'Tis the season for Stuffed Peppers!

Yummo Stuffed Peppers (give yourself some prep time unless you have a prep chef, then give him/her enough time)

6 medium green peppers (1.5 lbs) that are stable enough to stand up on their own
1/2 C chopped celery
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 C chopped onion
1 can (1 lb. 3 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

Cut off tops of peppers; remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portion of tops; set aside. Wash peppers. Place peppers in large kettle with 2 quarts salted water. Bring to boiling: cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. drain peppers and set aside upside down to drain water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In hot butter in medium skillet, saute chopped green pepper, onion, celery until tender (5 min.) Add tomatoes, tom. sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Simmer, uncovered 10 min. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, remaining salt and pepper, and worc. sauce. Beat to blend. Add beef, rice and 1-2 cups tomato mixture, mixing well.

Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Place in 9x13 casserole pan. Pour remaining tomato mixture over peppers. Bake, uncovered 1 hr.

Pst...I like to double the topping mixture (celery, sauce, basil, salt, onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, pepper) so there is more to add to the meal as you eat it. Also, I cook the beef first and then only bake it until the top looks cooked (30 min?)

Enjoy!!!

Hamburger Soup

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 lb. hamburger-precooked
32 oz. beef broth
1 packet dry onion soup
4 carrots sliced
1/4 chopped celery
1/4 parsley or 2 Tbs. dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
black pepper to taste
2 C water

Add all ingredients to a pot, simmer 45 min.
-throw in potatoes if you wish..add more carrots, broth, veg. as needed

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

1 stick of butter @ room temperature
1 cup + 2 T flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup of either greek yogurt, applesauce, or peanut butter (or a combo of the three adding up to 1/3 cup)
1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy (3 min)
2. Beat in yogurt/applesauce/pb and vanilla
3. In separate bowl, whisk flour, bkg soda and salt
4. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar until incorporated
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Scoop on to wax paper (i just do it directly on the cookie sheet)
7. Freeze

Granola

8-9 c. rolled oats

1 c. sunflower seeds

1 c. walnut pieces (or pecans or any other nut--I usually don't include this 'cause I don't have it on hand typically. I might substitute for pumpkin seeds instead or just leave it out.)

1 c. whole or slivered almonds (I like slivered)

1 c. shredded or grated coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

any other nuts or seeds you want

Dressing:

1 c. honey (or I will do a combo of maple syrup and honey like half and half or all maple syrup if I don't have any honey)

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 c. water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You can add cinnamon or nutmeg, but I never have

Mix together all dry ingredients; mix together dressing. Pour dressing over dry ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly coated. Pour into two large baking dishes with sides--spread evenly. Bake for one hour in a slow oven @ 300 degrees. Stir every 15 minutes for the first 45 minutes then every 5 minutes for the last 15 minutes. It can quickly go from almost done to overdone so watch it carefully when it's getting close to an hour. Bake longer for more crunch or shorter for less crunch. Remove from oven, let cool. Makes about 1 gallon of granola.

breakfast frittata...or a quiche without a crust..whatev

Ingredients:
1 brick of chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (or, if you pre-chopped, about 1 cup of onion)
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1tbsp)
9 large eggs (and you’ll use the yolk too!)
2 tbsp milk
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 oz goat cheese (I didn't use this because I don't like goat cheese)

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain spinach and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and parmesan cheese. Once combined, add in sun-dried tomatoes and salt and pepper. In a skillet, sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat (about 2 minutes, or until translucent), add minced garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add spinach. In a pre-greased muffin pan, or 8 x 11 pan add spinach mixture to fill cups about one-third to half-way. Pour egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle goat cheese over the top of each “muffin” and put in the oven for 10 minutes or until egg mixture appears puffy and golden. Remove from oven and enjoy!

sausage n' cabbage "noodles" and fried apples

I tried this with ground turkey because I didn't have pork..still good..plan to try pork next time...from everydaypaleo blog/website

Sausage N’ Cabbage “Noodles”

1 lb mild Italian pork sausage or other ground meat of your choice

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ head or 5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

2 tablespoons grass fed butter (or ghee, or coconut oil)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ teaspoon paprika

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

In a large skillet brown the sausage. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the same pan with the sausage drippings and add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown a bit. Add the cabbage and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and “noodle-y.” Add the sausage back to the pan, add the spices, mix well and serve! Serves 4.

Fried Apples

3-4 small organic apples, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

¼ cup raisins

½ tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons canned full fat coconut milk

In a medium sized saute pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the apples and saute for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Add the raisins and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the cinnamon, mix well and add the coconut milk. Stir the coconut milk in with the apples just until warm and serve. Serves 4.

Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

http://annies-eats.net/2010/05/03/grilled-chicken-fajitas/

Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp. brown sugar
1 jalapeño, seeded, ribbed and diced
1½ tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (6 halves total)
1 large red onion (about 14 oz.), sliced into ½-inch thick slices, rings not separated (or sweet onion)
2 large bell peppers (about 10 oz. each), stemmed, quartered and seeded
8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade; set aside. Place the chicken breast halves in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

For a gas grill, light all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave one burner on high and turn the rest down to medium.

Remove the chicken breast halves from the marinade and transfer to the hotter side of the grill; discard the left over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers on the cooler side of the grill. Cook the chicken until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it is no longer pink inside (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160˚ F.)

Meanwhile, cook onions and peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In 2 or 3 batches, transfer the tortillas in a single layer to the now empty grill on the cooler side. Cook until warm and lightly browned, about 20 seconds per side. When the tortillas are done, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil.

Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl. Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into ¼-inch strips and add them to the bowl with the onions. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved unused marinade and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade in another bowl. Arrange the chicken and vegetables on a large platter with the warmed tortillas and serve.

Note: Have toppings prepped ahead of time. When grilling and then quickly cutting the vegetables and chicken afterward, it’s fast work. Keeping everything covered with foil or wrapped in foil keeps all parts of fajitas hot during meal.