Stuffed Peppers and Pumpkin Flowers

While making a little filling for my peppers I needed some herbs. When I went to get the basil I spied the pumpkin flowers. So I thought why not....so here's my very first attempt at stuffed flowers. 

First of all, be very sure you aren't bringing any unwanted hitchhikers into the kitchen. One of my flowers actually had a wasp sitting inside! Once I got rid of him I put the flowers in a plastic bag a blew some air in it so the flowers would keep from wilting before I got to them. 

So here's the filling:

1 lb ground beef
375 g sausage meat (I used a sweet basil flavour)
3 red peppers, halved
3 pumpkin flowers
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup corn niblets
some finely chopped zucchini (1-2 tbsps)
some chopped basil, mint, coriander (about 1 tsp each)
1 tbsp tomato paste

Brown the beef and sausage lightly in a large saucepan and remove from heat.

Drop pepper halves in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute then remove to an oiled baking dish.

Mix the cooked meat with green onions, corn, zucchini, herbs and tomato paste. Fill the peppers and the flowers taking care not to tear the flowers.

Give the petals a twist to keep the flower closed.

Bake in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the flowers and continue baking another 10-15 minutes for the peppers.

I drizzled some Sriraccha mayo on the peppers that I had leftover from this teriyaki salmon skewers recipe.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/08/teriyaki-salmon-skewers-with-sriraccha.html

Just mix 1/4 cup mayo with 1 tsp sriraccha sauce.

Eggs in Tomato Cups

Getting overrun by garden tomatoes?
Here's a tasty breakfast idea.

Half a tomato. I tried the scallopped edge but ended up with 2 uneven halves, oh well.

Anyways, scoop out the pulp and put it in the freezer for when you're making a veggie soup.

Salt and pepper the inside of the tomato and crack an egg into each half. Top with some shredded cheese, chopped onion and grated parmesan.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes then broil 2-3 minutes.

Got the idea for this from SusanSprouts on Instagram

Two Ingredient Blueberry Mandarin Muffins

It doesn't always have to be from scratch, right?

This is a just-add-water muffin mix for 6. I drained the canned mandarins and I had 1/2 cup of light syrup. Exactly the amount of water the mix calls for so I used the syrup instead.

Place a few pieces of mandarin on top of the batter, follow the package directions for baking and...

look at these yummy muffins!

Spice Cake Apple Squares

These squares have a kind of brownie or blondie-like texture.

3 cups chopped apples
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1  1/2 tsps cornstarch

1 cup butter (or marg)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped kale (shhh)
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1  1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice

Combine first 5 ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Brown butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. It should go from melted to frothy.

Then to clear and finally you should see brown bits forming. I tried using margarine instead of butter. They say marg is not supposed to brown, but mine DID! 

Pour the browned butter into a large bowl. Add sugar, molasses and kale ( ya don't tell anyone about this )

Combine with the rest of the ingredients for the batter.

Oil a 13 X 9" baking dish and pour half the batter in. Top with the apples and the rest of the batter.

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

While still slightly warm top with this brown butter glaze.

1/4 cup butter, browned
1  1/4 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp water

Brown the butter, same as before, then whisk in the icing sugar, vanilla and water. Spread over the warm cake. When cooled cut into squares.

Adapted from Bake.Eat.Repeat. 's Molasses Apple Bars with Brown Butter Glaze

Pork Tenderloin with Bergamot (Bee Balm) Sauce

Bergamot, as in Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda) not Bergamot orange, is a perennial flower that I've had in my garden for many years.

I have just discovered that it is a savory herb used to make tea or to add flavour to breads and meats. It has a mildly minty taste.

Marinate your pork tenderloin in olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper for a couple of hours. Then roast it in a 400 F oven or barbecue for about 20 minutes. Let it rest.

While the meat is resting make up the sauce.

2 tbsps butter
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsps white wine
2 tbsps chopped bergamot leaves
1 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp 10% cream
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan melt the butter and sweat the green onions. Whisk in the flour. Cook 1 minute then add the chicken stock and white wine.

Whisk until smooth and add the bergamot, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a couple more minutes and remove from heat. Add the cream.

Serve with slices of pork.

Adapted from: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.ca/


If you like this you might also like to try cooking with nasturtium.

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/11/salmon-with-nasturtium-vinaigrette.html

And here's another using Bee Balm...

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/08/bee-balm-shortbread.html

Black Bean and Mango Tostado

I have this aversion to making lunch. I don't know why but it's just not my thing. But I had this and that leftover in the fridge and I was flipping through a cooking magazine when inspiration took me to this.

Serves 2

1 cup black beans
2 tbsps cream cheese
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
2 - 6" whole wheat tortillas
1 oz shredded cheese (I used jalapeno havarti)
1 slice pineapple
a few thin slices of hot pepper (I used banana pepper)
1-2 tbsps corn niblets
1  1/2 tbsps olive oil
1  1/2 tsps lime juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/8 - 1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1/2 mango
1/2 avocado
few thin slices of red onion
fresh parsley

Mash (or use a pastry blender even better!) the black beans. Add the cream cheese and chili powder and spread the mixture on the tortillas.

Add the shredded cheese topped with pineapple pieces, banana pepper and corn. 

Pop these in a 350 F oven for 6-7 minutes. While they're in the oven, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Remove the tostados from the oven and top with sliced mango, avocado, red onion and salt and pepper. Drizzle on the dressing, add some fresh parsley and lunch is served!

Cocoa Banana Muffins

Another muffin recipe...

Streusel topping:
2 tbsps brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Batter:
1  1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa

2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tbsps milk

extra chips to top

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and set aside.

Then combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, banana, melted butter and milk and mix this into the dry ingredients.

Pour half the batter into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle half the streusel.

Add the rest of the batter and top with more streusel mixture. You can add extra chocolate chips here too!

Bake at 375F for 18-20 minutes.