southwest stuffed bell peppers

A recent clear sign that I'm feeling fully settled in the new house and new city: I signed up for a local CSA. This means that every Tuesday, a box will arrive at our doorstep filled with fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms. The first delivery arrived last week with a wide variety of mouthwatering contents: nectarines, baby bok choy (yummm), romaine lettuce, beets, 3 heads of garlic, an avocado, carrots (from Coachella!) and two beautiful green bell peppers.

I love getting a box full of surprises each week. Even though I'm pretty adventurous at the grocery store and farmers' market, inevitably the box contains something (or sometimes, a number of things) that I likely would not have considered buying. This often leads to meals that I otherwise likely would not have thought to make. I love that sort of inspiration and the "outside of the box" thinking (pun intended!) it pushes me to partake in.

The challenge last week was that it had slipped my mind that the box was coming when we grocery shopped the weekend prior. Which left us with more than normal amounts of produce. Not a bad problem to have, but I had to get creative to ensure nothing went to waste. So, while the green bell peppers were beautiful, I had to figure out a good way to put them to use along with the red and yellow bell peppers I'd picked up at the grocery store. Enter stuffed peppers.

Before the box arrived, one of the week's dinner dishes in my head involved squash and black beans. I decided to repurpose these, plus some other ingredients I had on hand, into a southwestern pepper stuffing.

We ate two of the peppers hot out of the oven with a big side salad. The remaining two went directly into the freezer, to be rebaked at a later date, so that we could refocus our energies on eating the rest of our veggies over the remainder of the week!

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 4

4 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed (I chopped the tops and threw them in our salad)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalepeno, seeded and minced
a sprig of fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 bottleneck squash, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cheese, shredded (I would have used monterey jack if I had it, but in this case used the cheddar we had on hand)
sour cream (for topping, if desired)

Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add peppers and boil 4 minutes. Remove carefully with tongs (another good use for the instrument I didn't see the need for but Randy convinced me were essential) to drain on a paper towel.


Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Add oregano and cumin, stirring to coat. Add jalepeno and cook 1 min. Add squash. Cook 2 minutes, until squash just starts to become tender. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix squash mix together with beans, rice, and salsa.

Use the remaining 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to oil the bottom of a glass baking dish. Fill each pepper with the squash-bean-rice mixture and place in baking dish, open side up. Top with grated cheese.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot, topped with sour cream. Enjoy!

squash marinara with basil polenta

Squash marinara has been on my mind for awhile. It started when the mixture of yellow and green pattypan and crooknecked squash arrived in the CSA box last week. I made a version of squash marinara a couple of weeks ago when my mother was in town, but the last minute inclusion of ricotta rendered it a little mushy. Tonight's second try (sans ricotta) was a success.

In addition to squash, we also had quite a bit of basil on hand: Italian basil in the garden that is growing like crazy, and purple basil from the latest CSA delivery. So I decided to try a basily polenta to accompany the marinara. It's been awhile since I've cooked polenta. Like quinoa, it's a grain that I forget about for awhile and then remember it randomly in excitement. This was one of those times.

We enjoyed our squash & polenta with a simple salad of tomatoes and more fresh basil (dressed with olive oil and balsamic) and garlic bread. A lovely meal!

Squash Marinara with Basil Polenta

Serves 4

basil polenta:

2 c. water

1/2 c. polenta

a pinch of salt

2 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped (I used purple basil)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Gradually add polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Add basil and stir to distribute. Pour polenta into 8 unlined cups of a muffin pan (alternative: pour into a square 8x8 pan, then slice once cool). Allow to cool completely. Run a knife around the edges of the cooled polenta to extract the discs from the pan. Place on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Place under broiler on high until the discs crisp and begin to brown.

squash marinara:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4-5 medium squash, sliced 1/4" thick*

3 c. marinara sauce

6 oz. mozzarella, shredded

1/4 c. parmesan, shredded

*As mentioned, we had a mix of squash on hand: several pattypan and a couple crooknecks; it's less important what type you use, but strive for slices of uniform thickness so it cooks evenly.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for two minutes. Add squash. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 8 minutes.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Add squash mixture. Top with remaining sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan. Bake 20 minutes.

