Poblanos Stuffed With Cheddar & Chicken

We have been in a mood lately for Stuffed Peppers since we have 7 Plants 100’s of Peppers from Jalapeno’s, Anaheim, Serrano, Green & Red Bell Peppers and Poblanos!  This dish was amazing to eat and beautiful to look at!  The pictures just did not do it justice.  Poblano Peppers as I have also seen in the stores labeled: Ancho Chili’s (it may be just me but they look the same) have a mild to medium heat and are awesome stuffed.  I just can not say it enough, you just have to try them! I found this recipe at Fine Cooking, read all of the reviews and went to work on making them.

We topped them off with a Tomatillo Avocado Salsa loaded with our home grown Jalapeno’s.  Unbelievable!  I followed the recipe mostly… I can not help myself from making little changes.  I think they were for the better.

Pablanos Stuffed with Cheddar and Chicken

4 Pablano Chiles
2 Medium Tomatoes Quartered
1/2 White or Yellow Onion Quartered
2 Cloves Garlic Quartered
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil
2  Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken (I used Chicken Breasts)
1 1/2 Cups Cooked White Rice (Made in Rice Cooker)
2 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese (I used 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar and 1 cup pepper jack)
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1/2 Medium size Lime
Generous pinch of cinnamon

Heat oven to Broil and line baking sheet with foil.  Slice each pepper fro the stem to the tip and place on baking sheet under broiler for 5-8 minutes turning every few minutes to make sure they are blackened on all sides.  Take chilies out and cool until you can handle them. Then take a spoon and scoop out the seeds and core, peel off blackened skin and discard.  Spray Casserole dish with olive oil and place peppers in and wait to stuff!

At this time I tuned on my rice cooker to get the rice going as you start on the filling, you do not want it sitting around getting cold. 

In Food Processor: puree tomatoes, onion, garlic oregano, cumin, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of salt.  Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add puree and cook until most liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks thick, stir constantly.   Add Chicken and continue to stir to heat thoroughly.  Remove from heat, add rice and 1 cup pepper jack (if using two different kinds) and 1/ of the Cheddar.  Stir to combine, add cilantro and lime juice then season with salt and pepper.  Stuff all four Pablano peppers to heaping (mine were) and then place in oven and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Add the last cup of Cheddar cheese on top of Stuffed Chilies and return to oven and place on broil for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve Immediately!!!!!

We served it with a Tomatillo Avocado Salsa LOADED with Jalapeno’s from the garden.  I think I used about 10!  I am Posting that next!  Again I used a recipe found on the internet then…made it to our taste.  Surprisingly it was not that hot considering all the Jalapenos.  The Tomatillo’s and Avavocado seemed to mellow it out.  I cannot wait to serve them to guests!  This was truly outstanding!!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Bagels

We have added a few new favorite flavors to our morning bagels.  After my last visit to the local bagel shop, I spotted a few I just knew we would love and I could make them with our own array of peppers growing in the backyard.

This is the finished product!  In the back are the Everything Bagels with Parmesan Cheese (my personal favorite), which are another new addition in the favorite category.  We have been growing our own peppers for a couple of years now and we used the Cajan Bell Peppers fro these.  They are miniature Green Bell peppers which pack a huge punch.  The may be a little hotter than the Jalapeno so I decided to use them both.  They turned out awesome!!  Check out pictures of the Pepper Plant, this plant is 2 years old and we picked 8  nice size peppers yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Just start with this simple Bread Machine Bagel Recipe from All Recipes.com.  I featured it here Bread Machine Bagels.

• 1 Cup warm water

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

• 2 Tablespoons granulated Sugar

• 3 Cups Flour

• 2 1/4 Active Dry Yeast or 1 packet

Turn on your Bread cycle and let the machine do all the work!  After the cycle ends, pull out the dough and shape into a ball.  I Let it rise for about 40 minutes.  Cut dough into six equal pieces and knead into a smooth ball.  Push your thumb through the center and start stretching the center until you have a good size  round rope going.  Place all six on floured board to rise another 30-40 minutes.

