Stuffed Peppers

A sweet & spicy surprise. I don't usually care for bell peppers, but this one left me giddy. And it filled me up plenty. So I had another one the next day.

1) Cut 1/2 inch off the top of four bell peppers & remove the seeds. Then steam the peppers for 5-8 minutes.

2) Saute 1/3 cup chopped onion & two minced cloves of garlic.

3) Then add 2 medium chopped tomatoes, one minced jalapeno pepper, parsley, oregano, cumin, salt & one bay leaf. Cook for five minutes.

4) Add two cups corn & two cups black beans, then simmer for ten minutes.

5) Stand peppers up in dish then stuff with mixture, removing the bay leaf.

6) Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella or Parmesan. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes.

It was a cooler sort of evening so we strolled over to a nearby park & went for an explore. The world seemed bright, but the vision of these bright red veggies kept floating into my head.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Chris Garneau- Fireflies

Zucchini Garden Chowder

A creamy & rich soup featuring the zucchini.

Probably my favorite soup from Simply in Season so far.

This recipe could easily feed 8 people.

Melt in soup pot two tbsp butter or margarine.

Add & saute until tender: two medium chopped zucchini, one medium chopped onion, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 tbsp fresh).

Stir in: 1/3 cup flour, salt & pepper.

Gradually stir in three cups of water.

Add & bring to a boil: 3 vegetable bouillon cubes & 1 tsp lemon juice.

Reduce heat & cook two minutes stirring often.

Add & return to a boil: two cups chopped tomatoes, 1.5 cups evaporated milk, & two cups corn.

Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for five minutes.

Just before serving add two cups shredded cheddar. Garnish with Parmesan.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

The Horn the Hunt- Old Town Cow

Stoplight Salad

A festive dish. It added some zing & colour to a dreary evening. Definitely a keeper. I love corn & black beans. Especially with just a bit of citrus & crunchy peppers.

Mix together two cups each: corn, tomatoes, black beans.

Add: one medium green bell pepper & one medium red bell pepper, chopped. Also some chopped fresh cilantro.

Whisk together: three tbsp olive oil, a dash of lemon juice (or lime juice/ vinegar), salt, & one minced clove of garlic.

Pour olive oil mixture over the rest. Mix together with slotted spoon.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Love and some Verses- Iron and Wine

Southwestern Corn Chowder

A fresh & festive bowl of soup on a cool-pleasant eve. It suggests variants such as black beans or chicken. These both sound like they have great potential to me.

Saute: 1/2 cup chopped onion in olive oil until soft.

Add & Cook for ten minutes: 2-3 cups corn & 3 cups broth.

Chop & Stir in: one medium red sweet pepper & one small tomato.

Garnish: lime juice & finely chopped cilantro.

We sprinkled a bit of cayenne on top, & my husband had his with crumbled tortilla chips.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

The Aliens- The Sunlamp Show

Corny Cornbread

This Simply in Season cornbread was smooth & the flavors were spot on. Spicy-corny sweetness with a golden-crisp crust.

However, honey was in order & sadly nowhere to be found. & if you desire a traditional or crumbly bread we recommend trying more milk & nixing the plain yogurt.

Combine: 2 cups cornmeal, 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, & 1 tsp baking soda.

Mix in: 2 cups milk, yogurt, or combination & 3 beaten eggs.

Optionally, Mix in: 2 cups corn & 1 tsp minced hot or mild green chilies.

Pour into greased 2.5 quart casserole or fry pan & bake at 350 until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. (It was about an hour for us. Start checking around forty minutes, though!)

My brother really helped me out with this one, so much so I feel he deserves the credit for this dish.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Neutral Milk Hotel- King of Carrot Flowers Part 1-3

Taco Soup... A Basic Chili

As you may know, my husband & I love a good chili. Chili being defined by us as a tomato soup with beans & beef, which this is.

As an added bonus, I used some dried kidney beans. I bought them several weeks back, but they always get left behind for canned beans. The canned alternative being easier & only marginally pricier. However, with how much we also love beans, for us dried beans are actually the most cost-effective & I would claim tastier choice.

However, I messed up & did not remember to soak them the night before. So instead I quick-soaked them (boiling them for two minutes then soaking them for two hours) & then I cooked them on low heat in the chili for two hours. Usually the cook time would be about ten minutes. So you can see my bean-dilemma now.

This soup would typically take less than half an hour to make, & easily feed six people.

1. Brown one pound of beef with one small chopped onion.

2. Add six cups of tomato juice, two cups corn, two cups kidney beans.

3. Season with chili powder. I would also recommend cumin & /or cinnamon for the adventuresome. And, of course, garlic.

4. Simmer ten minutes.

We served it with the crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese, & a dollop of plain yogurt.

All in all a vibrant & vivacious bowl of soup.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time):

(& the video is pretty sweet, too!)

Johnny Flynn- The Write And the Writ