Serve the squash marinara over the basil polenta. Top with additional basil, if desired.

black bean vegetable chili

While in my cooking frenzy after having returned from vacation last weekend, I decided I needed to have a pot of something cooking on Sunday. After a scan through the pantry, I chose black beans. There were also some random vegetables leftover from the prior week's CSA delivery that were still good, but a little past their prime. What better way to mask that than in chili? Here's what I did:

Black Bean Vegetable Chili

Serves 4-6

16 oz. bag black beans

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 pattypan squash (or 2 normal squash), chopped

2 bell or 4 gypsy peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 Tbsp. cumin

3 Tbsp. chili powder (I used chili pasilla)

14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes

1-1/2 c. corn kernels, cooked*

*I used 3 fresh ears of corn from the CSA box. To cook, husk then place in microwave safe dish with 2 Tbsp. water. Cover with lid and microwave 5 minutes. Wait until cooled, then slice kernels from cobb.

Soak beans overnight. Rinse well. Add beans and 6 cups water to a large pot, cover, and simmer 1-2 hours, until beans are tender. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add squash and pepper. Cook until crisp tender. Add spices and mix well. Remove from heat.

Once beans are tender, add squash mixture, tomatoes, and corn. Continue to cook for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally, and adding more spices to taste.

Serve with warm cornbread topped with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes, if desired.

stuffed patty pan squash

You'll recall that I recently had a fascination with stuffed peppers. I've moved on. To squash. 

Patty Pan squash are little, yellow, spaceship-looking orbs. They've shown up in our weekly produce delivery for a couple weeks in a row now, so I've been thinking about creative things to do with them. This meal came together based on what I had in the fridge and pantry. It's strange how often those are the ones that turn out the best! I'll definitely make this again. Here's what I did:

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

Serves 2-3

olive oil

6 patty pan squash

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 c. ricotta

1 egg

2 Tbsp. parmesan, grated

2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c. tomato sauce

2 oz. mozzarella, grated

Wash squash. Drop in a large pot of boiling water. Reduce heat and cook covered 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Slice the top off each squash and scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4" shell (you can slice a little off of the bottom as well to make a flat surface so the squash will sit flat if desired). Chop the pulp.

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add spinach and squash and cook 1 minute. Let cool.

Combine egg and ricotta in a medium bowl. Stir in parmesan, basil, oregano, and spinach mixture.

Arrange the squash shells in an oiled shallow baking pan. Fill shells with filling. Top each with a generous spoonful of sauce and top with grated mozzarella. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Similar to the stuffed peppers I featured a few weeks ago, a spanish or mexican twist on stuffed squash (I'm thinking polenta, black beans, salsa...) would be very tasty as well. Let me know what you think!

veggie veggie enchiladas

I made these enchiladas last week. Seeing the picture makes me wish that I had a serving right now! (It must be time to make dinner...) They are so tasty, you won't even notice that they are vegan. That's right - an enchilada without cheese. Or sour cream. I honestly didn't miss the dairy one bit. Here's what I did:

Veggie Veggie Enchiladas

Serves 4

olive oil

1 red onion

1 red bell pepper

1 medium yellow squash

1 medium zucchini

1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. cumin

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

20 oz. of your favorite homemade or prepared enchilada sauce

10-12 small corn tortillas

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 avocado, sliced

Dice onion, squash, zucchini, and pepper into smallish pieces. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook and stir until translucent. Add the pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the squash and zucchini. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Add beans, lime juice, and cumin. Stir until well mixed. Turn off heat.

Spread a couple of spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of a glass baking pan. One at a time, fill each corn tortilla with the veggie/bean mixture, wrap into an enchilada, and place into pan. When pan is full, cover with sauce. 

Cover with foil and bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer for crispy edges. Top individual portions with chopped cilantro and avocado slices.

squash risotto

I have never made risotto before. There, I said it. Can I be trusted as a culinary expert? Certainly not (but luckily, I never claimed I could, so really this shouldn't dent my reputation in the kitch). Rather, I should say I never made risotto before last night. But then I did. And it was SO GOOD (yes, all caps inspiring). I had no idea risotto could be that good. Makes you want to keep reading, right?

