Stuffed Pepper Casserole

I love stuffed green peppers. Love them. When we were first married I'd make them about once a month. After we had our first child it was more like once a year. After our second, I realized that I missed them soooo much, but that they were just too time consuming for me. So I tweaked things, and made it into a casserole, with a few less steps.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 large Green Peppers, diced
• 1 lb ground meat (I usually use sausage or hamburger)
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (or maybe it's 14.5 oz, whatever normal regular size)
• 1 14 oz can of spicy tomatoes (there was a store here that used to sell a diced tomatoes with green chilis that was fabulous!)
• 1 1/2 C rice (I use 1 c white rice, and 1/2 c brown)
• 2 C water
• Worcestershire sauce
• basil
• oregano

1. In a frying pan cook together meat, onion, and about 1/3-1/2 of the green peppers. Cook until meat is browned. 
2. Add in tomatoes (undrained), water, and rice.
3. Add seasoning. I really don't measure, but I would say I use between 2-4 T of Worcestershire, depending on mood. And about 2 tsp each of basil and oregano. 
4. Stir together, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and let cook until rice is tender. Between 15-20 minutes. 
5. Preheat oven to 375. (I do this as I add the seasoning, because my oven takes forever to heat up).
6. Spray with oil a large casserole dish. Mine is glass. 
7. Layer bottom of dish with the rest of the green peppers (bet you thought I forgot about them).
8. When rice is done, add into the dish. 
9. Cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes.

Yummy!

The reason I split the green peppers is because I like the meat flavored with them (and if you get sausage in Western NY you know you HAVE to cook it with peppers and onions, or it doesn't taste right). But I still want the crunch of the green peppers, that you wouldn't get if they had all been simmering in the pan the whole time. 
I also used to stir the second half of the green peppers in, but it was hard because my pan wasn't big enough. Now I like it this way. I can guarantee that everywhere is getting the same amount, and it takes me seconds compared to minutes to do. Plus it's an easy, fun job for a child to do. 
If you aren't milk free I suppose you could melt cheese on top, but seriously it's very flavorful and the cheese just masks the flavor. 


This is great in December. It's red and green.

Work in Progress: BLT Soup

A few years ago I had BLT soup in a restaurant. And I loved it! I searched online for similar recipes. I found BLT soup recipes, but none that were like the one I had. So fine, I'll just try to figure it out myself.
The biggest problem I am having is it coming out too sweet from the soy milk. I think I'll try it with a different milk, just haven't decided which to try next.
Now, alot of the time I don't measure, and this is one of those times. So bear with me.

Ingrediants:

• 1 lb bacon
• 1/2 - 1 head lettuce, I like green leaf, but any will do
• 6 tomatoes, or use some grape, or roma, or use less with a larger tomato, only rule is it to use fresh, not canned
• bacon drippings
• parsley
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper
• flour
• milk alternative (I used soy, but as I said too sweet)

Fry bacon, reserve the drippings. Shred lettuce, and dice tomatoes.
Using bacon drippings and flour make a roux. Season with parsley, salt, pepper, and a small amount of crushed red pepper. Add milk. Simmer, until milk begins to thicken a bit.
Add bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. Cook for awhile. It can be ready in 5 minutes, or hold at a low temp for an hour.

Enjoy.!

Favorite Fruit Salad

I grew up with the "cut up some apples and bananas, throw in a can of fruit cocktail and a can of mandrin oranges, then through in an entire container of Cool Whip. Add marshmallows." It's overly sweet, but was such a holiday staple that I had no idea what to do when I married John and suddenly Cool Whip was off the menu. So we started playing around (and seriously those who can whip coconut cream to substitute whip cream, do not seem to realize that it STILL TASTES LIKE COCONUT) and this is what we came out with.
Good for kids and adults, needs to sit at least overnight-better 24 hrs, so plan accordingly.

Favorite Fruit Salad

• 3 apples, I prefer Fuji Apples, I've done it with others, but Fuji gives the best taste.
• 3 oranges, California navel are good, Florida oranges, well really those are juicing oranges.
• 3-4 bananas
• mini-marshmallows
• chopped walnuts
• lemon juice

Alot of this is to taste, so adjust to your own families likes.

1. Dice apples, put in bottom of large bowl. Dice bananas, add to bowl. Dice oranges, add on top. If oranges are really ripe and juicy, there will be enough citric acid in it to keep the bananas from turning brown. Otherwise add 1-2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice. Toss. 
2. Add marshmallows and chopped walnuts. We like lots of nuts, so I use about 1 1/2-2 cups chopped walnuts. (I fill my mini-chopper with the walnuts, chop, and use all of that.) John doesn't want it too sweet, so we use about 1/2 a bag of marshmallows.
3. Put in fridge for 12-24 hours. The citric acid in the oranges (and lemon juice if used) start to eat at the marshmallows sweetening everything, 
4. Enjoy! There is rarely leftovers of this, and what is left is claimed for breakfast by the first person to get to the fridge.

