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.

Rosemary Pork with Mushrooms and Rice May 12, 2009

This dish works wonderfully with beef as well. Get the meat already cut into small cubes or strips, and marinate it over night. You’ll need: 300-400 gr meat, 7-10 white (or a combination of white, wild and portabella) mushrooms, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tsp parsley, salt, pepper, cooking wine, 1 minced onion, 1/2 cup rice, 3-4 sundried tomatoes.

Instructions:

1. For the marinade: in a cup, mix thoroughly some 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp cooking wine, the minced garlic cloves, the fresh rosemary and thyme (make sure you chop them to release the flavor), the parsley,  salt and pepper. Pour over meat and let stand in the fridge for 3 -24 hrs.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil into a big frying pan, then fry the meat (make sure you pour all the marinade) for 5 minutes. Remove from stove, and remove the meat.
3. Add into the remaining juices the mushrooms, cut into pieces. Return to stove, and add cooking wine. Lower the heat (under medium) and put a lid on to get the juices from the mushrooms out. Mix every 2-3 minutes.
4. When there’s plenty of juice in the pan, pour everything into a pot, add the meat and cook until everything is tender (for some 10-20 minutes).
5. In a small cup, soak 3-4 sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes.
6. In a separate pot, heat a bit of olive oil and fry the finely chopped onion for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add 1/2 cup of rice and a bit of cooking wine.  Stir and leave for a few seconds, then add 2 cups of water (or stock if you have any). Add the soaked tomatoes.
7. When the rice is soft, put it in the same pot with the meat and the mushrooms and let on the stove for 5 more minutes. If there’s not enough liquid, add some cooking wine and some water/ stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Risotto January 19, 2009

I had to cook something really quick last night: risotto always does the trick. It works with any type of rice, but I used the plain white one.

Ingredients:1 onion, oil, 1 cup of rice, 1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots, 2 sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup white wine (cooking wine), 1 maggie cube, salt, pepper, basil. Optional: you can add some grated cheese (parmegiano works best, but substitute with anything else you have in the fridge).

Instructions:

1. Finely cut onion and fry it in a pot with just a bit of olive oil.  Put the 2 sundried tomatoes in a small cup and cover them with hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Add rice and frozen peas and carrots, and stir for 1 minute.
3. Pour wine.  Stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add some 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Add 1 maggie cube (or a bit of vegeta), salt and pepper. Cover and let boil for some 20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
5. Add basil. If rice is not tender, add some 1/2 cup water and let it absorb. My advice is to keep on stiring at this point, cause rice tends to stick on the bottom of the pan.