Choc.Zucchini Brownies

Pepper Stuffing Over Rice

A new twist of old favorite growing up,  classic Stuffed Peppers.

makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 
1 pound ground chuck
3 bell peppers diced, you can use  green or the stop light colors, your choice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon  Worcestershire  sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon ground  cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1   8 oz. can tomato sauce
Basmati  rice
Olive Oil
Freshly ground  black pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion diced
Directions:
Add 2 teaspoons Olive  oil to a med.sized skillet and brown the meat on med. heat.  Once the meat is browned set aside.
In a 5 quart pan add  2 teaspoons of  olive oil and add diced peppers ( * Reserve about a half a cup of the peppers for a garnish ) and  add the chopped onion, and the minced garlic and saute for  10 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Then add  the browned meat to the  onions and peppers and add the the salt and pepper, Worcestershire  sauce, tomato sauce and the cumin and stir and   simmer  for 15 min.
While the meat  mixture is simmering cook the* Basmati rice according to the box for  4 servings.
Once the  rice is  done,  place about 3/4 cup of rice on a plate and add a nice portion of the meat mixture on the rice and garnish with the reserved  peppers, sprinkle them over the top.

*  I like to use Basmati rice, it  is a long  grain rice and it does not get sticky.

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken chill served  with a  Havarti   Cheese Spinach  Panini

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 large 2 onion, chopped
1 pound  ground chicken
1 tsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground cumin
1 cup water
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
3 Tbs. flour
1 - 15 oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh chopped baby  spinach
1 1/2 C frozen  corn
1 -15 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

 Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add ground chicken, 1 tsp. salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Stir the flour into the chicken mixture.  Add the beans, spinach, corn and chicken stock.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping  the  bottom of the pan often with a wooden spoon,  add more oil if needed.  Simmer roughly 30 minutes on low.  Add red pepper flakes and simmer.  Ladle in bowls and top  with  mozzarella cheese.

Havarti cheese and Spinach Panini.

 In a  med  skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 2 cups of  fresh  baby spinach  and saute, just as the spinach starts to wilt take it off the heat.  If you have a Panini press get it hot and place a good whole grain bread on it , add the spinach and place 2- 3  to slices of Havarti cheese on the spinach and another slice of bread on top  and close the machine and  let it toast. If you  dont have a Panini press, you make just as you would a grilled cheese on the stove top.

Baked Beans with Brisket

These are just  the  best   beans ever and it is a slow cooker recipe.   It makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
5-15.5 ounce cans Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed
2 cups pre cooked cubed Brisket  * see note below
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup light  brown sugar
1 large yellow  chopped onion
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 can 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup  ketchup

Directions: 
Dump all ingredients  into the slow cooker and stir, pour in the rinsed and drained beans and stir again.  Place the lid and  set the slower cooker  on high for  2 hours and reduce to low for another  4 hours.  The last hour of cooking add more BBQ if needed to keep beans  from drying out.
*note...  when I cook  brisket I always save a container of about  2 cups of chopped  up brisket to put in the  freezer, to save for my  beans.  Just  set  out to thaw the  night before making the beans.

BBQ Sauce Chicken Pizza

Ingredients :

Pizza dough,  you can make your own dough or use can (13.8 oz)  refrigerated  pizza crust 

2  cups diced cooked  or grilled chicken breast 


3/4 cup drained pineapple tidbits

3/4 cup BBQ sauce

2  cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1/3  cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4  teaspoon  crushed  red pepper flakes

  

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat oven to 425°F    Spray 15x10-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.   

 If  using the  refrigerated  crust, unroll dough in pan; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle and prick with a fork over the crust.   If  using  a home made crust  place in the pan and spread out to your desired thickness. Bake about 8 minutes or until light brown.  and remove  from oven. 

Spread the  crust with BBQ  sauce  just as  you would  Pizza sauce,  place the  cooked diced chicken over the  sauce, then add the drained Pineapple,  next  the sliced red onion,  sprinkle the crushed red pepper  flakes and top with the shredded Mozzarella.                                                                                                                                Place back in the  oven and Bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is bubbly and  melted. Sprinkle with  chopped Parsley. Wait a   few minutes to cut and serve.