Tacos are one of my favorites, and one of my family’s most requested dinner suggestions.  I think everyone would be happy if we had a weekly taco night.  I am partial to my taco recipe, I’ve been using it for probably 8 years consistently.  In an effort to “spice things up”, this time I swapped the taco shells for peppers. After all, my garden is still bursting at the seams with peppers of all shapes, colors and sizes.

I am also proud to say it’s a simplified recipe.  Once you mix together the meat and the seasonings/spices, the slow cooker does the rest of the work.  (Well, you do have to stuff the peppers.  The crockpot can’t do that part.)  Leaving you time to perfect your guacamole or margarita recipe.

This tasty dish will make your kitchen smell delicious.  The only problem will be how impatient your family is to eat them.

3 Little Peppers Cooking in a Crock Pot…….

Slow Cooked Taco Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 6 small red or green bell peppers
• 1 cup prepared rice 
• 1 lb. of ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Cut off the stems on your peppers and scoop out the seeds on the inside, leaving a hollow shell.
2. In a bowl, mix together your ground beef, salsa, beef broth, minced garlic, brown sugar and soy sauce.
3. Stir in the rice.
4. Mix in the shredded cheese.
5. Pack each pepper shell with the beef mixture, maybe 1 cup of the mix.
6. Place the stuffed peppers into a crockpot and pour a cup of water into the bottom.
7. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Top with a little extra cheese 10 minutes before they are done. (I couldn’t fit all of the peppers in my crockpot.  I actually filled a deep oven safe pot with a cup of water, set the oven to 250 degrees, put the peppers in the pot and the cover on top.  Cooked just like the crockpot peppers). You could also top with crushed tortilla chips, bacon or diced jalapeños.

*To the best of my ability, I have tried to indicate all ingredients, products and equipment that are available at Johnnies in Bold Print.  

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It’s that time of year again.  Tomato time.  Two or three times weekly, my husband hand delivers a full basket of tomatoes.  (Just once it would be nice to receive a bouquet of flowers instead!) And once again, I’m floundering to come up with ways to use them.  I have already made 4 batches of salsa.  (You can find my updated recipe in the blog archives. https://www.johnniesinc.com/web/2013/08/canning-salsa-pickles-and-green-beans/). I am going to try to make some Bloody Mary mix this weekend.  And still, my basket is half full…..or half empty depending on your point of view.  As I write this, I am enjoying a BLT.  I have tomatoes on the brain.

Our garden is also overflowing with bell peppers, hot peppers and basil.  So, for me, this recipe hits a home run.  It was a “3 for one” to help use up the garden haul.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Dip

Roasted Red Peppers

Place the washed peppers cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Roast the peppers in the pre-heated 450 degree oven for about 25 minutes; or until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred.  Remove from the oven and place in a bowl and seal tightly with plastic wrap.  The steam from the peppers will soften the skin and make them easier to peel.  After the peppers have cooled considerably, remove plastic wrap and peel the skin off of the peppers.

*To the best of my ability, I have tried to indicate all ingredients, products and equipment that are available at Johnnies in Bold Print.  

Recipe found and adapted from www.sweetandsavorymeals.com.

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We had a full house at the beach this year for the Fourth of July.  We got to spend some time on the boat in the sunshine and we got to see some fireworks on the water later that night.  After a long day of celebrating, I knew I wanted something easy to make and hearty enough to feed the hungry crowd the next morning.

These breakfast sandwiches were the perfect solution and my mom helped me whip up a batch the next morning.  We prepared each of the ingredients first and finished up “assembly line style.”  We used eggs, cheese, sausage and ham, but you could change it up and add whatever you want.  Bacon would be great.  Or avocados and tomatoes…….

I think the secret ingredient that takes these sandwiches from good to great is the garlic-mustard-poppyseed- butter mixture.  It adds a little bit of tang that you didn’t even know you wanted.

You can also make the sandwiches the day before and reheat.  Then maybe you’ll get a chance to sleep in!

Baked Breakfast Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

• 8 Slider Rolls, cut in half lengthwise
• 8 eggs, cooked your way (I fried my eggs)
• 16 slices Swiss cheese
• 8 sausage patties, cooked
• 8 slices ham
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons poppyseeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Place the bottom half of each roll in the bottom of the baking dish.

To assemble the sandwiches, start with a slice of cheese, then eggs (I used 1 per roll.)  Then ham, sausage and more cheese. Replace the tops to each roll.

