Beef Couscous Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers make a healthy and satisfying all in one dinner for two! 

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup prepared couscous

1/4 cup diced canned tomatoes

1/2 cup packed baby spinach leaves

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

First cut the peppers in half, core and seed, then blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove to an oiled baking dish. You may want to cook the peppers completely but I prefer them tender crisp not soggy once stuffed and baked.

Brown the beef and onion in a skillet until nearly done. Next add the couscous, canned tomatoes, paprika, salt, pepper and lemon juice. (I used a spinach and citrus flavoured couscous this time. Check your grocery store shelf for different flavoured couscous or stick with plain old couscous!) Remove from heat and stir in the spinach.

Stuff the peppers with filling then bake in a 400°F oven for 25-30 minutes.

Serve warm. I like mine with a little sour cream.

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Sausage Bean Chili

Swapping out ground beef for sausage in this chili is a game changer! It has just the right amount of kick for me but if you want more Oomph be sure to use hot Italian sausage and up the chili powder. 

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage, cut in 1 - 1 1/2" pieces, (mild or hot)

2 cups diced canned tomatoes

1 - 19 oz can black beans

1 - 19 oz can red kidney beans

1 /2 cup diced yellow bell pepper

3/4 cup  chopped onion

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsps chili powder

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sour cream to serve

Heat vegetable oil to medium in a large skillet and brown the sausage 5 minutes, then add the onion. Cook until the onion is lightly browned and add the canned tomatoes to deglaze the pan.

Add the beans, bell pepper and seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Then serve with a cooling dollop of sour cream.

Serves 4

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Sheet Pan Pierogi and Peppers

Put the "easy" in easy weeknight dish using frozen pierogi.  Added veggie goodness plus tons of flavour will make this a favourite side. Or add fully cooked sausage, like brats, for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

2 lbs (907g) frozen pierogi (your favourite flavour)

2 medium bell peppers, sliced 

1 medium onion, sliced 

2 tbsps bacon fat

1 tbsp olive oil (or skip bacon fat and use 3 tbsps olive oil)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp celery seed

Black pepper to taste

1 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach 

Sour cream and grainy dijon mustard to serve

Mix the fat or oil, paprika, celery seed, black pepper and Tabasco together. Then toss with the pierogi, onions and peppers. 

Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet trying not to overlap pierogi. Add fully cooked sausage if you like.

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Flip the pierogi and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. 

Once the pierogi are tender and golden remove from the oven and add the spinach leaves and toss together. They will slightly wilt with the heat.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a little dab of grainy dijon.

Serves 4

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Bacon Tomato Gnocchi

Fluffy potato dumplings coated in tomato sauce with bacon, pepper and peas. My kind of comfort food!

Ingredients:

500g shelf stable gnocchi

6 slices bacon, roughly chopped

1 1/2 - 2 cups tomato sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas, or peas and carrots

1 tsp dry oregano

black pepper to taste

Boil the gnocchi in a pot of water 2-3 minutes or until they float to the top, then drain.

In a large skillet cook the bacon for 3-4 minutes and remove to a plate. Also remove all but 2 tbsps of bacon fat from the pan. Add the red pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes, then add the gnocchi and brown 1-2 minutes per side. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute before adding the peas, black pepper, oregano and bacon.

Toss with your favourite tomato sauce and heat through. Then it's ready to serve!

Makes 3 servings

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Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin Tray Bake

The reason home cooks love sheet pan dinners? Because they make a stress-free, minimal-fuss semi-fancy meal!

Ingredients:

2 - 1 lb pork tenderloins

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 lb mixed frozen vegetables

1 1/2 lbs (5 or 6 medium) potatoes

3 tbsps olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 tbsps butter

2 tsps minced garlic

2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley

First, position the oven rack to the lower position and preheat to 450°F. Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2" pieces and place them in a pot of water. Boil for 10 minutes then remove from heat and drain.

Toss the frozen vegetables with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the center of two baking sheets. You could use one sheet but I didn't want to crowd the portatoes.

Take the drained potatoes and toss with 2 tbsps olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange on either side of the veggies.

Place the pork tenderloins on top of the vegetables and brush with hoisin sauce, salt and pepper.

Roast in a 450°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until the thickest part of the pork has an internal temperature of 140°F.

Combine the butter, minced garlic and parsley, salt and pepper. When the trays come out of the oven dab each tenderloin with 1 tbsp of the herbed butter and divide the remaining butter to toss with the potatoes and vegetables.

Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Each tenderloin serves 3-4 people and you can easily freeze one for a later date.

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Raisin Sauce for Ham

I always wanted to try raisin sauce with ham, but there was always a raisin-hater home. I finally had the opportunity to give it a try and we (the raisin lovers) loved it! Might try the same recipe with dried cranberries for the haters some time. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tsps apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsps lemon juice

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup water

Simply mix everything together and bring to a boil. Then simmer a few minutes until the sauce thickens and the raisins plump up.

Serve warm over ham slices. Delicious!

Makes 4 servings

Recipe may be doubled

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Creamy Dijon Meatballs

Love these saucy meatballs over mashed potatoes, but they'd be equally good with egg noodles!

Meat Ball Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2-3 tbsps bread crumbs

2 tbsps shredded onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

Dijon Gravy:

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup milk

2 tsps dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups chopped spinach

Mix the meatball ingredients together and form into 2" balls. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

While the meat balls cook make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium skillet, add flour and cook 1 minutes. Whisk in the broth and worcestershire sauce and simmer until thickened. Stir in the milk and dijon, then add the meatballs to the sauce. Turn to coat and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.

In the last couple of minutes add the spinach and cook just until wilted.

Makes 9 plum-sized meatballs

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