Grilled Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

This is an amazing low maintenance two ingredient appetizer. Just two ingredients! How easy is that? Wait does cooking spray count? I don't think it does. Anyway this is a very simple and flavorful appetizer. All you need is turkey Italian sausage and a bag of mini multi-colored peppers. No salt! No pepper! All the seasoning is in the sausage. So good! So simple. The first time I made them dear sister had brought me a beautiful bag of red, yellow and orange peppers. They were all small about the size of a jalapeno. When I went to buy a bag myself, they were almost all orange peppers. So what you will see here is orange sweet peppers (that look yellow) and a jalapeno pepper for color. Just close your eyes and imagine all the colors. It's beautiful right? No matter the color, these little appetizers taste like sausage and peppers in just 2 or 3 bites. They are great hot and at room temperature. I really liked the jalapeno too. It was not too hot, just a little spicier than the sweet peppers. Dear sister loved them. I can't wait to make them for Mom and Dad. I think Dad will not even mind that it is turkey Italian sausage. Try them on your friends and family. They are so impressive for very little effort.

Now for one more order of business. What do you think of my distressed baking sheet background? This is actually a clean pan that I have been keeping in the oven, upside down to cook my Tortilla Pizzas on. It has really developed a patina or distressed look. I have been seeing all these rustic photos of grilled foods, so I thought I would try it. I can't decide if I love it? Or if I think it is too rustic? Opinions?

Grilled Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Serves approx. 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 bag of mini sweet peppers (jalapenos, Fresnos or a mix)
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

Half peppers from stem to tip. Remove seeds and stem. Stuff each half with turkey Italian sausage. Fill forming a rounded top. The turkey will shrink so over stuff them a little. Spray the turkey with a little olive oil cooking spray.

Grill turkey side down for 4 minutes. Flip and grill pepper side down 4 more minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve as an appetizer or snack.

Linking to:
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Horrific Knits: Inspired Weekends
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Italian Food
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Creative K Kids: Tasty Tuesdays
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Hungry Harps: #GetHimFed Fridays
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Snippets of Inspiration: Weekend Wind Down Link Party

Peach Drop Biscuits

Drop Biscuit experiment number two, no wait? Number three? First there was Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits. Second Blueberry Drop Biscuits and now Peach Drop Biscuits. Of the three this has to be the most aromatic of them all. You can smell the ginger and cinnamon the minute the batter is stirred together. It really fills the house with warm baking aromas when it is in the oven. I loved the little specks of cinnamon in the biscuit, really pretty. The ginger and cinnamon were great with the peaches too. I used a firm under ripe white peach. White peaches were a better deal at the store. In my humble opinion it was a little sweeter than the yellow peaches I have had in the past.

About now you must be wondering why does this girl keep making only two biscuits? Well...the simple answer is I will eat too many biscuits if I cook more! So if you are cooking for the family just double, triple or quadruple the recipe. I know the base recipe works that way. The only ingredient I would be careful with is the ginger. I do plan to make a large batch to share with my family soon. I will let you know about the ginger amount then. That being said there is not one ingredient in the recipe that over powers the others. It is really well balanced. The texture is a little more cake like than the other recipes, but that is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed this experiment too. I can't wait to try it with yellow peaches next. Ed Lester Farms has more and more peaches every time I visit. I see a peach pie in my future too.

Peach Drop Biscuits

Makes 2 biscuits

Ingredients

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

2 Tbsp. + 1-1/2 tsp. milk (2% works fine)

4 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (table salt not kosher)

4 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh peaches, diced (I used a white peach)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine liquid ingredients, ginger, milk, oil and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add peaches and toss in the flour. Add oil and milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Drop large spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet, forming 2 biscuits. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

Linking to:
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Creative K Kids: Tasty Tuesdays
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Blueberry Drop Biscuits for One

Now that I have the family Drop Biscuit recipe down pat. I can't help but experiment a little. This weekend I decided to sweeten the recipe up by adding a little sugar and some fruit. I used some blueberries from my freezer. It worked beautifully! These biscuits have just a hint of sweetness. They are not sweet like a blueberry muffin, they are more like a scone. Delicious just plain, no need for butter. They are great hot from the oven or at room temperature. I did notice that they browned a little faster. Any raised pieces of dough will get dark. So the second time I made them I patted down any peaks in the dough and that help them brown evenly. I am really excited about how this worked out. I can't wait to try some other fruits in this recipe. I have several flavor combinations in mind all ready. Be sure to come back for something "peachy" real soon.