In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, mustard, poppy seeds, and garlic powder. Brush the top of each roll generously with the butter mixture.

Bake covered for 12 minutes and then remove cover. Continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes or until the bread is toasted and and the cheese fully melted.

Remove and serve!

You can make these ahead. Just refrigerate overnight and bake when ready.

These sandwiches are so customizable, that is a word, right? If you don’t like any of the ingredients, leave them out!  Add bacon, take out the ham.  Add in some veggies.  The options are endless.

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We used to host an annual Food Contest sometime during the Fourth of July weekend (or week.)  As the hosts and creators of the contest, we would pick a food theme and lay down the rules.  We’ve had pizza parties, burger parties, crab parties and bacon parties.   Just to name a few.  For some reason, we got out of the habit of hosting.  Maybe it’s because it had gotten too big or maybe it’s because as a family we couldn’t agree on a theme.

Hypothetically speaking, if I were in charge, I would love to host a Dog (hot dog, kielbasa, or sausage) Party and let our guests create some award winning dishes.  Do a quick search on Pinterest and you will find lots of inspiration.  You will find thousands upon thousands (or at the very least, hundreds upon hundreds) of creative “hot dog” pictures.  Some topped with macaroni and cheese, some topped with peaches and burrata.

Johnnies carries a few items that would be acceptable for such a party.  My favorite being their Black Angus dogs.  But they also carry an assortment of “regular” hot dogs and a variety of Kunzler sausages.

They also stock my favorite type of roll, Martin’s Potato Dog Rolls.

For my “food party for one”, I presented 3 masterpieces.   Without further ado, I present my creations.

One of the rules for our annual contest was that you also had to name your creation.

From left to right……

1. The Sloppy Dog (Hot Dog or Sausage topped with Sloppy Joe)
2. The Safe Bet (Hot Dog or Sausage with Mustard….boring)
3. The Peppered Dog (Hot Dog or Sausage with Sautéed Peppers)

Sausage, Hot Dogs, Black Angus Dogs or Kielbasa

Sauteed Bell Peppers for the Peppered Dog

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It’s picnic season.  The temperatures are soaring, the rain has stopped.  It’s time to get your coolers and picnic baskets prepped.  What are your go to’s to bring to a picnic or tailgate?  The most popular choices seem to be potato salads, fried chicken, baked beans (of course) and watermelon.  Pasta salads are new to the scene, but a great option because they hold up in the heat better than a mayo based salad.

Everyone has a favorite recipe (or a favorite boxed brand that they like).  I’m not sure what prompted me to stray from my faithful recipe.  It was probably a picture, I’m a sucker for food pictures.  The secret to the success of this dish is the roasted tomatoes.  Promise me you will take the time to roast them.  The end result, after 90 minutes, is worthy of your time.  The roasting process turns those dull, often tasteless tomatoes, into something tart and marvelous.

I do suggest that you undercook your pasta just a bit, by a minute or two.  The pasta will hold up better if it is slightly undercooked.  It won’t get soggy when it sits and soaks up that dressing.

As always, this recipe is customizable.  You like olives, you keep them in.  You don’t like olives, you take them out.  But not the roasted tomatoes, you keep them in.  You won’t regret it!

Italian Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted tomatoes
4 cups grape tomatoes
olive oil
salt

Oregano dressing
1 big clove or 2 small cloves garlic
1  1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1  1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

Assembly
1 pound dried pasta, a bite-sized shape of your choosing (I used farfelle or bowtie pasta), cooked until 1 to 2 minutes before doneness and drained
6 ounces crumbled salty cheese, such as feta or queso fresco (I used cojita because that is what I had on hand)
1/2 cup pitted and rough-chopped olives of your choice (I opted to sub the olives for chopped pepperoni, I thought the crowd would be happier)
Salt and pepper

Roast tomatoes: Heat oven to 300°F. Cover 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Cut each small tomato in half lengthwise and arrange cut side up in a single layer on prepared sheets. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for approximately 90 minutes, until somewhat shriveled and dry to the touch, but not fully dehydrated. Set aside until needed, letting them cool.

Make dressing: Roughly chop the garlic on a cutting board, then add oregano, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Mince the mixture with your knife until it’s a grainy paste. Transfer to a small bowl, whisk in lemon juice and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in oil, whisking the whole time. Taste and adjust as needed; you might need more salt or vinegar. I refrigerated the dressing before adjusting.  Sometimes the flavors blend well together after refrigerating.

