Monday, January 3, 2011

Risotto Stuffed Peppers

With my foray into Indian Cuisine, I've developed a creativity in cooking that is carrying over into non Indian dishes. I had a couple nice bell peppers and I made packages of hamburger mixture that I had frozen last month (hamburger sauteed with celery, onion and garlic). Perfect for stuffed peppers but since recently tasting a bell pepper stuffed with a delicious risotto, that sounded boring. So, off I set to create a delicious risotto for my waiting peppers. I did choose to add some of the hamburger mixture to the risotto but it could have been served with out it.

The ideas of taking the time to carmelize the onion and the sauteeing the rice with the onion and garlic came from things I've learned creating Indian recipes. I, also, looked at four or five risotto recipes, took a little from each and added my own ideas. That confidence definately has come from my mastering an initial learning curve with the Indian Cuisine.

Here's my recipe.

Risotto Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers (freeze extra stuffed peppers for easy suppers later).
1 cup brown rice or wild rice
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned)
3 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 small red onion
2 large cloves garlic
1 can chicken broth
Johnny’s Seasoning Salt
½ cup grated or finely chopped Provolone
A sprinkling of grated cheese of your choice for the top
I added in some precooked hamburger mixture (hamburger sauteed with onion, celery and garlic) leaving the risotto predominent. This could be left out.)

Instructions:
Rinse the rice, set aside. Chop onion fine. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and sauté the onion until caramelized. Toward the end crush two large garlic cloves and sauté them with the onion. Add 1 Tablespoon butter and rice, make sure rice grains are coated and toasted a bit. Add Tomatoes and mix well. Transfer to a pot, add the chicken broth. When it cooks down a bit, add the Provolone. Season to taste with Johnny’s Seasoning Salt. Simmer until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still has texture.

Core 4 large bell peppers. Fill with the rice. Bake at 400 for ½ hour or until peppers are tender. At end of baking melt some grated cheese of your choice on top. I used cheddar.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Shopping with The Galleyman

The Galleyman and I had a delicious sandwich for dinner. We've been making little open-faced sandwiches on some homemade rye bread that a special friend gave as a Christmas gift so we stocked up on deli stuff. While browsing Whole Foods Market today we picked up two freshly made Hoagie rolls made like baguettes. I sliced one of the rolls, buttered it and placed it under the broiler for toasting. When they just started to turn golden brown I put mayonnaise on one side, Miracle Whip on the other and some whole grain mustard. On The Galleyman’s side I piled on Braunswager, pastrami, roast beef, ham, Swiss and cheddar cheese and thinly sliced red onion. On my side I left off the Braunschweiger and onion. Then, I put them back under the broiler till starting to brown with the cheese melting. Wow, what delicious taste. I'm impressed. It's too bad that delicious doesn't always add up to healthy.

Our New Year’s Day treat was a leisurely walk around Whole Foods Market. We just slowly took in the store, walking aisles. Well, I walked aisles. The Galleyman did a serious perusing of the meat and seafood departments with a couple side perusals around the bakery and the prepared food buffet. There he was happily hanging out savoring the aromas at the counter where fresh pizzas were being renmoved from an open stone oven. The Galleyman is undoubtedly one of those extra taste bud food-tasting experts and I bet he could get one of those rare, high-priced jobs at perfume companies for people with super discriminating noses, yet here he was wasting his nose on discriminating between pizza toppings. Though, he would argue that it’s being wasted.

I picked up the fresh lemon and powdered sugar I needed for a new cookie recipe. I bought some yellow split peas that happened to be on sale. I use them for a Tomato, Onion, Zucchini Dahl that I make. (It’s an Indian Cuisine dish featuring a group of spices generally not favored by The Galleyman.) I noticed that those tiny black French lentils were being featured. I bought some and am going to look up a nice recipe for them, something different. The dried bean family is not common element in The Galleyman's dishes (except for the Great Northern beans featured in his amazing oxtail goulash), it’s a texture thing. I’ll take on the challenge of creating a dish he can’t resist. He likes lots of flavor.

They had their frozen white corn and frozen lima's featured; I bought a bag of both then went looking for The Galleyman who had discovered and was studying or maybe ogling some nice looking escargot with their shells stuffed with butter seasoned with garlic and chives. He bought some to enjoy later. I don't do escargot. I did one when we first got together because he wanted me to at least taste them before banning them from every future culinary event in my life. I don't do raw oysters, either, same story; I’m a good wife, hey, he gets to enjoy all he wants! We topped off our purchases with a football-shaped loaf crusty of bread that The Galleyman had them slice. The slices will be a nice morning platform on which to enjoy more of our Christmas present (from the rye bread baker) Huckleberry Jam. Anyone who hasn’t tasted a Huckleberry should put it on their bucket list.

Together we did a walk through of the cheese department. I've made a resolution to enjoy more hard cheese in the New Year; there are so many nice tasting cheeses. I like to do a sliced cheese and fresh fruit or cheese with a few drops of balsamic vinegar or sliced of cheese on crackers with a bit of jam. I was looking at some attractive jars of fig jam, but can you imagine the gaucheness of serving on an hour d oeuvres platter thin slices of a nice hard cheese with a bit of a sharpness topped with a bit of Huckleberry jam? The Galleyman makes legendary hors d oeuvre platters of diverse items. He thoroughly enjoys any meal featuring a diversity of taste surprises. His love of the small open-faced sandwiches on hors d oeuvre sized bread sporting a myriad of varying deli meats, cheeses, sliced egg, pickles, capers, olives, mustards, mayo’s, etc. harks back to his bar-owning days in Bavaria. OK, a food resolution for 2011, more open-faced sandwich platters served along with slices if hard cheese topped with Huckleberry jam.

Wishing you good eats in the New Year, and for a good laugh and good food, don't fail to visit
www.TheGalleyman.com

The Galleyman’s Wife