Chile Rellenos/Pepper Poppers

This recipe is kind of a cross between chile rellenos and hot pepper poppers. But no matter what you call them, they sure are tasty! We had an abundance of Anaheim peppers this week, and so I decided to get creative. These weren't necessarily fast or easy, but they were fun to make and turned out delicious. So if you have a few extra minutes or a few extra peppers and want to mix up the same old dinner routine, try these as a fun little appetizer or side dish. I served mine with some quesadillas made from leftover pork chops, black beans, and corn, and then a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables. Yummy!

Chile Rellenos/Pepper Poppers

12-15 Anaheim peppers
1 8 oz block cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1) Fire up your grill or broiler. Wash the peppers and place them, whole, over/under the high heat, rotating every few minutes, until the skin is charred and blistered all the way around and they become very fragrant. Then move them to a paper bag and close it. Let it sit and steam for about 10 minutes. Take the peppers out and run them under cool water and gently strip away the charred skin, being as cautious as possible not to break the flesh. Cut off the tops and scrape out the seeds--again, being careful not to destroy the pepper.
2) When all your peppers are roasted, peeled and seeded, mix together the cream cheese, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3) Stuff the peppers with the cream cheese mixture. The mixture will be quite thick, and we found we could kind of form it in our hands and then insert a little ball of the cheese into the pepper. The cheese will help hold together any breaks or tears in the flesh of the pepper.
4) Set up three bowls--one with the flour, one with the eggs (beat them with a fork), and one with the panko bread crumbs. Time to dredge! Roll each pepper in the flour first just to coat, then in the beaten egg, and then in the panko bread crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a silpat or parchment paper or just sprayed with cooking spray.
5) When all the chiles are dredged, put the whole tray in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to set up the cheese.
6) Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown (but before the cheese totally melts and oozes everywhere). Enjoy!

Red Pepper Tortellini salad

This pasta salad is unique and delicious--a great way to mix up your summertime barbeque recipes. And because there's no mayonnaise, it can be outside for just a little longer than typical Summer salads (a little... not a lot...).

Red Pepper Tortellini Salad

2 large red peppers (*see note)
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package frozen cheese tortellini (about 1 pound)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
8 oz mozzarella cheese
4 green onions
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and put in the fridge to cool.
2) Roast the red peppers:
2a) On a hot grill, place washed red peppers. Cook over direct, high heat about 1-2 minutes per side, until the skin blisters and turns black. Cook all sides, so the skin is all black. You might think you burned it, but it is okay.
2b) Place peppers immediately in a paper bag or in a bowl with a lid. Let sit for 10 minutes to steam.
2c) Run peppers under cool water and peel off the blackened skin with your fingers.
2d) using a paring knife, cut the top and seeds out of the peppers.
3) In a blender or food processor, Puree together: roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, oil, and seasonings (not the cheese, green onion, or basil).
4) Cube the cheese into small little blocks. Chop green onion and tear basil into pieces.
5) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (Tortellini, sauce, cheese, onion, and basil). Chill and serve. Makes about 6 servings.

*Note on roasted red peppers: Roasted red peppers can be found jarred in the condiments and olives section of the grocery store. You can use those in this recipe if you don't want to go to the trouble of roasting your own. Also, roasted red peppers on their own are delicious! Try them on hamburgers or along side steak. Chopped, they pair nicely with just about any pasta sauce. Get brave and try them today!

*Another note. This pasta dish could also be served warm, but the cheese cubes may start to melt a bit. You could also add big chunks of cooked sausage or sliced pepperoni and make it a meal. Other things that would go well in this salad: sliced olives, fresh spinach leaves, capers, cherry tomatoes, or sliced radishes. If you don't have enough sauce to cover all your additions, add some extra balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Get creative!

Photo above is salad made with yellow peppers instead of red, and with chopped black olives and Italian Sausage added.