Assemble salad: In a large bowl, place drained pasta, roasted tomatoes, cheese and olives (or pepperoni) and toss gently to combine. Add dressing to taste, along with any extra salt and pepper needed. Salad can be eaten right away, but will keep in the fridge up to 3 days. This is also perfect for picnics and potlucks.

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INSTRUCTIONS.

To Make the Dough:

1. Make sure milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot. (around 100 degrees)
2. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add yeast into a small bowl.
4. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, then let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Melt butter in separate bowl until butter is almost melted. Stir to finish melting so butter won’t be overly hot.
6. Add beaten eggs to melted butter, stirring constantly to make sure the butter’s not too hot for the eggs.
7. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
8. With the mixer on 3 or medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.
9. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it’s thoroughly combined.
10. With the mixer still going, add the flour mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments until all the flour is gone.
11. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then turn the mixer on the same speed for five whole minutes.
12. After five minutes, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl.
13. Turn on the mixer for 30 seconds.
14. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit in the bowl undisturbed for 10 minutes.
15. After 10 minutes, transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge.
16. Refrigerate dough for at least 8 hours, or overnight.  I refrigerated it overnight.

To Make the Doughnuts:

1. Remove bowl from fridge and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness.
3. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out remaining dough and cut as much as you can, etc.
4. Cut holes out of each round using a 1 1/2-inch cutter.
5. Place both doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet.
6. Cover with large towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen.  Allow doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least 1 hour; 1 hour 15 minutes if necessary. Doughuts should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.

To Fry the Dougnuts:

1. Heat plenty of vegetable shortening in a large pot until the temperature reaches 375 to 380 degrees—375 is ideal; keep the thermometer in the pan to continually monitor.  For the first few doughnuts that I made, the oil was too hot.  The quality of the doughnut was not compromised, they were still tasty, but you can see from the photos that some of them were really dark in color.  I cooled down the oil just a little bit and the later batches were better.
2. One to two at a time, gently grab doughnuts and ease them into the hot oil. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly.
3. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon, allowing all oil to drip off.
4. Place doughnut immediately on several layers of paper towels, draining as much grease as possible before it soaks into the doughnut.
5. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and holes. The holes will cook more quickly than the doughnuts; about 30 seconds per side.  (I actually forgot to save and cook the doughnut holes!)
6. Allow doughnuts to slightly cool.

To Glaze

1. Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.
2. One by one, dip doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. (Note: completely submerge doughnut holes, then remove with slotted spoon.)
4. Remove from glaze, then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch dripping glaze.)
5. Serve warm if possible, or room temperature.

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Once again, I blame it on New Orleans.  It was late, we were hungry.  We needed food and we needed it fast.  Randomly, we wandered into 13 Monaghan.

What we found was ground breaking.

What we found was possibly one of New Orlean’s best kept secrets.

What we found was Tater Tot Nachos.

Who doesn’t love nachos?  Nachos can be topped with everything great.  Cheese, sour cream, pulled pork, chicken, jalapeños, salsa, etc.

And who doesn’t tater tots?  I mean, I try not to love them.  They aren’t the healthiest of potato dishes.  But, I have to admit, they are incredible.  So a marriage of the two: tater tots on the bottom topped with cheese, sour cream, pulled pork, chicken, jalapeños, salsa, etc???

My tacho of choice that night was the Srirachos, tots topped with chicken, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, cilantro, and sriracha ranch dressing.

The inspiration, Srirachos from 13 Monaghan

Naturally, I knew that I needed to try and recreate this epic meal.

Sriracho Tachos

Ingredients:

Bag of Tater Tots

Prepare according to package directions.  Try to get as crispy as possible.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.  Place on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.  Roast 19-21 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Shred chicken.  Don’t forget that it’s really easy to shred chicken using a heavy duty mixer.  (preferably a Kitchenaid) You get the perfect shred every time.

Diced Jalapenos (and unless you like raw jalapeños, I suggest roasting them first)

Shredded Cheese (for this I used shredded cheddar)

Ranch Dressing (recipe to follow)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (I never buy buttermilk, I use the lemon juice and milk trick)
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Sriracha sauce, to taste

In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, buttermilk, mustard, honey, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble the Tachos.