 

Boil a large  pot of water and add 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar.   Preheat oven to 500, yes 500 degree’s.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper (for the easy cleanup) sprinkle cornmeal o it so the bagels will not stick and get your toppings ready as well.  Drop 2 bagels at a time into the boiling water for 30 seconds then flip and continue to boil for an additional 30 seconds.  Remove from water and place on folded dishcloth to drain.  Repeat with the other 4 bagels in 2 more steps.  Once the bagels have drained, place on the baking sheet.

I use milk to brush on the tops as mine are Egg Free.  No need for all that mess either.  Then get creative!

 

Bake at 500 for 5 minutes then turn baking sheet 180 degree’s and put back in oven and reduce temp to 450 degree’s. Continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.  Then they are ready to come out!

There you have it!  I made 3 Jalapeno/Cheddar and 2 Everything Bagels with Parmesan Cheese and 1 Sesame Seed, well just because they are so good just like that.  Let them cool and store in a bag in the fridge since they have dairy on them (I am a freak about that stuff).  We bought a bagel slicer, fondly known around here as the “Guillotine”  at Bed Bath and Beyond.  It is handy and no one gets cut!

Enjoy!

Grilled Caprese Sandwich with Broiled Beefsteak Herbed Tomato’s

OH MY was this good!!!

Grilled Caprese Sandwich with Broiled Tomato's

I decided to combine a few different recipe idea’s and come up with a new Sandwich which turned out to be a HUGE hit!  I started surfing one of my favorite food blogs, The Noble Pig, and found this recipe http://noblepig.com/2011/05/21/basil-spaghetti-with-cheesy-broiled-tomatoes.aspx.   I have been craving anything Caprese lately since the Reluctant Entertainer featured on her Friday Roundup, on July 29th, the Caprese several different ways.  One of the recipe’s was my Caprese Wrap!! http://reluctantentertainer.com/2011/07/re-friday-round-up-caprese-salad-served-many-ways/.

SO here is the new sandwich after I added the Balsamic and before the cut.

Grilled Caprese

I started with 2 Beefsteak Tomato’s cut into thick slices (3 each tomato), sprayed a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet, seasoned the slices with salt, pepper and a little oregano.  Then chopped a small amount of fresh mozzarella and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.  Popped them under the broiler for 3 minutes.  Here they are sliced and seasoned

Sliced and Seasoned

For the each Sandwich:
Deli sliced bread of your choice
3 thin slices of Prosciutto
3 thin slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
1 thin slice of Havarti Cheese

Heat non stick skillet to medium high,  place the Mozzarella on one slice of bread and the Havarti on the other with the Prosciutto in the middle.  Grill until cheese starts to melt and bread is lightly grilled.  Then add:

3 Broiled Tomato’s from above
6 fresh Basil Leaves
Place back in the hot Skillet for a minute or 2 on each side to melt  together.
Then plate the sandwich and open it up and lightly sprinkle with Balsamic Vinegar to your liking.  Cut in half and enjoy!!

Chicken Salad Wrap with Creamy Italian Dressing & Havarti Cheese

This is a go-to quick and easy lunch I make often.  When I bake Chicken Breasts in my Dijon, Honey, Worcestershire Sauce and White Wine Vinegar Marinade, I ALWAYS throw a few extra in for wraps.

Chicken Salad Wrap

I used about 1/3 of a Baked Chicken Breast, Chopped for this Wrap.

Recipe for Chicken Salad Wrap with Creamy Italian Dressing and Havarti Cheese

1 Spinach Wrap Tortilla (I used Mission)
1/3 Cup chopped cooked chicken breast
2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
2 Green Onions, diced
Lettuce chopped, I used Iceberg you can use any on hand.  I used about 1 cup
2 Slices of Havarti Cheese from the Deli
2 Tbsp Marie’s Creamy Italian Dressing
Start out by laying down a sheet of wax paper and place the Spinach Wrap in top, this will make it so much easier to roll and keep those yummy ingredients inside.  First spread some cream cheese on the tortilla, then add the green onions, cheese, lettuce and chicken.  Top with the dressing, I used a small spatula.   Assemble as shown in the above pictures and roll it up!  I then cut it in half on a diagonal.  Then enjoy!