Blueberry Drop Biscuits for One

Makes 2 biscuits

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (table salt not kosher)

4 tsp. sugar

1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

2 Tbsp. + 1-1/2 tsp. milk (2% works fine)

4 tsp vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add blueberries and toss in the flour. Add oil and milk. Stir until just combined. Drop large spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet, forming 2 biscuits. Pat down any peaks in the dough with your fingers. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?

Nori Spicy Tuna Salad Wrap

I think I mentioned that I tried some other bloggers recipes recently. The first was a Nori Salad Wrap that Aylin at Glow Kitchen shared on her blog. Such a smart idea. I loved the salty sea flavor of the nori with the salad ingredients. But the best part was the drizzle of the soy and tahini. I LOVED IT! The sesame soy combo was so good. It made a great toasty and salty dressing for this wrap. I will definitely make this wrap again and again.

The second blogger recipe I tried was a Spicy Tuna Salad that Caroline shared on her blog Pickled Plum. I was looking for a a new protein for another Sushi Salad. This did not disappoint. I love her spicy twist on tuna salad. It really elevated plain canned tuna. It would be great in a sushi salad, a lettuce wrap, sandwich, stuffed into a tomato or just with crackers. I am definitely going to make another sushi salad soon with this as the star ingredient.

But first I was inspired to mash up these two great recipes into my own Nori Spicy Tuna Salad Wrap. I used some leftover grilled tuna from my Baja Beach Fish Tacos. I mixed it with mayo, Sriracha, sugar, rice vinegar and a touch of sesame oil for my filling. Then I wrapped it up with crisp veggies in a nori sheet. It was delicious! Spicy, salty, fresh, crunchy and a little messy. That last two bites of each roll was all over my fingers. It's okay, it is a finger licking good wrap. So no worries, just sit down with a stack of napkins.

Nori Spicy Tuna Salad Wrap

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 to 2 tsp. Sriracha sauce, or to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

Splash of rice vinegar

1 or 2 drops sesame oil

5 oz. canned light tuna or leftover grilled tuna

1 green onion, chopped fine

1 nori seaweed sheet

1 romaine lettuce leaf

Carrots, shredded

Cucumber, julienned

Directions

Mix mayo, sriracha, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Add tuna and green onion stir to combine.

Place nori shiny side down on a flat surface. Place lettuce leaf on the bottom of the nori. Top with carrots, cucumber and tuna mixture. Roll up, cut in half and serve.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Leftovers

Ground Beef Chili Rellenos Tacos

When I went to Ed Lester Farms this last time I got four pretty poblano peppers. I knew I wanted to make a new Chili Rellenos Taco recipe. This is perhaps the spiciest of all the Chili Rellenos Taco recipes I have shared with you. You have the heat of the poblano, the spices of the taco seasoning and the Rotel in the Cucumber Ranch Salsa. Dear sister and I commented on the heat level but just kept on munching. I think her exact words were, "the heat just keeps building". So you have been warned. I used cheddar for this taco because that was the norm in my house with taco meat. I really liked it with all the other flavors. This recipe made for a deliciously spicy taco night.

Ground Beef Chili Rellenos Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 poblano peppers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 packet Taco Seasoning
8 small flour tortillas
1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Cucumber Ranch Salsa (click here for recipe)

Directions

To grill the poblanos: Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Place poblanos on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side until skins are charred. Remove poblanos and cover with plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the poblanos. Cut poblanos in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins being careful not to split open the sides of the pepper.


