Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Posted on May 14, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Something about the photo of this recipe in Rachel Ray’s magazine caught my eye.   The fact that I had a half of bag of leftover polenta on hand sealed the deal.  My husband has been craving fish quite a bit lately.  (My mom always taught us that if you are craving something it is your body telling you that you need it!  I have been diligently quenching my cravings for as long as I can remember.  I love when my husband mentions his cravings because I love finding new recipes to  satisfy them.)   I decided these peppers would be a perfect accompaniment to some baked fish.  I was right!  The polenta was just fantastic—creamy and flavorful (not bland at all due to the nice bite and freshness provided by the scallions) and the corn kernels added some always-welcomed crunch.  I served these peppers with Cajun-Baked Tilapia.  (Recipe to come!)

One note:

  • I could not find peppers labeled “Poblano” in my grocery store.  However, the produce manager assured me Pasilla peppers were the same as Poblano.  According to this article, that is not true, however, for the purpose of this recipe they were just fine.  They had a nice warm flavor–not as acidic as typical green peppers,  not nearly as punchy as jalepenos, and not as sweet as red peppers.  They were an enjoyable contrast to the creamy polenta.

Something else I wanted to mention: Technically, today is this blog’s one year anniversary!  The reason I say “technically” is because I started writing this blog in May 2008, however, I didn’t make it live until July 2008.  It has been a wonderful year of fun in the kitchen—I have discovered so many wonderful recipes from a variety of sources.  Sources that have ranged from the expected to the unexpected!  (One source I am currently addicted to is myrecipes.com. More on that in future posts!) I continue to adore researching, discovering, trying, and sharing new recipes with you.  I hope you’ll continue to visit kitchenbelle.com for inspiration, information, and fun.

Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

  • 4 plum tomatoes, halved
  • 1 red onion, cut into wedges (I forgot to get an onion so I substituted 5 whole cloves of garlic)
  • 4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup instant polenta
  • 1 10 ounce package frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup soft goat cheese
  • 4 scallions, sliced

Heat broiler.  On a baking sheet toss the tomatoes, onion (or garlic in my case) and oil.  Turn the tomatoes so that they are cut side down and place them on one end of the baking sheet.  On the other end of the baking sheet place the peppers cut side down.  Broil the vegetables until they are charred, about 5-10 minutes.  Flip the tomatoes and peppers over halfway through.  Remove from oven.  Set peppers aside.  Place tomatoes and onions in a blender or food processor.

Heat oven to 400 F.  Add the cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the tomatoes and onions in the  blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Spread half of this sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.  Place the peppers (cut side up) on top of the sauce.

In a medium sauce pan bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a rolling boil.  Slowly whisk in the polenta.  Do not stop whisking, about 3-4 minutes, until the polenta is thick.  Stir in the corn, goat cheese, and all but 2 tablespoons of the slice scallions.

Spoon the polenta mixture into the peppers.  Drizzle with the remaining sauce.  Bake in the 400 F oven until heated through, about 5-10 minutes.  Top with remaining scallions.

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Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray June/July 2009 issue.

Filed under: cheese, corn, Main Dish, peppers, polenta, Side, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 2 Comments »

Taco Salad

Posted on April 15, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Spicy salsa! Chunks of avocado! Shreds of iceberg lettuce!  Freshly grated cheese!

Last week my sister-in-law mentioned that she made a fabulous taco salad for dinner.  She described it with such enthusiasm and detail that I have not been able to get it out of my mind! 

Done right, a taco salad is a healthy week night dinner, so I decided to give it a go.  Some notes on keeping it healthy:

  • Skip the chips
  • Replace full fat sour cream with Greek yogurt (for a great source of protein) or use non-fat or low-fat sour cream
  • Replace full fat cheese with non-fat or low-fat cheese and use just a sprinkle
  • Use extra lean ground turkey or chicken in place of beef
  • Use nutrient dense lettuce, such as romaine, instead of watery iceberg (something I didn’t do this time!)

It’s funny—we never eat ice burg lettuce.  It contains mostly water and very little nutrients when compared to its darker leafy friends like romaine, arugula, spinach, Bibb, and Boston.  So having iceberg felt like a treat!  And shredded—I never shred lettuce so it made the salad especially special.  This was a really enjoyable and filling weeknight supper!

Taco Salad:  

  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey (or chicken)
  • 2 large plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 8 cups shredded iceberg (or romaine) lettuce (rinse, spin then shred using a grater)
  • 2 avocados, sliced then cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

Combine salsa and sour cream in a large bowl.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add turkey and cook, stirring often and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, cumin and chili powder; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup of the salsa mixture.

Add lettuce to the remaining salsa mixture in the bowl and toss to coat. To serve, divide the lettuce among plates, top with the turkey mixture and avocado then sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well.com.

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Filed under: beans, cheese, ground meat, Main Dish, salad, tacos, tomato, turkey | 2 Comments »

Pasta Fagioli

Posted on February 20, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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I have never really had any good ideas about what to do with all of the bits of different types of macaroni in boxes and in jars that I have hanging around in my cupboards.  There is never really an ideal occasion to use two handfuls of orrechetti or 1/4 pound of farfalle.  That is what I used to think, at least.  That is until I came upon this recipe in  At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery.  Alyssa Torey, owner of Magnolia Bakery, presents this delicious and unconstrained dish that is the definition of that trite yet appealing word:  rustic.  There is something so gratifying about using whatever it is that you can find around the kitchen and throwing it into a pot.  No rules.  And no wasting what you’ve already got.  I like that approach—it is refreshing in a “things don’t always have to be perfect” sort of way.  It makes me think of generations past who wouldn’t dream of wasting 1/4 cup of penne.  And now I won’t either!

