Ingredient of the Week

Ingredient of the week: sweet bell peppers!

I used this ingredient in a variety of ways this week to keep it exciting and interesting. One use for this ingredient I won't blog about is in salads. Simply slice and throw 'em on top. Pretty tasty!

Here is how I used them in recipes though:

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa

1 15.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2c frozen corn, thawed & roasted

1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped

½c red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, finely chopped with seeds and membranes removed
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 avocados, chopped

Cilantro


Dressing ingredients:
7 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp cider vinegar
9 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic salt
½ tbsp kosher salt

1. Place corn in a pan and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil.  Stir and then roast in oven at 450° for about 20min, or until some kernels are golden brown. 
2. Combine first six ingredients and mix well. (Use more or less of all ingredients for personal preference.)

3. Prepare dressing by whisking ingredients together; pour over salsa and stir until well mixed.

4. Add avocado and cilantro just before serving to preserve color and freshness.

(I kind of put together my own veggies for the salsa, but here is where I found the dressing recipe.)

{prior to adding the avocado and cilantro}

Tofu Stir Fry in Peanut Sauce

Firm tofu, cut into cubes

2 peppers of different colors, sliced 

Broccoli

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

1. Heat oil in wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and stir fry until golden brown.

2. In meantime, in a separate bowl, combine last 4 ingredients to make the peanut sauce.

3. Add veggies to wok/pan (including any others you would enjoy in the stir fry) and cook 4-5min, or until tender.

4. Finally, add peanut sauce and stir until well coated. In this step, be sure to turn the heat down and allow to cool slightly before adding the sauce or you will scorch it (like me - oops).


(I threw together my own ingredients for the actual stir-fry, but found a recipe for the peanut sauce here.)

{prior to adding peanut sauce}

{served over brown rice}

Barley Stuffed Sweet Peppers - this is one of my favorite vegetarian meals
(recipe source)

1c reduced-sodium chicken broth

1c sliced fresh mushrooms

2/3c quick cooking barley 

2 large red, yellow and/or green peppers

1 egg, beaten

¾c shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

½c shredded zucchini

1/3c soft bread crumbs

1 tbsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp dried rosemary

1/8 tsp onion salt

1. In a medium saucepan, combine broth, mushrooms, and barley. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 15min, or until barley is tender. Drain thoroughly.

{I didn't have mushrooms, so I just threw in some broccoli}

2. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes. If desired, precook peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. (I've done this both with and without precooking the peppers and I can't tell any difference.)

3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the egg, ½c of cheese, tomato, zucchini, bread crumbs, basil, rosemary and onion salt. Stir in the cooked barley mixture. 

 

{Prior to adding in barley mixture. I used Colby & Jack cheese because I didn't have mozzarella.}

{With barley mixture added in.}

4. Place peppers, cut side up, in a baking dish. Spoon barley mixture into the peppers.  Cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese over the peppers. Return to oven and bake 2 minutes more. Carefully transfer peppers to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh rosemary and red chili peppers, if desired.

{I didn't add the extra cheese on top, but here is the finished product. Don't mind my old, very ugly baking dish. It gets the job done.}

So there are my recipes for the week, all using sweet peppers! Enjoy!