Vegetarian

Couscous stuffed bell peppers

Doro

A few months back, I ended my no bell pepper phase. For some reason, I didn’t like them for a while – but since that’s over now, I can make one of my favorite bell pepper recipes: Stuffed bell peppers. You can stuff them with pretty much anything you like – many recipes use rice and ground beef. I chose couscous and feta cheese for this vegetarian version.

 

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Stuffed-Bell-Peppers-2 
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Couscous stuffed bell peppers

What you need:
2 bell peppers (tops cut, stemmed and seeded)
8-9 small cherry tomatoes, chopped
100g feta cheese
100g instant couscous (I use instant couscous)
1 tbsp mixed herbs (I used a mix of 8 frozen herbs)
pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste
ras el-hanout, to taste
sour cream (I used low-fat)
 
What you do:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cook the couscous. I use vegetable broth instead of water to add extra flavor. Cut the feta cheese into small cubes. In a small bowl, carefully mix the couscous with feta, tomatoes, herbs and spices.

Spoon the filling into the bell peppers. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 25-30 minutes. Top with sour cream and serve immediately.

Bell pepper pesto

Doro

Hey, it’s April! On the blog, this month is all about the…

bell pepper!

They are available in many different colors and super rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. A great Veggie of the Month that’s really good for you!

Did you know you could use bell peppers to make a fabulous pesto?

 

Bell Pepper Pesto 5

 

Bell Pepper Pesto 6

 

Bell Pepper Pesto 3

 

Bell Pepper Pesto 2

 

Bell Pepper Pesto 1

 

Bell pepper pesto

What you need:
2-3 red bell peppers (you need 150g, peeled)
100g pine nuts
100g ricotta
salt
pepper
30ml canola oil
70ml olive oil
jars

What you do:
There are two different peeling methods – using a special peeler with a serrated blade or with the oven-roasting method. Either way, cut them in half and remove seeds, stems and anything white. Then…

…using the oven: Cut the bell peppers in quarters, put them on a lined baking sheet, let them roast skin side up under the broiler in the oven at 220°C/430°F until the skin starts to turn black – don’t wait too long. Then put them into an airtight plastic container, let them cool and then take off the skin.

… using the peeler: Peel the bell peppers, cut them in chunks and let them cook in a skillet covered with a lid, for about 5 minutes over medium heat. They should be a little soft, but not mushy.

Roast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown and smell great (stir occasionally and keep an eye on them, they burn easily). Weigh out 150g of bell pepper and place it in a food processor. Add ricotta, pine nuts, canola oil and a little salt and pepper. Process to a smooth puree. Transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil, mix well. Check if you need to add any more salt or pepper. Add more oil or ricotta if the consistency is not the way you like it.

Pour the pesto into clean jars, cover with olive oil and close with lids. Store the pesto in the fridge.

Tip!

You could eat this pesto with pasta, crostini or as a dipping sauce for chicken.

Cream of mushroom soup

Doro

A cream of mushroom soup is more of a fall or winter dish – it had to be one of the recipes with March’s Veggie of the Month though.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 4

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 5

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup 6

 

Cream of mushroom soup

What you need:
300g mixed wild mushrooms (if you use frozen mushrooms like I did, let them thaw first)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
350ml vegetable broth
100ml white wine
100ml cream
5 tbsp crème fraiche
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt
pepper
 

What you do:
Place a large saucepot over medium heat and heat the oil, then add the onion. Sauté for three or four minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes (or until most of the water the mushrooms may release has evaporated). Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the wine and let most of it evaporate, then add the broth. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. If you like, scoop out about 1/4 of the mushrooms to put them back in later (I didn’t).

Puree the soup using an hand-held blender. Stir in the cream, add salt and pepper to taste. If you set mushrooms aside, put them back in now.

Mix crème fraiche and parsley.

Scoop the soup into plates, put a tablespoon of crème fraiche on top and serve immediately.

Grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and caramelized onions

Doro

Do you know those days when everything that could possibly go wrong really does? I experienced one of those highlights the other day at the office and by the time I finally got home, I needed something quick but also seriously delicious for dinner. Like a grilled cheese sandwich!

What I love about grilled cheese sandwiches is that you can be super creative if you want to or super not creative and simply put leftover veggies between all of that cheese and bread and it would still taste great. I made one with March’s VotM – the mushroom – and added caramelized onions, because they make so many things taste a lot more awesome.

Grilled cheese sandwich 1

 

Grilled cheese sandwich 2

 

Grilled cheese sandwich 3

 

Grilled cheese sandwich 4

 

Grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and caramelized onions

What you need:
2 slices of bread
1 small red onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp white wine
4-5 mushrooms
4 tbsp grated cheese (i.e. gouda or cheddar)
2 tsp butter or herb butter
salt
pepper

What you do:
Slice the mushrooms and onions.

In a skillet of medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onions. Let them brown, then add the sugar, mix. Add the wine to dissolve the sugar and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Take the onions out of the pan, set them aside.

Put the mushrooms into the same skillet and let them brown without adding fat, season with a little salt and pepper, then set them aside. Meanwhile, butter the bread on one side (I used herb butter because I wanted to add the extra flavour). Turn the heat down to medium-low.

Place half of the cheese on the non-buttered side of one slice of bread, then spread the onions and the mushrooms over it. Put the rest of the cheese on top and cover with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.

Transfer the sandwich to the pan and let it cook for two or three minutes on one side, then flip it and leave it on the other side until golden and crunchy, about two minutes. Cut it in half and nomnom!