Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe below will make 4 Stuffed Peppers.  I doubled everything to make 8 Stuffed Peppers.  See my notes below.

Ingredients:

4 large bell peppers (any color)
1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey meat)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Wash peppers, cut off tops, clean out insides of all seeds and membranes.
3.  In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, fill with enough water to cover peppers, bring to a boil, add peppers, and cook for 2 minutes.
4.  In a large skillet, cook meat - drain any grease.
5.  Add onions to the meat.
6.  Stir in rice, salt, and garlic to the meat.
7.  Add 1 cup of tomato sauce, cook on medium heat until boiling.  Remove from heat.
8.  Stand peppers up in a large casserole dish.
9.  Stuff peppers with the meat/sauce mixture.
10.  Pour remaining sauce over peppers.
11.  Cover tightly with foil and bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
12.  Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.
13.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the peppers (optional).
14.  Enjoy.

Psalm 107:1 (NASB)
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness is everlasting."

Mark's Story - 
There are lots of recipes for Stuffed Peppers.  I was looking through Betty Crocker's Lost Recipe cookbook, and came across this particular recipe.  It looked really good, and so I decided to make it.  Everyone loved it.

What I did different - I doubled everything to make 8 Stuffed Peppers.  Just in case anyone wanted a second one.  They were quite filling so 1 was sufficient.  We had leftovers for lunch the next day.

In doubling the recipe, I only had one15 ounce can though and not two cans.  I poured the entire can into the meat mixture in step 7 and skipped step 10.  I also used meatloaf sauce as we didn't have tomato sauce.  It turned out extremely well.  We did not add the cheese.  The original recipe did not include the "optional" option.  I think it is quite optional.

In making this recipe and doubling it, I was boiling the peppers, cooking the meat, and cooking the rice, all at the same time - and I didn't burn anything or set off the smoke alarm.  

The large saucepan was barely large enough to accomodate the doubling of the recipe, but it worked out.  Didn't make too much of a mess.  

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (we used 3/4 cup coconut sugar)
4 eggs
1 recipe chocolate drizzle

Instructions:

1.  In a saucepan combine the 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, the 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, and 1/2 cup butter.
2.  On low heat, stir until melted.
3.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
4.  In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  set aside.
5.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar in our case) and the 4 eggs.
6.  Beat the sugar and eggs for 1 minute with electric mixer for 2-3 minutes on medium.
7.  Beat in the chocolate mixture.
8.  Cover surface of cookie dough with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
9.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
10.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
11.  Drop dough by teaspoons onto parchment paper - 2 inches apart.
12.  Bake about 9 minutes or until tops are set.
13.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to let cool.
14.  Spoon chocolate drizzle over the cookies.
15.  Enjoy.

Instructions for chocolate drizzle:
1.  In a small sacue pan heat 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces with 4 teaspoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth.
2.  Remove from heat.

Mark's Story - 
It is March 2020.  All home from school due to coronovirus.  I was watching Star Trek.  Then a cookbook is placed right in front of my face opened to this recipe.  Miriam told me she wanted to help me make these cookies.  So, the next day, after I completed working from home, Miriam and I made these cookies.

Mistakes we made - I made quite a few mistakes with this first attempt at these cookies but it still turned out well.

We had purchased packages of the baking chocolates required.  We start making it, and I realize that one package was only 4 ounces.  I went to Meijer and bought more packages so that Miriam and I could make these.

We skipped right over step number 8.  In the cookbook, everything is mushed together in paragraphs and we missed this step.  We just started placing the dough on the cookie sheets after mixing.  We only had 2 cookie sheets at a time, so the next several batches did have a chance to set longer.

Then I read in the origianal recipe that this was supposed to make like 60 cookies.  We made maybe 25-30.  We did not use teaspoons.  We used more like a tablespoon.

The chocolate drizzle - I was trying to multi-task and clean while the chocolate drizzle was melting.  I ended up slightly burning some of it.  I added more butter to smooth it out.  It wasn't badly and was salvageable.  We used it and was a fine.  A professional baker would have been able to tell the drizzle was "overdone".

Psalm 107:1 (NASB)
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness is everlasting."

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients for the dough:
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2 cups bread flour

Ingredients for the cheesy garlic topping:
1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter - melted
1 clove garlic - minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
marinara pasta sauce, for dipping - optional

Instructions:
1.  In a large stand mixer bowl, combine 1/2 cup warm water with the sugar and yeast.
2.  Stir to combine and let rest for 5 minutes.
3.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup warm water, the olive oil, salt, and vinegar.
4.  Begin mixing on medium-low speed and gradually add the flour, knead for about 6 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5.  Cover the bowl with a dry cloth/towel and let sit for 1 hour.
6.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
7.  Mix melted butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
8.  Gently punch the dough down.  
9.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
10.  Spread the dough on the cookie sheet into a rectangle (about 1/3 inch thick).
11.  Spread the butter-garlic mixture over the dough.
12.  Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
13.  Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
14.  Enjoy!!