Barbacue Chicken Pizza on Lavash From Trader Joe’s

This Pizza was so good.  The thin Lavash makes perfect crust!  I love the rectangle shape making so easy to cut into small square servings.

I used Rotisserie Chicken, sliced Red Onion and a large head of Roasted Garlic cloves!  Do not leave out!   Plan ahead.  Then added a Little of each Mozzarella, Fontina and Shredded Parmesan Cheese on a Sheet of Lavash with Barbacue Sauce as the base

Toppings on and ready for the oven

Preheat the oven to 400.  Lay the Sheet of Lavash on the Grill pan of cookie sheet.  Bake for 4 minutes.  Then add your Barbecue sauce and all of your topping and put back into the oven for 6-8 minutes.  (watch closely after 6 minutes).  Then…..Perfect Pizza!!   I loved it.  The Roasted Garlic really sets off the whole thing.  I add the garlic right after the sauce, that way it does not get over-cooked while Pizza is in the oven.

My first bites!

Enjoy!!

Stuffed Baby Bella Mushrooms with a 3 cheese filling and egg free!

I love these stuffed mushrooms and have delayed posting to get it just right!

3 cheese stuffed mushrooms

This is my favorite appetizer to serve with everything from Barbecue steak to anything Italian.

Baby Bella's

My local market, Sprouts.com, has the best produce and always fresh!  I have been growing my own herbs and so it made this super easy.  Here are the mushrooms stemmed and ready to fill in a buttered baking dish.  I used 2 packages of the mushrooms and lots of extra filling to make ravioli, coming soon!

Stemed and ready to fill

Stuffed and ready for the oven

Ready to serve

The best way to put these babies together is to use a food processor, does all the work.  I love these and have only heard great reviews from my guests, and the best part for me is that they are egg free!

Stuffed Baby Bella’s with 3 cheese filling

2 packages Bay Bella Mushrooms or white button (I have used both)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped ( I add it to the onion in the processor and give it whirl)
2 tablespoon fresh herbs (any mixture of rosemary,thyme ore basil, whatever you like, chopped)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumpled fresh Mozzarella cheese (you can use shredded)
1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Table spoons fresh Parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Saute olive oil, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes over medium low heat (I chopped the mushroom stems and added them to this mixture).  Cool and add to food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for a couple of minutes.  Add about 1/4 cup Italian dressing to mixture and mix for about 1 minute.  You are now ready to stuff the mushrooms.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes then tent with foil and continue to bake another 10 minutes.

You are now ready to enjoy!

Turkey Bacon Club Wrap

I have been craving a Club Sandwich for about a week now and I have not given in to my craving because I am trying to cut back on alot of bread.  I picked up some sun dried tomato wraps the other day and decided to give them a try with turkey, bacon and lettuce filling.

Turkey Club Wrap

Turkey Club Wrap

1 Sun Dried Tomato Tortilla Wrap
1-2 Tbl Whipped Cream Cheese
1 Tbl Diced Red Bell Pepper (if yu like the added flavor, I do!)
1-2 Tbl of Crumbled Bacon
A couple of shakes of Italian seasoning
5 Slices of Roma Tomato (Thin)
Baby Spinach Leaves
Iceberg or Romaine lettuce leaves
2 Thin Slices of Baby Swiss Cheese
Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast to Cover Filling

Assemble as shown.  I start with a sheet of wax paper to prepare the wrap on and when I have finished with the sliced turkey over the top, roll the wrap as tightly as you can and the roll the whole wrap in the wax paper and fold the ends.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes and the unroll and slice in half.  I sliced mine in about 1 1/2 inch slices to make it easy to eat on the run or just not as messy.  Yum!  I will definitly make this again to take to the office for lunch.

This was so good that I will make another tonight to grab in the morning for tomorrows lunch!