As many of my ideas for what to make do, it all started with a single ingredient. (Robyn was poking fun at me earlier in the week for the way my white button mushrooms last week somehow turned into filet mignon. What can I say? That's how it happened.) This time, it all started with the squash.

"Winter squash" is what it was called on the weekly newsletter that came in the CSA box. Hm. It looked like this:

A quick search on my new favorite squash website (what would any of us do without Google?) taught me that this is carnival squash. "The delicious yellow meat is reminiscent of sweet potatoes and butternut squash and can be baked or steamed then combined with butter and fresh herbs." Perfect! Last weekend, on my birthday trip to Monterey, JR and I ate at a fantastic restaurant. One of the items on the menu was a butternut squash risotto, which I thought sounded interesting, but I couldn't pass up the seafood entrees, which were the restaurant's specialty. Still the thought of risotto stayed with me...

This particular recipe is based on one from Vegetarian Food for Friends, which Marika gave me for my birthday (thanks, Marika!). My twist was using the carnival squash to replace the butternut squash called for in the original recipe. It totally worked. JR's comment was that we can't really eat in restaurants anymore, because nothing matches up to the food he gets at home (awwww!). The only thing I'd do differently next time would be to use a little more sage - it tastes so perfect with the squash! Here's what I did:

Squash Risotto

Serves 4

1 squash (the original recipe calls for butternut, but as mentioned, I used a carnival squash and it turned out great)

olive oil

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

a handful of fresh oregano leaves, chopped finely

10 sage leaves (if I were to do it again, I'd use maybe 15)

1 1/4 c. arborio rice

5 c. hot vegetable stock (I used mushroom stock)

3/4 c. white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)

1 tsp. lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

marscapone cheese

Roast the squash. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, brush the cut half with oil and place cut side down in a baking dish. The carnival squash took about 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven. If you're using butternut squash, you'll probably need an hour or so. In either case, roast until it's soft and the flesh can be scooped out easily with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a bowl and set aside.

Put the butter, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook gently for 2 minutes, then add oregano, sage, and rice. Let the rice absorb the buttery juices, then stir in a ladle of the hot stock. Wait until the stock has been absorbed, then add the wine and the rest of the stock, one ladle at a time, making sure it has been completely absorbed between each addition (you'll be stirring pretty constantly between the additions). Stir in the squash, mashing it with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Top with a generous spoonful of marscapone.

Yum. Yum. Yum. That's all I have to say right now.

squash, squash, squash

I'm obsessed with squash right now. It came on suddenly, starting with the butternut squash that came from Eating With the Seasons last week. Then came the kabocha squash from FFTY. What is kabocha squash? I asked myself the same question. Of course Google had the answer.

Kabocha squash is also known as Japanese pumpkin. It is slightly sweeter than butternut squash and similar in texture and taste to a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato. What do you do with it? I had no idea. A quick search online brought up a fantastic sounding recipe - sweet & spicy roasted kabocha squash. It was originally posted in 2007 on a Japanese recipe blog,  www.justhungry.com. I modified it slightly based on ingredients I had on hand. It was fantastic.

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Kabocha Squash

1 kabocha squash

3 Tbsp. muscovado sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmet

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbsp. tamari

walnut oil for drizzling*

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Deseed squash. Cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick (leaving skin on). Combine dry ingredients. Toss squash and spice mix in a large bowl until squash is well coated. Add tamari and toss well again.

  

Spread slices in a single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over each piece. Drizzle the second side with oil and sprinkle with sugar. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Nate and JR returned from day #3 of following the Tour of California, happy despite the continuing rain. They rode a bit of the course today and took some great photos (including the one to the right - Lance is riding third). They gobbled up the squash. JR said it was awesome. Nate liked the surprise spiciness. I did notice at the grocery store earlier today that they had kabocha squash. I definitely recommend this recipe.

*The original recipe called for pumpkin seed oil, which I was unable to find. I used walnut oil instead, which worked well.