Mark's Story:
This was actually Miriam's 4H project.  She did everything herself.  I was in the kitchen and supervised everything and answered questions.  Miriam did all the work though.  She got all the ingredients, measured and mixed them.  When it was all done, the cheesy breadsticks were really good.  Set aside some for 4H.

A week later, I made a batch myself for all of us to enjoy.

Psalm 107:1
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving-kindness is everlasting."  (NASB)

Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oats

Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oats

Ingredients:

1 cup Steel-cut oats

1 cup dried fruit

4 cups water (or milk)

1/2 cup half and half

Garnish:

Butter, sugar, cream, and/or milk

Instructions:

1.  Combine all ingredients except garnish in a slow cooker.  

2.  Cover and cook on low setting for 8-9 hours.

3.  Enjoy!!

Mark's story:

We were camping in the Keewenaw Peninsula in Michigan - absolutely beautiful UP there!!  This is one of the meals I started the night before so it'd be ready in the morning.  This is probably one of the easiest recipes I have ever done.  And I still managed to screw it up.  Making it the night before, I only added 1 cup of milk and not 4 cups.  Next morning, it was all dried up and we had to toss it.  I made scrambled eggs instead.  I tried it again the next day.  Next try and it was wonderful.  You can use whatever dried fruit you want with this.  Very easy to make and everyone enjoyed it.

Jesus loves you!!  Enjoy your day!!

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

For the Graham Cracker Crust:
Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers

Instructions:
1.  Coat a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray (I use olive oil)
2.  Melt butter
3.  Add sugar to butter  - stir

4.  Stir in the finely crushed graham crackers
5.  Pour into pie dish and spread across bottom and sides
6.  Heat oven to 375 degrees
7.  Bake crust for 5 minutes or until edges are light brown
8.  Cool completely

For the Key Lime filling:
Ingredients:
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon finely shredded Key lime peel
1/2 cup Key lime juice or lime juice
2 cups whipping cream - 1 cup for the filling, 1 cup for the topping

Instructions:
1.  In a bowl, combine together the condensed milk, the teaspoon of Key lime peel, and the 1/2 cup lime juice.
2.  In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup of the whipping cream with an electric mixer at medium to high speed until soft peaks form.
3.  Fold the whipped cream into the lime mixture.
4.  Pour/spoon filling into the prepared Graham Cracker crust.
5.  Cover and freeze for at least 2-4 hours.  Can be left overnight in freezer.
6.  When ready to serve, beat the remaining 1 cup of whipped cream until soft peaks form.
7.  Spread this over the Key lime filling.
8.  Enjoy

Mark's Story:
Key Lime Pie is supposed to be one of the easiest pie recipes to make out there.  I tried to make this one year for Christmas and I didn't have enough lime juice and no one could taste the lime.  So that was a fail.  I decided to make this again for our Pi(e) day celebration (3.14).  I made it the night before and I bought actually Key Lime juice or I thought I had.  I actually bought Key West lemon juice.  Fortunately, I had enough fresh limes to make this.  I take it into work for our Pi(e) day celebration and everyone loved it.

Then I got home and made another batch.  I actually stopped at the store first and bought another pie plate first along with Key West lime juice.  We had two pie plates but one broke at some point so I got another one.  This pie was for my family.  We tried it with and without the extra whipped cream topping.  Trish liked both.  Miriam didn't like it at all.  I liked it with the extra topping.  Took some of the tartness away.  Miriam didn't like the tartness at all.  

Remember Jesus loves you.  John 3:16-17.

Chewy Granola Bars

Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups walnuts (I used pecans)

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw sunflower seeds - unsalted

1 cup dried apricots (I used dried blueberries)

1 cup brown sugar (I used white sugar)3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup honey* - this is optional.  I added this myself since I was using white sugar rather than brown sugar.

Instructions:

1.  In a 13x9 baking pan, make a foil sling.

a.  Place a piece of foil lengthwise  - pressing down in corners and edges

b.  Place another piece of foil perpendicular to the other piece - pressing down on all edges.

2.  Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil.

3.  Pulse walnuts in food processor until very fine.

4.  On a different rimmed baking sheet, spread the walnuts, oats, and rimmed baking sheet. 

5.  Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Stir halfway through.

6.  In food processor, mix in the dried apricots, sugar, and salt - process until finely ground - about 15 seconds.

7.  While processing, add water, oil, and honey.

8.  Continue to process until a paste forms - about 1 minute.

9.  Transfer this paste to a large bowl.

10.  Add the warmed oat-walnut-sunflower mix to the paste.

11.  Stir with a rubber spatula until coated.

12.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared 13x9 baking pan

13.  Use parchment paper to press down on the top of the mixture to even it out.

13.  Set oven to 300 degrees.

14.  Bake for 25 minutes.

15.  Remove pan from oven and let cool for 1 hour.

16.  Using the foil sling, keeping the granola in the foil, remove the granola and place on wire rack to let cool for 1 hour.

