Tag Archives: roasted red peppers

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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I saw this on Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives (and it sounds like a lot of other people did as well because the grocery store had a mad rush on spaghetti squash). It’s a great idea really and it’s so versatile you can add whatever you like and it’ll still be a tasty dish. It even has it’s own little serving bowl (well, mine wasn’t little!). In fact, one squash was enough for two dinners for Earl and I.

I wasn’t planning on posting this, but I had requests for the recipe and this is by far easier than making several paper copies! I couldn’t get a very good picture of it, so don’t hold that against me!

I used ground turkey in this but you could always sub ground beef or make this a vegetarian meal and add no meat!

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I took a spaghetti squash, cut it in half, scraped out the seeds, topped it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted it in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

While that was cooling, I cooked 1/2 chopped onion, 1 large chopped zucchini, 1 chopped carrot, and one chopped celery stalk in a couple of tablespoons olive oil until soft. Then crumbled and browned a 1/2 a pound of ground turkey and added about 8 oz of chopped, jarred roasted red peppers.

Then stirred in about 3/4 of a 24 oz jar of marinara sauce, a tablespoon of dried basil, and a tablespoon of dried oregano. Next, scraped the spaghetti squash with a fork into the veggie and meat mixture, and seasoned with salt and pepper. I let that cook until heated through, then spooned the mixture back into the 2 halves of the squash “bowls”. Top with remaining marinara, sliced fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes covered with a piece of foil (not tightly wrapped, just resting on top), then bake for another 15 minutes with foil removed to brown up and melt the cheese.

Goes great with a glass of Pinot Noir , or two!

Turkish Red Lentil Balls

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Every now and again, my son will save the “Food” section out of the paper if there’s a recipe he finds interesting or looks good. He saved this recipe almost a year ago from The St. Augustine Record, and I was very surprised he would hold on to a recipe like this one, but he may have been referring to the carrot cake that was pictured right next to this one.

At any rate, this looked challenging as I’ve never done anything with red lentils before and am very limited with my lentil experience period. I’ve also wanted to add a vegetable category so this seemed a good one to start with.

The original recipe calls for bulgur wheat and I replaced that with quinoa to keep it gluten free. I also couldn’t find harissa paste or any kind of chili-garlic paste like the recipe suggests as a substitute, so I made up a concoction of roasted red peppers, sriracha, and garlic for the harissa.

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  • 1  cup cooked red lentils
  • 1/2  cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1  cup water
  • 2  tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle or two
  • 1  medium onion, chopped
  • 1  tbsp ground cumin
  • 2  tbsp finely diced roasted red peppers
  • 1  clove minced garlic
  • 1  tsp sriracha
  • 1  lemon
  • Butter lettuce leaves
  • Parsley

Cook red lentils to package directions.

While lentils are cooking, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until quinoa is soft and most of the water is absorbed. Stir quinoa into the lentils and set aside to cool sightly.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions 5 minutes, until soft. In a small bowl, combine red peppers, garlic, and sriracha, and mash until well combined. Stir cumin and red pepper mixture into onion, then remove to a mixing bowl.  Add lentils and quinoa to onions, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place lettuce leaves (about 25) on a serving plate, and shape a heaping spoonful of mixture into an oblong shape, and place on a single lettuce leaf. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with lemon juice.

Crab Cakes With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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I love crab cakes and hated the thought that I’d have to pass them up due to the whole “gluten free” thing! The tricky part was finding a cracker to replace the saltines that you’d normally use in crab cakes. For this, I’ve used rice crackers that I thought added a richer flavor to the cakes. Of course, if you don’t have to be gluten free, just use plain saltines instead.photo 1

Cakes:

  • 1 pound lump crab
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp zesty cajun seasoning
  • 3/4 cup finely crushed rice crackers
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in a bowl being careful not to over mix or your lumps of crab will become shredded crab. Form into 8 patties and place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

While cakes are chillin’, make the red pepper sauce.

Sauce:

  • 12 oz jarred roasted red peppers
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 5 basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Blend in oil and vinegar and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown cakes 4 at a time for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes just to finish off cooking the cakes.

To serve, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons onto a plate and top with 2 crab cakes. I served mine with some rosemary and toasted almond green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes. Just wish I didn’t have to share!

Shrimp And Grits

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A Southern tradition. I’ve had several versions of this and have yet to find one I don’t like! This is my version, taking my favorite ingredients from the Shrimp and Grits I’ve had at restaurants and from recipes I found on the internet. Sometimes I surprise even myself and with this recipe, I did just that! It was so good, I can’t wait to make it again!

I used fresh local shrimp in this dish, and I’m a firm believer that you should always buy seafood from the U.S., not the farm-raised stuff from Thailand! Not only does it taste much better, but you’re helping out an industry that has been dwindling because of the bad economy and outrageous gas prices!

For the grits:
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 8 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 lbs fresh 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz cooked Andouille sausage, chopped into half moons ( I used Johnsonville “New Orleans Brand”)
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Start the grits. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, stir in grits, and cook on low for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and roasted red peppers. Keep warm while preparing the gravy.

Place bacon in a stockpot and heat over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add onion, green pepper, and celery to the bacon grease. Cook veggies for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and the sausage. Cook until shrimp are firm and pink, then remove from the pot. Set aside and keep warm. Pour in wine then stir in the flour. Slowly stir in milk, then Cajun seasoning. Cook and stir continuously until thickened, then remove from heat. 

To plate, pour 1/4 of the grits on a plate, then 1/4 of the shrimp, then cover with gravy. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 4 servings. Enjoy!