Stuffed Peppers with Eggplant

Makes 6 servings

Savory eggplant, fresh herbs, rice and mozzarella tucked into a sweet red pepper, oh my! I grew up eating stuffed peppers as a major part of my diet. The recipes have changed over time but two things have not, red bell peppers and cheese. This recipe was inspired by a sale on bell peppers, an eggplant in my refrigerator and a meatless Friday during Lent. One stuffed pepper and a salad makes a complete meal, especially when combined with a nice glass of dry red wine.

Now when you read through the ingredients you may ask why I would want to add anchovy paste to stuffed peppers? First off, you will never taste the anchovies. They will melt away as you cook the dish. The reason I’ve added them to this dish is to add umami. Umami, popularly referred to as savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes together with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. It adds a meaty taste to this dish without the meat and highlights the other flavors in the dish. If you are really freaked out by anchovies you can omit them from the recipe.

Ingredients

6 Red or Yellow Bell Peppers

1 Lg Eggplant (peeled & diced)

1 Large Yellow Onion (diced)

1 TBS Fresh Basil (chopped) *

1 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped) *

2 TBS Olive Oil

1 TBS Anchovy Paste *

4 Cloves Garlic (minced)

5 Grinds Black Pepper

½ tsp Kosher Salt

8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce

1 C Shredded Mozzarella

½ C Uncooked White Rice

¼ C Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

  

Slice the top ½ inch off of the bell peppers, remove the stems and save. Place the pepper bottoms on a microwave plate and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Drain the water out and put aside for stuffing.

Cook the ½ cup of uncooked white rice according to the package directions.

Cut up the pepper tops and peeled onion into ½ inch dice. Peel the eggplant and cut up into ½ inch cubes. Finely chop the fresh parsley and basil. Mince the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the diced onions and peppers and cook until the onions are transparent and soft, stirring often. Add the anchovy paste and garlic and stir until the anchovy is no longer visible.  Add the eggplant, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and sauté until the eggplant is cooked (it will change from an opaque white to a translucent tan color- see photo). Add the remaining ingredients (tomato sauce through grated cheese). Cook until it reaches a light simmer (see photo).

Place the stuffing into the microwaved peppers and place the peppers into a baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake for 15minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: Stuffed peppers freeze well. Place them in a sealed container and they are good for up to 2 months.

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTES

Anchovy Paste – Substitute 3 anchovy filets or you can eliminate the anchovy all together.

Parsley & Basil – Substitute 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley and basil for the fresh herbs.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Stuffed Peppers with Eggplant.

Restaurant Review: WEATHERVANE at A Southern Season

$$-$$$ ★★★★☆

Location: University Mall, Hwy 15-501 @ Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919.929.9466

I have not gone to A Southern Season since they moved to University Mall and a friend of mine was raving about having dinner there so I decided to give it a try. I was surprised to find a full service restaurant that was larger and offered a greater variety of food than the small in-store restaurant at their former location in Eastgate Mall.

The service was great and the food was even better. I like shrimp and grits but it is a hit and miss type of dish – it’s either very bland or very good. Well, the shrimp and grits at Weathervane was the best I’ve ever had.  It had North Carolina shrimp, tangy BBQ sauce, and green beans over tasso ham and Boursin grits, WOW. The shrimp were tender, the BBQ sauce tangy and the grits were perfect.

The pan-seared salmon with cucumber and spring onion salad, lentils, and crème fraîche was excellent. The salmon was moist and perfectly cooked and it was served on a bed of lentils that were firmly cooked and flavorful, the perfect accompaniment to the salmon.  

Of course a trip to Weathervane would not be complete without a visit to the 60,000 sq. ft. A Southern Seasons market – quite possibly the largest in the country. It contains gustatory delights that can be found nowhere else in the triangle. The perimeter of the store showcases exotic coffees, meats, pastries, candies, and other edible delights. The interior of the store made me feel like I had gone to kitchen heaven. I felt that I was in a Harry Potter maze and at each turn of the maze was another kitchen utentil that I wanted to buy.

You can bet that I’ll be returning to both Weathervane and A Southern Season very soon. In fact they are having their July sale where many products are on sale – some up to 30% off.

For additional restaurant reviews and Italian-Fusion recipes go to www.italian-fusion.blogspot.com

Weathervane Hours

8am - 9pm / Monday - Thursday
8am - 10pm / Friday & Saturday
10am - 9pm / Sunday

Store Hours
10am - 7pm
Fridays 'til 9pm

Cuisine: Southern / Modern American

Rating: ★★★★

Prices: $$-$$$ Entrees $11 to $29

Atmosphere: Casual

Service: eager to please

Recommended: salmon, shrimp & grits

Open: lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends

Grilled Peaches with Almonds and Balsamic Vinegar

Servings: 4

There is nothing better than walking down the isle of a grocery store and smelling the sweet smell of peaches. This recipe gives you the ability to extend the use of your grill to dessert. It combines fragrant grilled peaches, crunchy toasted almonds and sweet aged balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

Oil for grill

4 Ripe Peaches

¼ C Toasted Sliced Almonds

2 tsp Sugar

3 TBS Aged Balsamic Vinegar *

Optional: Vanilla Ice Cream

Toast the almonds slices in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes.

