams Sonoma cookbook, Entertaining, and loved it! It's definitely what's going inside our bird this Thanksgiving....(o.k. I confess, I don't put the stuffing inside the turkey, so technically it's called dressing)

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf sourdough French bread, about
  1 lb., cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings
  removed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green portions,
  chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper,
  to taste

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (can be made ahead and stored in ziploc bag)

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sausage, onion, leek, celery and sage and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat browns and is cooked through and the vegetables are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and fold in the bread cubes, parsley and half-and-half. Stir in the stock until the mixture is evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely before stuffing into the cavities of the turkey.

If cooking outside of the bird, put in greased 9x13 inch pan. You can make the day ahead and refrigerate.

On the day you want to eat, removed from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Bake covered at 350 degrees until very hot in  the middle, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and let it get slightly browned for the last few minutes. 

 Serves 8 to 10.

The Best Lasagna. Ever.

This recipe (and it's title) comes from The Pioneer Woman, but I would have to agree that it might just be the BEST lasagna I've ever had... Not to mention, the easiest one I've ever made. I made it a bit healthier by using ground turkey instead of ground beef (you can't tell the difference once it's all put together), eliminating the sausage (it tasted just as good without) and by using non-fat cottage cheese. It was delicious straight out of the oven and even more tasty the next day as leftovers (and the next and the next... it goes along way when there is only two of us!)

Ingredients

• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• 1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes (I used diced)
  
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• ½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
• (add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:
Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.