Crispy Asian Chicken Fingers; Quick stir-fry veggies

This meal is another one-sauce meal. Make one big batch of the sticky honey-soy sauce, then use it to marinade the meat, flavor the vegetables, and as a dip. This meal is quick to prepare and very kid-friendly. We loved every bite! Oh yes, and I aologize for the picture. But I figure it's better to have a bad picture than none at all.

Honey-Soy Sauce

1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp ginger (fresh grated, or ground)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Thai Fish sauce (optional)

Mix together all ingredients. Makes about 2 cups.

Crispy Asian Chicken Fingers
1 lb chicken tenders, (OR boneless-skinless-chicken breasts, sliced into 1" slices)
1/2 cup Honey-Soy sauce
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs

1) place the chicken tenders or chicken strips in a flat, shallow pan or a zip-lock bag. Pour on 1/2 cup honey-soy sauce. Please pour, and don't let the rest of your sauce touch the raw chicken. Store the chicken in the fridge for 1/2 hour, up to 3 hours.
2) Take out 2 loaf pans, or other long and shallow containers. In one, crack the 2 eggs and beat. In the other spread the breadcrumbs. Preheat oven to 375. Take out a baking sheet and line with foil, then spray with cooking spray.
3) Dip marinated chicken fingers first in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Lay on baking sheet; don't let touch.
4) Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Serves 4. (You can very easily make more chicken, though, so serves as many as you like.) Serve with extra honey-soy sauce to dip in.
*Variation: cut your chicken into 1" cubes. Marinate, dredge the same way, but bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with toothpicks, or pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks. Makes a great little appetizer.

Quick Stir-Fry Veggies
1 red bell pepper
1 head of broccoli
1 can water chestnuts
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp honey-soy sauce

1) Wash and slice vegetables into bite-size strips, however you like them. (Please note that you can use a variety of vegetables, not just the ones listed above. I also like onions, fresh mushrooms, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, carrots, etc)
2) In a large frying pan, heat the oil for 2 minutes or until it begins to smoke slightly. Add the pepper and broccoli. Let cook, tossing often, for 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the drained water chestnuts and the honey-soy sauce.
3) Cover vegetables, turn heat to low, and let simmer for about 5 more minutes or until desired done-ness. Serve over cooked white rice, if desired.

and in case you need it...
Plain Good Ol' Cooked Rice

2 cups water
1 cup rice
1/2 tsp salt
(increase as needed with the same ratio)

Mix together water, rice, and salt in a pan with at least 2 inches head room. Bring to a boil. Turn OFF heat and LEAVE ON THE LID. Do not touch the lid. I repeat, do not touch that lid! Let sit, right on the burner, for 30 minutes. If you leave the lid on the whole time, it should be perfect. If you picked up the lid, you're done for. :)

Mango-Avocado Salsa

Here's healthy recipe #2 in a row. This delicious salsa is the perfect condiment for grilled steak or a grilled chicken breast.

Mango-Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango

1 bell pepper

2 roma tomatoes

2 large Avocados

1 small red onion

2 limes

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp hot sauce (about 5 or 6 dashes)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro (optional)

Peel the mango and red onion. Chop the mango, pepper, tomatoes, and onion until very fine. This can also be done with a food chopper or a food processor. Mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add the zest and the juice from the limes, the garlic, the seasonings, and the olive oil. At this point, you should have everything except the avocados in the bowl. Mix well, then refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to meld flavors. Just before service, add the chopped avocado.

A note on bell peppers: Green bell peppers tend to be cheaper. Red, orange, or yellow are slightly sweeter than green peppers, and are often larger in size. You choose what you want.

Try this salsa on a simply grilled chicken breast or steak, with this marinade:

Lime Marinade for any kind of meat, about 4 servings worth:

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together, pour over meat in a ziploc bag. Put in the fridge and let sit for 3-5 hours. Then grill and serve.

This marinade on the meat plus the salsa go very well together, because they have the lime in common. Also, a note here: measuring is overrated. Pour in what looks about right, and call it a day.

More ideas for this salsa include: ~Serve with leftover cooked chicken in a tortilla, or on lettuce, for a simple, delicious lunch. ~Serve with tortilla chips in front of your favorite sports team.