Preheat your grill to medium high and coat with oil.

Halve your peaches and remove the stone. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of sugar on the cut side of each peach.

Place the peach halves on the hot grill, skin side down. Cook until the skin starts to split, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip the peaches over and cook until grill marks form, about another 2 minutes.

Place 2 peach halves on each plate. Top each peach with 1 ½ teaspoons of almonds and 2 teaspoons of aged balsamic vinegar. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTE

Aged Balsamic Vinegar – It’s critical that you use a good aged balsamic vinegar for this dish. I will often use a flavored balsamic such as fig or cinnamon to get a greater depth of flavor. If you can’t find an aged balsamic, place ¼ cup of balsamic and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small saucepan and boil it until it reduces in half to make a balsamic glaze.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Grilled Peaches

Cherry Tomatoes Caprese

If you have ever planted cherry tomatoes, they all seem to ripen at the same time. You then ask yourself “What do I do with them?” This simple salad tosses the cherry tomatoes with a basic balsamic vinaigrette to yield a perfect summer dish – cherry tomatoes fresh from the field bathed in balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

1 Pint Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

2 TBS White Balsamic or White Distilled Vinegar

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBS Fresh Oregano (chopped finely)

1 TBS Fresh Basil (chopped finely)

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Small Mozzarella Balls (optional)

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the remaining ingredients and whisk with a fork to make the vinaigrette. Pour over the tomatoes and keep chilled until served. Add the small mozzarella balls if desired.

Note: instead of making your own vinaigrette you can use a good quality store bought balsamic vinaigrette.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Cherry Tomatoes Caprese.

Garlic Chicken

Makes 3 servings of chicken and about 1 cup of sauce.

What tastes better than chicken breasts smothered in a robe of sweet garlic? This recipe had two inspirations. The first was a meal I had at Olive Garden. My second inspiration was a meal that my mother used to make, bless her soul. While my mother was a great cook, her chicken recipe came from the back of the cream of mushroom soup – the chicken was dry and tough and it was swimming in a sea of cream. You’ll want to serve this to company, it’s much better than what I have ever had.

3 Boneless Chicken Breasts - split

1 TBS Salt

1 Qt Water

10 cloves Garlic Confitt*

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from the Garlic Confitt if available)

Salt & Pepper to taste

¼ C Dry White Wine

1 C Chicken Broth

2 TBS Corn Starch

¼ C Water

Brine the Chicken

Brining makes the chicken juicier and prevents it from drying out.  Split the boneless chicken breasts in half so that they are thin. Many stores will sell the chicken presliced. Place the 1 TBS salt and the 1 Qt water in a bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved.  Add the chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

Cook the Chicken

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the cloves of garlic confitt and the 2 TBS olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.  Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken.  Place the garlic and olive oil in a blender and process until smooth. Brush the chicken with the garlic oil.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Carefully place the chicken in the hot skillet and cook until it turns light brown. You do not want to cook it all the way or it will dry out and become tough.  Please the chicken is an oven proof baking dish and bake it for 10 minute or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° using an instant read thermometer.

Make the Sauce

While the chicken is baking deglaze the pan by adding the wine to the hot pan and scrape up any brown bits that have formed.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Mix the corn starch with the 2 TBS water in a glass.  While stirring the sauce, slowly add the corn starch slurry and continue stirring until it thickens.  Serve immediately over the chicken.

Do you have to Brine the Chicken?

Why bother with the brining step? Is it worth the time? The answer is a resounding yes if you like your chicken tender and moist.  The brining forces salt and water into the chicken which adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist while cooking.  This is especially important if you are frying the chicken like we did in this recipe.

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTE

Garlic Confitt – To prepare Garlic Confitt go to Garlic Confitt or substitute 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic. The Garlic Confit will have a sweeter taste and is worth the effort.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Garlic Chicken.

Garlic Butter

Makes 1 cup of Garlic Butter

Garlic butter has become an essential part of my pantry. I use it to grill corn, flavor mashed potatoes (even the store bought variety), make garlic bread and cook eggs in for breakfast. The only limit is your imagination.

Garlic Butter Ingredients

2 sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)

8 Cloves Garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

1 TBS Fresh Basil (chopped finely)

¼ tsp Table Salt

5 grinds Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

To make the garlic butter place the unsalted butter, minced garlic (use a garlic press), red pepper flakes, chopped basil, salt and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer on high for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Suggestion

If you are using prepared foods like boxed stuffing or mashed potatoes substitute the garlic butter for the butter called for in the recipe.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Garlic Butter.