The first layer will be the crispy tater tots.

Next, add the shredded chicken.

Then add your toppings: the jalapeños and the shredded cheese.  Throw it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Add the Sriracha ranch and, if you’re feeling saucy, an extra dash of Sriracha.

*To the best of my ability, I have tried to indicate all ingredients, products and equipment that are available at Johnnies in Bold Print.  

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A few weeks ago, I was looking for a quick dessert to make for dinner.  I usually have boxed brownie mixes on hand, but this time I was out.  Turns out, that was a blessing in disguise.  It forced me to make something quick, from scratch.  The entire recipe, from start to finish, takes around 30-35 minutes.  And the end result, these brownies were incredible.  “Knee buckling.”  I’m not sure if that’s because we are so used to flavorless box brownies or if because they are truly magically delicious.  But I’ve made them several more times and they consistently blow my mind.

This is actually a recipe for small batch brownies.  I usually get 6 good sized brownies from this.

This recipe is so quick and easy.  I was almost afraid to share it because it’s so quick and easy.  But then I thought about it and realized that it’s just the type of recipe everyone needs to have in their back pocket, errr recipe box.  Something simple you can make last minute with ingredients that you have in your pantry.

Small Batch Brownies

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325, and spray  a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cocoa powder.

Microwave for 30 seconds on HIGH.

Stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds on HIGH.

Stir the mixture well, and then add the salt and vanilla. Stir for 1 minute to cool the mixture.

Next, add in the egg, and stir until its incorporated.

Finally, add the flour, and stir for 50 strokes!

Spread the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with fudge crumbs clinging to it. The surface of the brownies is shiny when done and starting to crack.

Let cool completely in the pan, or eat the entire pan while hot.  You choose.

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Do you own a spiralizer?

In my opinion, spiralizing is a hot kitchen trend right now.  (Did I just create a new verb, spiralizing?  My auto correct doesn’t recognize it?)  Maybe it’s because we’re always trying to cut back our carb intake.  Maybe it’s because we’re always looking at ways to eat more veggies.  Maybe it’s because…..when you find a good spiralizer, it’s just so much fun to use.

You can spiralize firm fruits (like oranges, lemons and peeled pineapples) and vegetables .  Zucchini, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cucumbers, butternut squash, beets, carrots, and even onions. You can use the spiralized veggies to add to pasta dishes or to salads.  (or to even make curly fries). I previously purchased a (cheap) handheld spiralizer that I never used.  It was hard to hold and downright dangerous.  These things have pretty sharp blades.  I found this 6-bade spiral slice from Paderno at Johnnies.  What a difference!  This things spiralizes like a pro, 6 blades of varying sizes.

This spiralizer comes with one blade already in place, 2 additional blades in the storage compartment beneath the slider and 3 in a separate storage box.  Removing the blades is simple, press the release take located on the back of the blade plate and pull straight up firmly until it snaps out.  (You will find all of these instructions, and more, inside the box.)  Obviously, the blades are sharp, so be careful when you unpack the box and remember to remove the safety film before using.

I tried two different sized blades for my zucchini, the 2 mm Angel Hair blade and the 3 mm blades which produces a “spaghetti” sized noodle.  You might have to experiment to see what size noodle you prefer.  I haven’t tried any other vegetables yet, but I am excited about making shoestring curly fries.

There are many recipes available for spiralized veggies.  The type of vegetable you use and the size of your “noodle” will determine cooking times and method.  Some vegetables won’t even need cooked before eating.  Again, you might have to experiment to see what you prefer.

My family loves pasta.  So, for the time being, I will probably do a mix of spiralized noodles and regular pasta.  I will give them time to get used to the texture and flavor or something different.

Fresh Bolognese

Salt

1/2 lb. Dried Spaghetti

1 lb. of Ground Beef

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 (14 oz.) can of Crushed Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1/2 cup White Wine

1/3 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Zucchini, spiralized

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Zest of 1 Lemon

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese for Topping

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and return to the pot.

Heat a large skillet over medium.  When the skillet is just smoking, add the ground beef and brown, breaking it up as it cooks.  Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes, wine, pesto, roasted red pepper and 1/2 cup water.  Increase the heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the parmesan.

Toss the hot pasta with the spiralized zucchini, olive oil and lemon zest.  Break the mozzarella over the pasta and serve.

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