This recipe makes a huge pot of wonderfully thick soup.  Don’t forget to use as many types of macaroni as you can find hiding in your pantry, and most important of all—do not forget the fresh bread for dipping! 

Pasta Fagioli:

  • 4 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 cups yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
  • 8 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 3   14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 3/4  pound of any type of macaroni you have on hand, cooked and drained (if using spaghetti or linguini, cut into 1 inch pieces)  Be sure to use a variety of shapes and sizes!
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 teaspoons of salt (plus additional if needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

And for serving:

  • 1 loaf of fresh crusty bread for dipping
  • Freshly grated cheese

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over med-high heat.  (I used my Le Creuset.)  Add the onion and garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are tender and translucent, about 10-13 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, the tomatoes and the rosemary sprigs.  Bring to a low boil/simmer for about 35 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add the beans, Italian seasonings, and some salt and pepper.  Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Cool the soup by placing in the fridge for a few moments and then working in batches, puree about 1-2 cups of soup at a time in a blender until smooth, pureeing 6 cups of the soup total.  (Do not puree the rosemary sprigs.)  Mix the puree back into the soup pot.  Stir in the cooked macaroni and season with the salt and pepper.  Cook for 8-10 more minutes, uncovered over low-medium heat.  Discard the rosemary sprigs and serve in bowls topped with grated cheese and a loaf of crusty bread for dipping! 

Adapted from At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery.

Filed under: Appetizer, beans, Main Dish, pasta, tomato | 1 Comment »

Greek Layer Dip with Pita Chips

Posted on February 2, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Super bowl XLIII was a difficult one for fans of the beloved Patriots.  (Are you sure they didn’t make the playoffs!?!)  Most of us were apathetic only caring about the score of the game in relation to the squares we chose in the football pool.  But moping wouldn’t bring Cassel (or Brady) to Tampa Bay, so rather than ignore the American pastime all together most Pats fans rallied and celebrated the day in the usual Super bowl Sunday ways: chili, nachos, beer, chips, and dip.  (If you’re going to sulk, you may as well sulk in cheese whiz!)

I have made this Greek dip more times than I can count and every time, people have commented on how wonderful it is.  It is both refreshing and delicious and it doesn’t give you that feeling of a block in your stomach like taco dip sometimes does.  And the homemade pita chips are my favorite part.  They are crisp, fresh and flavored to your liking!  The best part—this dip can be whipped up in no time.

Greek Layer Dip:

  • 1 container chive & onion cream cheese
  • 1 small container of classic hummus (or make your own)
  • 1 container of crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 Roma tomato, roughly chopped and seeds removed
  • 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
  • a handful of pitted kalamata olives, sliced*
  • 2 green onions, roughly chopped (optional)

Pita Chips:

  • 1 package of large round pita bread
  • cooking spray
  • coarse salt, to taste
  • onion salt
  • garlic salt

Make the dip

In a pie plate, using a rubber spatula, spread the chive and onion cream cheese in an even layer.  Drop spoonfuls of hummus on top and then spread to make an even layer.  Sprinkle half of the feta cheese crumbles, then half the cucumber, then half the tomato then repeat.  Finish with sprinkles of sliced olives.  Top with green onions. (Optional)

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Make the pita chips

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Using kitchen sheers cut the pita rounds into triangles.  Pull the triangles apart so that they are single layers.  Spread them evenly across a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with salts.  Bake for about 20 minutes total.  Check them after 10 minutes and move them around using a wooden spatula to make sure all surfaces are getting crisp.

*Sometimes I use canned, sliced black olives.  However, I think the kalamata offer a more authentic Greek flavor.

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Adapted from recipe by Pillsbury.

Filed under: Appetizer, cream cheese, hummus, tomato | 2 Comments »

Caprese Salad (Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil)

Posted on August 20, 2008 by kitchenbelle

The flavor combination of tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil ranks very high on my list of favorite flavor combinations.  (Add some prosciutto and a loaf of crusty bread and we’re really talking!)  The freshness, the burst of flavors, the textures, the smell, and the vibrancy of the colors all woo me.  Even the simplicity of the combination is appealing–just grab the fresh ingredients and go.  No prep work required.  No kitchen tools or gadgets.  Maybe it evokes nostalgia of simpler times.  Or maybe I like a good reason to buy bouquets of basil at the farmer’s market.  Or to talk to the tomato vendor about his tomatoes.  Whatever the reason, I find this salad to be pleasing both to my eye and my palette.

Caprese Salad:

  • 2 large field tomatoes, sliced thick
  • 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thick
  • 10-15 fresh basil leaves, rinsed
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Start by layering tomatoes across a platter.  Top with cheese, then basil.  Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Repeat the layering until you have used all of your tomato slices.  Serve with a fresh crusty loaf of Italian bread.

Recipes available here on foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: basil, mozzarella, salad, tomato | 3 Comments »

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