Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes May 22, 2009

Three pepper by chefranden

Stuffed peppers and tomatoes are more easier to make than it may sound. You’ll need: 3 bell peppers, 3 large tomatoes, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, 300-400 gr. ground meat (I prefer a mixture of pork and beef, but it works well with any meat or, if vegetarian, with rice and mushrooms), basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, oil and chicken/ vegetable stock (if you don’t have stock, just dissolve 1 maggie cube in water or use vegeta).

Instructions:

1. Prepare the bell peppers and the large tomatoes: remove tops, then discard seeds (with the tomatoes, use a teaspoon and spoon out the contents). Put aside.
2. Prepare the meat: finely cut onion and fry it for 1-2 minutes in a large pan with a bit of oil. Add the garlic, finely chopped or crushed, then add the meat and stir for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and put in a large bowl. Add all the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, parsley) and salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Spoon meat mixture into hollow peppers and tomatoes (if using a mixture of rice and mushrooms, follow exactly the same steps, but do not fill your peppers and tomatoes completely, because rice will expand a bit). Place them in a cooking pot.
5. Remove skin from the remaining Roma tomatoes (put them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes), then cut and add to the pot.
6. Add stock to cover the peppers.
7. Cook on stove for 30 minutes, medium heat. After it has boiled, move to oven (350F) for some 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot with sour cream on top.

Meat Shops in Calgary April 7, 2009

Organic, free range, naturally raised… New categories for consumers concerned with genetically modified foods, growth hormones and antibiotics in their meat. I confess to getting a bit lost here. So, here’s a list of meat stores in Calgary and the labels they claim for their meat. It’s a list in progress, so feel free to suggest stores I’ve missed and to check it again and again over time…

• Second to None Meats – three stores available on 4th St SW (#3-2100 4th St SW), Macleod Trail South (7400 Macleod Trail South) and Bowness (4612 Bowness Road NW). Sells Alberta beef from the Canadian Celtic Cattle Company which is labeled ‘naturally grown’ – according to producers, this means no hormones, no steroids, no antibiotics used in the finishing period (what does that mean???). The pork is available from Broek Pork Acres and is labeled no antibiotics, no growth hormones, no animal by-products. The chicken is brought from Maple Hill farms in BC and is labeled free range, no animal by-products, no medication. The eggs are certified organic free-range. You can also find a range of home-cooked meals (I was told the meat pies and the cabbage rolls are absolutely delicious).
• Spragg’s Meat Shop at Calgary Farmers’ Market – Sells pork labeled free range – according to producers, this means raised outside, no hormones and no antibiotics in the feed (does it mean they can be injected though?). Delicious sausages and wide variety of pork meats.
• Grazin Acres at Calgary Farmers’ Market – Sells pork, chicken, turkey, duck, lamb and eggs. All labeled organic, no hormones, no growth hormones. In my opinion, cheapest organic eggs (4.99 the extra large 12 eggs pack). A small leaflet from the producers clarifies the following terms: certified organic (no growth hormones, medication, free run, fed certified organic grains), natural (no hormones and medication), free range/ run (animals raised able to walk around).
• Sun Works Farm at Calgary Farmers’ Market – Sells chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and bison. The meats are certified organic, and the eggs are organic and free range. I love the ground bison – a small pack is around $5 and it’s enough to prepare 4 servings of the meatballs I was talking about here. They also sell bones for stock, which I find useful.
• Hoven Farms at Calgary Farmers’ Market – Sells Alberta beef, certified organic – according to producers, this means no antibiotics, no artificial hormones (see comment below from producer), fed with chemicals-free grass. You can also get the beef bones for stock.
• Regina’s Fine Meats at Crossroads Market – Sells Alberta pork, chicken and a good selection of smoked meats and sausages. A poster at the shop indicates that the meat was not medicated, but doesn’t clarify what this means. The website says that the sausages have no msg, no nitrates, no binders or fillers.

Chicken Rolls with Red Onion, Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme January 23, 2009

A recipe I got from Lucullian delights. Tried it yesterday, using boneless chicken thighs. It is quite easy to make,  and you don’t need too many ingredients: 1 red onion, oil and balsamic vinegar, and thyme. A very nice taste (a bit sweet from the onion, with a nice thyme flavor) – quite a good alternative if you are bored with your usual way of cooking chicken.