To prepare the beef: Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Add taco seasoning and water as directed on the package. Simmer until all water is absorbed. Turn off heat.

To assemble the tacos: Warm the tortillas on the grill or in the microwave for a few seconds. Place a poblano half on each tortilla. Spoon the seasoned beef over the chili, top with cheese and salsa.  

Cucumber Ranch Salsa

This is yet another recipe inspired by the WW recipe review board. At least two members posted reviews for Cucumber Salsa Salads. I tried both recipes and liked different things about each. One was cucumber heavy and used Rotel. One was heavy on fresh tomatoes but added onion, celery and cilantro. The is my version using my favorite ingredients from both. I loved the spice of the Rotel and the additional crunch from the celery and onions. I decided to use a more even balance of tomato to cucumber. And what would salsa be without cilantro? It is crunchy, fresh, bright and the ranch adds a mellow creaminess to the vinegar. I just love rice vinegar. It is mild and has just a hint of sweetness. This is great as a salsa but also makes a good side dish or salad. It is also great as a topping for salad, chicken, fish, shrimp or tacos. The Rotel is spicy so use mild it you don't like spicy foods. I use original Rotel and it is spicy but not painful. It has lingering heat. It was just perfect for dear sister and I. We enjoyed it on Ground Beef Chili Rellenos Tacos and as a side. I really enjoyed having this crunchy salsa in the refrigerator this week.

Cucumber Ranch Salsa

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 Rotel tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 pkg dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 cup rice vinegar

3 - 4 stems cilantro, chopped

Directions

Mix dry dressing mix with rice vinegar, pour over veggies and let sit for at least 3 hours in refrigerator, stirring often. This keeps for many days and gets better as it sits.  

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop

So what have I been doing?

I am still here! Still cooking, just not developing any new recipes lately. I have cooked some tried and true recipes and a few of other bloggers recipes. I finally worked my way through the haul of veggies from Ed Lester Farms. I smothered the cabbage with pork like we do for New Year's Day. I did cook it without salt. It was surprisingly delicious. My no-salt family member was very happy. The only thing I did different was eliminate salt, add one minced garlic clove, some celery seed and replaced Tony's with Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash. I enjoyed this one with or without salt. I did snap a few photos. Not my best work. I so need to photograph this dish properly in the new year.

Next I made a Turnip Stew without salt. I did add some carrots, new potatoes and mushrooms because I only had 3 lbs. of turnips. It was good but needed the lift of salt in my opinion. I did add a tablespoon of sherry vinegar which helped a lot but I was afraid to add too much and turn off the salt shakers in the family. This was a hit with my no-salt family member and the salt shakers. That is once they shower the stew with some salt. Sorry no photos.

I also did do some experimenting with a Thai Pork Spaghetti Squash. It was delicious. This one I made just for me and it was great leftover. I did not add additional salt but so many of the condiments in the recipe have sodium. I used my Pork Noodle Salad recipe and substituted spaghetti squash for the rice noodles. I took pictures for you but I want to play around with the dressing on the squash before I post the recipe.

Finally I made Peasant Soup with the leeks from Ed Lester Farms. Again because I love my family I tried cooking this soup without salt. This was a fail for me. It so needs salt. Low or no sodium soups have proved to be a stump-er for me. I am going to have to research for a solution. I guess it is because of the high water content in soup? If you have some helpful tips please share.

Now for what is next...First Father's Day! We have burgers and grilled corn on the menu for sure. I have a dessert surprise planned. But more on that later.

Second, I went back to Ed Lester Farms today. They were super busy and had even more produce to share. They also had a bubble machine going! I felt like a kid waiting in line to pay for my veggies. They also had an antique truck parked out front and lots of big farm equipment. This is a great family experience. A little something for everyone. I brought home heirloom tomatoes, green tomatoes, cucumbers, Italian snap beans, eggplant, poblano peppers, sweet purple peppers, corn, zucchini and squash. Not sure exactly what I will be creating this week. But I see a cucumber tomato salad and maybe a new Chili Relleno Taco in the near future. Who knows? Come back and see.