Stuffed Peppers

This is my first experience making stuffed peppers. I’d only had stuffed peppers once, that I can remember, and even that dish wasn’t all that memorable. But, since I was in the mood to try something new, I decided to go ahead and experiment with this dish. However, being who I am, I have to make everything difficult and decided to use ground turkey breast instead of ground beef in order to make it healthier (and more figure-friendly).

I also decided to serve with a vodka sauce instead of a red sauce. I think the creaminess of the vodka sauce really adds a gread depth of flavor and brings it all together. It was a definite winner! This is a dish I wouldn’t mind having a few times a week.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 60 minutes, total
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: This is an easy “make ahead” dish. You can also freeze the meat/rice mixture and just thaw right before stuffing the peppers.

Ingredients:

4 green peppers
1 cup cooked white rice (about 1/2 cup uncooked)
1/2 lb ground turkey
6 oz tomato sauce
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp feta cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each ground cumin and smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp toasted bread crumbs
1 cup vodka sauce

Procedure:

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and a pinch of salt, then saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Stir in the ground turkey, along with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika, making sure to break it up with the back of the spoon. Cook until the turkey is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken stock, then allow to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and allow to cool to room temperature (or refrigerate/freeze until ready to use).

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees when you’re ready to make the peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers and set aside while you remove the seeds from the inside. Stuff the peppers about half-way up with the turkey/rice mixture, then place one Tbsp of feta into each pepper before topping off with the turkey/rice mixture. Place the tops back on the peppers (this will prevent the rice on top from drying out) and cook in the oven for 35 minutes. Once the peppers are cooked, place 1/4 cup of vodka sauce on the bottom of the plate, then place the pepper on top, and top with some toasted bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

Buen Provecho!

Armadillo Eggs

I want to make something clear: armadillos are mammals and, as such, do not lay eggs.  I want to get that out first so that PETA doesn’t come knocking my door down in the middle of the night claiming cruelty to armadillos.  

Typically, armadillo eggs are jalapeños stuffed with cheese (sausage is optional), breaded, and fried; they’re more commonly called “jalapeño poppers” in most restaurants.  I’m a big fan of these appetizers but I wanted to make a version that was more, I don’t know, meaty.  So, in order to attain my goal, I made an inside-out version of the jalapeño poppers by stuffing some roasted jalapeños, cream cheese, and cilantro inside a ball of sausage then breading and frying them.

I first attempted the recipe using country sausage but found it to be too heavy and greasy; they just weren’t enjoyable.  I almost gave up and decided to go back to the original form of the dish but then a light bulb went off, so I went to the store and purchased some turkey sausage (mild Italian, but feel free to use hot if you’d like).  Working with turkey sausage is messier than the pork version (the meat is stickier and needs to be cold when handling it), so make sure you put the meat in the freezer for 10 minutes if it starts to get too messy.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You can always make these ahead and either bread/fry them as needed or fry them in advance and just heat them up in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

3-4 jalapeño peppers
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 lb turkey sausage
1 egg
1 tsp water
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp each salt, ground coriander and ground cumin

Procedure:

Pre-heat your broiler to its highest setting. Toss the peppers with a little canola oil and a pinch of salt. Place them on a baking sheet about 6-8 inches below the broiler and let them cook for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until the peppers blister and are charred on the outside. Remove the peppers and place them in a zip top bag for 10 minutes to cool. Peel the skins off, remove and discard the seeds, and dice the peppers. Set them aside.

In a bowl, combine the chopped cilantro, cream cheese, and roasted jalapeño peppers and mix well. If the cream cheese is too cold to mix well, place it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and it should soften up enough. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before portioning it out. Once the mixture has set enough to handle it, prepare 16 portions of 1/2 tsp each.

Divide the sausage into 16 1-ounce portions and form them into meatballs (they should be about 1 inch in diameter). Place each ball between two pieces of parchment paper and use the bottom of a bowl or plate to press them out into little patties. Place 1/2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the patty and close the sausage around it, ensuring to pinch the meat shut so that it won’t open during cooking. Form the stuffed sausage to look like an egg (hence the name armadillo eggs).

Place enough canola oil in a pot so that the armadillo eggs will be completely submerged when fried and heat it to 325 degrees. Beat one egg with 1 tsp of water in a bowl. Combine the bread crumbs with the spices in another bowl and whisk them together. Dip the sausage eggs in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs, ensuring that they are completely covered, then shake off any excess. Once all the eggs are breaded, fry them in batches for 3-3.5 minutes at 325 degrees until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove them to a paper towel-lined dish and allow them to drain for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!