Bread Packed Piquillo Sweet peppers – Not So Unusual Spanish Beauty

There’s nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They’re sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they’re the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing. 

I don’t think I’ve ever filled them the same way twice, and while this most recent exploration was quite amazing, who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, this one may be worth repeating. I loved this Spanish-inspired combination of flavors.

The thing to keep in mind is that since you’re only cooking these for about 20 minutes, you’ll want to stay away from things that take longer than that. Things like raw rice, or larger chunks of vegetables just won’t work well here. Thankfully that leaves like a thousand other possible ingredients, so you have that going for you.

These are surprisingly easy to find, and any high-end grocery store should stock them. Gourmet cheese shops almost always have them, and you can find them all over the Internet. If all else fails, ask any Spanish person living near you, and they will know. I hope you give these beautiful peppers a try soon. Enjoy!Ingredients for 12 Stuffed Piquillo Peppers:

12 Piquillo Peppers

olive oil, as needed

4 oz chorizo, Merguez sausage, or any spicy sausage meat

1/2 cup diced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked white long grain rice

2 oz goat cheese

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp parsley, plus more to garnish

cayenne to taste

1 tsp cumin
1 large egg

2 tbsp sliced or chopped almonds

1 tsp blood orange zest

1 tbsp blood orange juice

400 F. for 15-20 minutes

Green spinach & Leek Torta di Riso – Start Formula, Place Vegetables

I made this delicious and rustictorta di riso with fresh spinach and leeks, but the recipe is a perfect catchall for those abundant summer vegetables. Things like eggplant, peppers, beans, and squash will all work beautifully. Just cut them kind of small, cook them tender, and let the rice, cheese, and eggs do the rest. 

I also encourage the use of other cheeses with, or instead of the Parmigiano-Reggiano seen herein. Fontina would be a great choice, as would almost any other melty variety. You can also double the recipe and use a taller spring form pan, which will give you a taller and more authentic looking torta.

Speaking of authentic, this isn’t. Whether sweet or savory, these are usually done with some kind of crust, which I generally skip. It’s not like it’s bad with a crust, but it adds another step, and for me the payoff isn’t worth the extra time, work, and calories.

So, whether you’re making this to use up leftover rice and/or vegetable; or your playing the old “we’re having pie for dinner!” prank on your family, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed

3 cups chopped leeks (2 large leeks, about 1 cup sautéed)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked spinach, squeezed very dry

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or other delicious cheese, plus more to dust pan and top

1 generous teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

pinch nutmeg

- 350 degrees F. for 35 - 40 minutes

Yuba Noodle Healthy salad – Do You Believe in Miracles?

So many things are touted as “miracle foods” these days, but invariably you find out the claims were false, the benefits exaggerated, and that Dr. Oz was full of crap again. I sure hope that doesn’t turn out to be the case with these grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-cal, and quite delicious, yuba noodles. 

You can use any dressings/garnishes you like, but I prefer these flavors, since texturally this closely resembles those wide, flat, Asian-style noodles we’ve all picked up from the neighborhood take-out place. Of course, those come loaded with massive amounts of bad carbs, a million calories, and enough MSG to choke a panda.

Occasionally, I have no problem with that, especially if I’ve been drinking, but generally this is a smarter option. Believe it or not, one giant portion of these noodles (not counting your dressing or sauce) only has 150 calories, just 7 grams of carbs, and almost no fat. So what’s the catch? It’s tofu.

But like pasta and noodles, tofu skin is very bland, so it’s really more about the texture, and being a “starchy” base for other ingredients, including non-vegan things like grilled chicken or shrimp. If you keep that in mind, I think you’ll really enjoy experimenting with this incredibly cool product. I hope you try this soon. Enjoy!For 2 large portions Yuba Noodle Salad:

5 oz package yuba tofu skins, sliced into noodles

handful of carrot shavings

handful of thinly sliced cabbage

1/2 cup freshly torn cilantro leaves

1/4 sliced green onions

black sesame seeds

For the dressing (makes about 1 cup, about enough for 2 large salads):

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp fresh, finely grated ginger

1 tsp sambal chili sauce (or any hot ground chili sauce)

1/3 cup warm rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Bok Choy Steamed Grain – You Can Flavor the Non-traditional Wisdom

With all the fancy, grilled summer meats flying around, it’s easy to forget about the side dishes. Nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen, when they could be outside playing volleyball in jhorts, but with this easy bok choy rice, you can have something way more interesting in the same time as it takes to make plain rice. I believe we’ve covered this before, but yes, I’m cooking the stems about 15 minutes more than is fashionable. I love a crisp stalk of bok choy as much as the next guy, but here we kind of want it to melt into the rice. Conventional wisdom says to cook quick, but I wanted a softer, sweeter, and more subtly sulfuric grain. Think braised cabbage rolls if you’re still having a problem.By the way, if your rice package says 2 parts water to 1 part rice, ignore it. Too much water is the main reason people screw up rice. I find 1 1/2 cups of water to each cup of long grain rice works way better, especially in dishes like this. So, ignore those directions, and give this delicious side a try soon. Enjoy!Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 cup long grain rice

1 large bok choy, separated, and sliced

1 tsp soy sauce, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sambal chili sauce

toasted sesame seeds to garnish

“One Pan” Orecchiette with Bread and Arugula – Ideal for Individuals with Only One Pan

Okay, now all you broke college students can leave me alone (he said with a wink). This delicious orecchiette pasta recipe only has a handful of ingredients, is very cheap to make, and probably most importantly, only uses one pan or pot for the entire procedure.

Every year when it’s time to go back to school, I get inundated with requests from students to post recipes that are super easy, only cost pennies, and require a bare minimum of kitchen equipment. This should work.

And here’s a quick idea; the next time you're going out to get another tattoo, don't, and instead go buy something for your kitchen. Do this every-other time, and you’ll eventually have a nicely stocked kitchen, and still plenty of ink covering your body.

Anyway, back to the recipe! Cooking pasta in the pan with the other ingredients lets it absorb more flavor, and the starch it releases creates a very nice, rich, and comforting sauce. This does require you paying attention and constantly adjusting at the stove. You need to adjust your heat up and down, and also how much liquid you're putting in.

Speaking of liquid, only use stock or broth that’s homemade and has no salt in it, or a very low-sodium packaged broth. If you start with a seasoned stock it will be way too salty to eat when you're done. Otherwise, you should be in for an eyeopening, or should I say ear opening, treat. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

8 ounces spicy Italian sausage

about 3 1/2 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth

1 generous cup orecchiette pasta

salt to taste

2 large handfuls roughly chopped arugula or other greens (if using something like rapini, add earlier so it has time to cook through.

grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese