Tag Archives: peppers

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I think I have found my most favorite dip I’ve ever made.  Ever.  I have to admit that when I first saw the recipe for this Roasted Red Pepper Dip, I didn’t really have high expectations.  I like roasted red peppers and think they provide a fantastically bold flavor to dishes but the thought of an entire roasted red pepper dip didn’t really shake me in my shoes.  The simplicity of this dish was what drew me to it and since I’ve been sucked into catching up on Game of Thrones from the very beginning, I didn’t want anything to take me away from my iPad and another episode featuring Jon Snow.  But this dip left me standing in my kitchen chowing down scoop after scoop of this awesome dip.

Jarred roasted red peppers are blended in a food processor with toasted almonds, garlic, sherry vinegar, grated Parmesan cheese, and a little olive oil.  A small piece of whole wheat bread adds a thickening consistency and a dab of smoked paprika (my favorite spice EVER) gives the whole dip a smoky little hug.  I ate this dip with these amazing multigrain tortilla chips but this dip would be just as great with, well, anything.  Chips, pretzels, cucumbers, carrots…I even think this would be a perfect sauce for some pasta and veggies, it’s really so good.  You might already have the ingredients on hand (if you don’t have sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar can be substituted) so next time you are at the store, pick up a jar of roasted red peppers and make this when you need a quick snack or appetizer.  You won’t be disappointed.

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The ingredients:

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Place bell peppers, almonds, bread, garlic clove, olive oil, vinegar, grated ­Parmesan, water, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth.

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Serve with multigrain chips or sliced veggies.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

SoCal Guacamole Burger

Happy 4th! I hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying the day today whether you are somewhere near water, at a barbecue, or just hanging out at home. It seems only fitting to me that we all have burgers and dogs so I decided to make these SoCal Guacamole Burgers.

Basic burgers (which I made with 93% lean ground turkey) are topped with a creamy guacamole made with avocado, sour cream, mayonaisse, tomato, and jalapeño. Alfalfa sprouts add a fresh flavor and crunch and bring a healthy twist. Served with whole wheat buns, these burgers might be a little different than what you are used to but if you like guacamole, these should be right up your alley. No matter what kind of burger you are having today, enjoy the day and have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

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 The ingredients:

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  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Place half of avocado in a bowl; mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add sour cream, mayonaisse, lime juice and cumin to bowl; stir to combine. Dice remaining half of avocado.

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 Add diced avocado, tomato, jalapeño, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to bowl; stir gently to combine.

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 Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each portion into a (1/2-inch-thick) patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in center of each patty. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place burgers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Lightly coat cut sides of buns with cooking spray. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted.

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 Place 1/4 cup sprouts on bottom half of each bun; top each with 1 patty, about 3 tablespoons guacamole, and top half of bun.

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 Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Ground turkey
  • Broccoli sprouts

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

California-Style Bibimbap

I went to a Korean restaurant with my friends Jade and Scott a while back and, not knowing much about Korean food, couldn’t bring myself to eat anything other than chicken teriyaki.  I kept eyeballing Jade’s bibimbap because if it weren’t for the meat, this seemed like a dish I would totally be all over: rice, veggies, chili paste, egg, yum!  So when I came across this vegetarian version, California-Style Bibimbap, I stared in disbelief – could it be true?  I was all over it.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish usually made with beef but this version takes the beef out and instead uses spinach (or kale), peppers, and avocado.  The spinach and pepper are sautéed until the spinach is wilted and the pepper is slightly soft and spooned over fluffy jasmine rice (hello…a new fave, even if it is a dreaded white rice).  Fresh avocado is added and an egg (either fried or over-easy) tops the dish.  The whole bowl is then dressed with a sesame oil-soy sauce mixture and dotted (or splattered if you so incline) with hot and spicy sriracha.  I cannot even begin to tell you how obsessed with this dish I am.  I plan on making tons of (non-traditional) variations of this using broccoli, carrots, celery, bok choy, mushrooms, asparagus or chicken in the future.  I made this on Sunday, texted Jade a picture right away, and continued to eat it all day long.  It’s no wonder that I couldn’t get Hanson’s “MMMBop” out of my head all day.

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The ingredients (I forgot the avocado):

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Put rice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

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Meanwhile, heat grapeseed oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Cook kale, bell pepper, and garlic with salt over medium heat until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.

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Divide rice among 4 bowls and top with vegetable mixture and avocado.  Fry eggs in the same pan until done the way you like. Slide each egg into a bowl.

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Mix sesame oil and soy sauce and drizzle over bowls.

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Drizzle with Sriracha or sprinkle with togarashi.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Sunset Magazine

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