Tag Archives: healthy

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Julie • 0 Comments

For some reason, I always think that when I come back from a business trip, everything is going to settle down. I’ll arrive home at 5:30 with plenty of time to make a nice leisurely dinner, follow it with an evening run or bike ride, and still have time to get to bed early.

And for some (presumably related) reason, I appear to be completely disconnected with reality, which generally goes a little more like this: finish work at least an hour later than planned, leave bike in the office because I still haven’t fixed the roof rack on my car, remember that I have to stop at the grocery store for something or the other, fly in the door around 8 with dinner barely a tadpole of a thought, cook, scarf it down, conveniently disappear while Nor does the dishes, finish up extra work stuff, and run around like crazy trying to get into bed before it’s officially tomorrow.

If any of that sounds familiar, you probably appreciate a quick and easy meal as much as I do. These stuffed peppers are a lifesaver on hectic nights – even more so if I remember to make the filling over the weekend (I usually don’t).  They also aren’t baked like many stuffed peppers – and with summer on the way and the thought of firing up the oven getting more unpleasant by the day, that’s a total bonus.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers
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Category: Main Dish, Side
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Yield: 6 peppers
Ingredients
  • 6 medium bell peppers
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup water or stock
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/3 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese (Mexican blend or cheddar work well)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnishes: sour cream, salsa, avocado, additional cheese
Instructions
  1. Cut the top off of each pepper and remove the seeds. Replace the tops of the peppers.
  2. Fill a large stockpot with about an inch of water and place peppers upright in a steamer rack (if you don’t have one, directly in the water is fine). Cover and steam for 8-10 minutes. Remove lid.
  3. While the peppers are steaming, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and jalapeno and cook until onion is slightly softened and transparent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
  5. Pour in rice and stir until coated. Add tomato sauce and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and add black beans, corn, cilantro and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Fill peppers, cover each with the top of the pepper, and place back in the steaming pot. Steam for another 3-5 minutes until heated through.
  8. Top with any garnishes – cheese, sour cream, avocado, or salsa – and serve.
Notes

I like my peppers to keep a little bit of crunch, so I tend toward the lower steaming times. If you prefer softer peppers, use the longer cooking times.

Filed Under: Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Julie • 4 Comments

chipotle sweet potato soup

It always makes me a little bit sad when I see a casserole dish of sweet potatoes smothered in gooey, sugary marshmallow – “extremely orange and incredibly gross” comes to mind. Not that I have a personal vendetta against marshmallow – it has its place. It’s just that its place is not glopped upon an unsuspecting pile of perfectly innocent tubers, completely obliterating their delicate sweetness. I think the sweet potato is much better enjoyed when it’s balanced by something savory and smoky, with a little bit of heat. Oh, and in related news, soup season is in full effect. It’s cold and rainy and begging for warm, comforting goodness.

Enter Homesick Texan’s chipotle sweet potato soup. This does the sweet potato justice – the sweetness perfectly counters the kick of the chipotles, and (as if you needed a cherry on top), this is 100% waistline-friendly and pairs well with New Year’s resolutions, provided you know when to say when with the sour cream.

One final note before you run off to make this – respect the chipotle and know what you can handle, spice-wise. I boldly, bravely (read: stupidly) threw in three whole chipotles, seeds and all, and had to add an extra sweet potato to mellow it out – even then, it was still quite hot. So follow the golden rule of “do as I say, not as I do,” and start with one, then see if you need more heat and/or remove the seeds to tone it down.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
For the soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs sweet potatoes (five or six large), peeled and cubed in one-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, peeled and sliced
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger
6 cups vegetable stock
1-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, sliced, seeds removed if you wish to reduce the heat
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Cinnamon-chipotle pecans (garnish, optional, to die for, recipe below)

For the pecans:
1 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
Salt to taste

Instructions:
Make the pecans:
Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Stir in pecans and coat well with butter. Add cinnamon and chipotle powder and stir well. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two more minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, chipotles, cinnamon, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be tender and easily pierced with a knife.

If you have an immersion blender, turn off the heat and puree the soup in the pot. Otherwise, let cool and transfer in batches to a blender to puree. Return to pot and add lime juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche and a sprinkling of cinnamon-chipotle pecans.

Source: Slightly adapted from Homesick Texan

Filed Under: Soups