17.  Discard the foil and place the granola mix on a large cutting board.

18.  Cut granola in half crosswise to form two 6 1/2 by 9 rectangles.

19.  Cut each of these in half again crosswise to form four 3 1/4 x9 rectangles.

20.  Cut each strip crosswise into 6 equal pieces.

21.  Granola bars can be stored at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Mark's Notes:

I once made a granola mix thinking I was making granola bars.  It didn't gel together like granola bars should.  My wife read the recipe and informed me I had in fact made a simple granola mix rather than granola bars.  So, when I found this recipe, I decided to make a healthy snack for my family.

I did quite a few substitutions from the original recipe.  I used pecans rather than walnuts.  I used dried blueberries rather than dried apricots.  I couldn't find dried cranberries so I used a mixture of dried cherries, cranberries, and raspberries.  I also used white sugar instead of brown sugar and so I added the honey to help make the granola bars gel together.

I used a pan that was slightly smaller than 13x9.  We had more like large granola squares than bars.  It is still super yummy and very healthy.  My one daughter commented that she did like it but it was kind of dry.  So, have so water or milk ready for a wonderful late afternoon snack.

Enjoy. 

Jesus is Risen.

He is Risen Indeed.

Pita Bread

Pita Bread

Ingredients:
2 2/3 flour (or 1 1/3 wheat flour and 1 1/3 cup regular flour)
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 1/3 cups ice water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions:
1.  Whisk flour and yeast together in a bowl of stand mixer.  If you don't have a stand mixer, then mix flour and yeast together in a bowl.
2.  Add ice water, oil, and honey on top of flour.
3.  Fit stand with dough hook and mix on low speed - 1 to 2 minutes.  No stand mixer - knead with hands for 4 minutes on lightly floured surface.
4.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
5.  Add salt to dough and mix on medium speed until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of bowl, 6-8 minutes.  Without stand mixer - knead for 10-15 minutes with hands.
6.  Remove dough from stand mixer to a lightly oiled counter and knead by hand for 1 minute.
7.  Shape dough into 8 equal smooth balls.
8.  Transfer the dough pieces to a rimmed baking sheet.
9.  Lightly spray the dough pieces with oil spray.
10.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 16-24 hours.
11.  Set oven rack to lowest level.  Place baking stone on rack.  Heat oven to 425.  If you don't have a baking stone, place an inverted rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack and cover with parchment paper.
12.  Remove dough from refrigerator.
13.  Coat the 1st dough ball with flour.
14.  Pull the edges/sides of the dough ball up to the top.  Hold the ball in your hands and pinch the seams together at the top to seal.
14.  On well floured counter, place the dough ball seam side down.
(I suggest flattening out the dough balls on a well floured piece of parchment paper - when the dough balls are flattened, place the parchment paper with the two dough circles on it on the baking stone).
15.  Flatten out to five inch circle with hands.
16.  Using rolling pin, gently press into a seven inch circle.
17.  Repeat with 2nd dough ball.
18.  Using a pizza peel (or in my case parchment paper), slide the dough rounds onto the baking stone.  Cooking for 1-3 minutes.
19.  Using a pizza peel (or in my case a large wooden spatula), flip the pitas over and let cook another minute.
20.  Remove pitas from oven and let cool.
21.  Repeat steps 13-20 for the next 3 sets of dough balls.
22.  Enjoy.

Mark's Notes.
Where to begin with this one.  I saw this recipe in Cook's Illustrated.  Thought it looked simple enough.  My wife likes pita bread.  So, I thought I'd try it.  There were so many things that went wrong. 
1. My stand mixer wasn't properly mixing the dough with the dough hook.  I had to knead it by hand some as the stand mixer wasn't mixing everything.
2.  I forgot to coat the dough balls in flour before flattening.
3.  I didn't read the notes about pulling up the sides of the dough balls to pinch the seams at the top.
4.  Flipping the dough circles was difficult without a pizza peel.  I actually used a large wooden spatula and another fork to help flip it.  I also used these to get these out of the oven.
5.  The next day, I watched the Cook's Illustrated video on how to make these.  Apparently, pita bread is supposed to "poof" in the oven.  It should expand - a lot in the oven.  I never saw this happen.
I didn't know pita bread was supposed to "poof" like that.  If it doesn't poof, it'll still be quite good.  Just not quite as fluffy.

So, I'll have to try again.

Anyway, it was quite good.  I had one kid who put butter on it.  My wife tried it plain.  My other kid saved it for the morning, scrambled some eggs, put some vegetables in it, put it all in the pita bread.  She said that was really good.

So, enjoy.  Hopefully, your pita bread will turn out better than mine.  If and when I try again I'll update this with my notes and instructions.  So, remember - Jesus loves you.