Vegan Funeral Potatoes

I found this recipe on Vegancognito.

Every year our ward (church) does a Christmas dinner that is ham, corn, funeral potatoes, salad, and rolls. With John's milk allergy it means he usually only gets ham and corn. (Croutons in the salad make it a no go.) So this year I decided to try making funeral potatoes milk free to bring so that we would have something to eat. Although at times while cooking this it smelled awful, it turned out really well. This isn't something I would make normally, but then I wouldn't make funeral potatoes regularly. There's a reason it's called funeral potatoes and not everyday potatoes.


Vegan Funeral Potatoes
Makes 1 9x13" pan

1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup no-chicken broth {she suggested Better Than Bullion No-Chicken Broth Paste, but I used vegetable broth}
8 oz. vegan sour cream {used Tofutti Better-Than-Sour-Cream, which is a 12 oz container and I just used all of it}
1 recipe Favorite Cheese Sauce {recipe below}
2 lb bag of frozen hash browns, thawed {she said squares, I just used regular hash browns, and I didn't thaw them, but the cheese sauce was still hot so I figure it evened out}
3 cups corn flakes cereal
3 tbsp vegan butter, melted {She suggested Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, but I just used the margarine I had, I don't care for the taste of Earth Balance.}

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13" casserole dish {preferably glass she said, I used foil it came out fine} and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together soy milk, broth, sour cream, and cheese sauce until well combined. Fold in hashbrowns gently until well coated. The mixture will be very soupy. (Wasn't very soupy, maybe because of extra sour cream?)Do not be alarmed, it will thicken in the oven. Spoon the mixture in the prepared casserole dish.

3. Crush the corn flakes and mix with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

4. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the casserole is heated and has thickened, and the corn flake topping is crisp. Serve immediately.

Favorite Cheese Sauce
Makes 3 cups

1 cup raw cashews {pieces is fine, they don't have to be whole}
2 cups water
1 small red bell pepper {or 1/4 cup canned pimentos or roasted red peppers}
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, several minutes. Pour the sauce into a medium-sized pan, bring to a slow bubble, and cook until it has thickened.

Ultimate Cheater Cherry Pie

This is my own "recipe," if you can actually call it a recipe.

Ultimate Cheater Cherry Pie

• 1 Store Bought Graham Cracker Crust
• 2 cans Cherry Pie Filling, I prefer Comstock More Fruit Cherry
• 1/2 sleeve of Graham Crackers, ground
• 1-2 T Butter or Margarine, melted

1. Open Crust, remember to save the lid as you can turn it upside down and it makes a great lid for your finished pie. 
2. Pour in both cans of fruit filling. Will nicely overfill in a mound. 
3. In a small bowl combine butter and graham cracker crumbs till all moistened. 
4. Crumple on top of pie.
5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve and Enjoy.

Baked Acorn Squash

First off, may I just say that if you find a recipe you think you might like on the NY Times, make sure to send a copy to your email, because it is almost impossible to find it again.
I did this last year for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful, so doing it again!

Baked Acorn Squash with Maple Syrup and Walnut Oil
 * This recipe is written per squash. Multiply by number of squash you have. For 4 adults and 2 children I did 3, not sure it's enough because it is fabulous as leftovers. John and I eat a half each for leftovers.

• 1 Acorn Squash
• 1 T Maple Syrup, the real stuff, do not substitute the fake stuff
• 1 T Walnut Oil, in a pinch you can substitute veg. oil, but it won't taste as good
• Nutmeg
• 2 tsp. Ground Walnuts 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until soft enough to easily cut in half. Cut in half, and scoop out the seeds and membranes.
2. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Stir the maple syrup and walnut oil together in a bowl, then brush over the cut surfaces of the squash. Sprinkle with a very small amount of ground nutmeg. Place in the oven and bake one hour, brushing every 10 minutes with more oil and maple syrup. When the squash is tender, brush once more, then spoon a teaspoon of finely chopped walnuts into each cavity and return to the oven for five to 10 minutes, until the walnuts are toasty. Remove from the heat. Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy!!
 

Burned Butternut Squash Soup

So last week I overcooked/slightly burned my butternut squash soup. In the crockpot! Yes, I am talented. So I basically had butternut puree that isn't as sweet anymore, since I hadn't had the (soy) creame cheese.

But what was I going to do?! You can't throw out 2 squashes worth of soup just because it doesn't taste good. Right?


So here is what I've done.

• Rolls. I used a potato bread recipe. This was okay, but I think I used too much flour.
• Spaghetti Sauce. Good. It makes a sweeter sauce then I am used too, but hey, more veggies.
• Waffles. That's right tonight I am making waffles. If I like them I'll post the recipe.