Stuffed Peppers with red rice and black beans (Farm to Plate) (Vegetarian)

During spring, summer and early fall we eat mostly what is grown in the farm. Fall is when everything is finally done for the year and we are harvesting what produce is left before the frost and freezing temperatures hit.

So I harvested all the peppers and the beans that I could before our frost hit in early October. I had a variety of peppers and the one I chose to do this stuffed pepppers is what I thought was Poblano peppers but these were bright green and long so they might have been some other kind of bigger milder eating peppers.

Recipe will work fine with bell peppers, banana peppers, poblano peppers or any slight larger and not so spicy peppers.The biggest find of this season was growing black beans. While dried black beans which we all are very familiar taste pretty good, freshly shelled black beans elevates it to a different level.

I tried a few different kinds of beans this season and to shell and cook these fresh beans right away is a pleasure for me as well as our taste buds :). The special thing about this recipe is that most of the ingredients that went into it travelled less than 25 steps total. They were all grown in the farm.

I am using a Srilankan red rice called Madathawalu which when cooked is slightly nutty. You could use brown rice or wild rice or any rice that is nutty and has a bite to it.

Recipe in pictures.

Cut the pepppers in half vertically and remove the seeds and ribs.
Brush the back of the peppers with oil and spread them in a layer on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
Set the roasted peppers aside. Cook and drain the black beans.
Prep the ingredients for the tomato sauce. Set a pan and add oil and when hot add the onions, peppers and garlic.
Get the tomatoes ready. Let the onions and garlic get some color on them.
Add in the tomatoes and let it completely disintegrate. Add coriander leaves, salt and cumin and red chili powder if needed. Set most of the sauce aside.
To the sauce left in the pan, add the rice and beans and mix it in gently.
The rice is ready for being stuffed. Grease a baking dish.
Add some of the rice and bean mixture into each of the roasted peppers and arrange them in the dish.Pour the saved tomato sauce on top and sprinkle the cheese.
Bake in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes or till the cheese melts on top.

The process sees elaborate but it is fairly a simple straight forward process
Once done, cut into squares and serve with wedges of avocado and some sour cream.

Stuffed Peppers with black beans and rice
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:35 minutes
Ingredients

1. 15 -20 small to medium sized long green peppers, slit in half vertically and the seeds removed
2. 1/2 cup of Red Rice (Madathawalu Rice) or any slightly nutty rice works
3. 2 cups of black beans (I used fresh) if using dried soak for at least 4 hours
4. 1/2 cup of chopped red onions
5. 4 cups of chopped tomaotes
6. 2 jalapenos chopped
7. 4 garlic cloves chopped
8. handful of chopped coriander leaves
9. 2 tsp cumin powder
10. 1-2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste
11. 1-2 cups of grated cheese (I used Pepper Jack)
12. salt to taste
13. 2 tbsp of oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven (airfryer works just as well) to 350F. Brush a cookie sheet with oil and layer the pepper cut side up and roast for 15-20 minutes till the outside starts to blister.
2. In the meantime cook the black beans, they should hold their shape.
3. In a pan heat oil and when hot add the chopped onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute them till they turn translucent.
4. Add in the tomatoes and cook them till they turn mushy. Add salt and check to see if it is hot enough and add the chili powder if needed. Add the coriander leaves.
5. Spoon out most of the sauce into a separate bowl and leave about 1/4 cup in the pan.
6. Add the cooked rice and the cooked and drained black beans to the sauce and mix it well. It should not be watery. It should have a drier texture like fried rice.
7. Grease a baking dish, spoon about a tbsp of the rice mixture into the roasted peppers and layer them in the baking dish, slightly touching each other and tightly packed.
8. Add the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.
9. Bake in the 350F oven for about 8-10 minutes or till the cheese melts.

Like what you are reading? Subscribe!

Spicy Fish Tacos

I never seem to get enough of Tacos, fish tacos in particular and they are perhaps the only kind I eat. I order them whenever I see them on a menu. If you avoid the sauces and stuff that they give, they can be considered quite healthy. The other best thing is to make them at home. Cooking the fish is the only work there is in the whole thing and assembling the rest is fun part.

The fish can be cooked with a very simple seasoning,just salt and pepper or in my case chili powder and can be deep fried or pan fried. Store bought tortillas are good but try making corn tortillas at home and you will know right away what you have been missing. Make the corn tortillas fresh and warm and they taste so very good with the fish.

Apply the red chili,salt mixed with oil on the fish fillet.
Shallow fry the fish. Get the Greek yogurt whisked with the chili sauce.
Get the corn tortilla. Place the fish and the sauteed vegetables.
Add the onion tomato salsa and then the avocado on top.
Add the lettuce on top followed by the spiced Greek yogurt.

I usually are not an enthusiastic buyer of lettuce except for fish tacos, in the tacos they make a good addition. While sour cream might be considered a must have, Greek Yogurt with seasonings added works just as well. Sauteed vegetables like onions and bell peppers, fresh onion and tomato salsa and sliced Avocado are the other good toppings. I usually like to make fish tacos over the weekend so I marinate the fish a couple of hours before lunch time. For a week day marinate it in the morning. I can hear the snickering already. Yes! Mornings are busy and if you are not thinking about marinating fish at that time it is quite understandable. Even 20 or 30 minutes of marinating should be sufficient, so do it in the evening when getting dinner ready.

Spicy Fish Tacos
Preparation Time:20 minutes + 2 hours Marinating Time
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients

For the Fish
1. 6-8 fillets of fish (any firm white fish) - I used frozen Flounder Fillets
2. 1 tbsp chili powder
3. salt to taste
4. 1 tbsp of oil + 1 tbsp of oil for shallow frying
For the Tomato Salsa
5. 1 red onion finely chopped
6. 1 tomato finely chopped
7. 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
8. 3 tbsp pickled jalapeno chopped
9. 1 lime or lemon about 4 tbsp of juice
For the Salad
10. Lettuce (I used Romaine) washed and chopped or shredded cabbage
11. Avocado sliced
For Sauteed Vegetables
12. 1 cup sliced onion
13. 1 cup of sliced bell peppers (optional)
14. 1 tsp of oil
15. salt to taste
16. 1 tsp red chili powder
For Dressing
17. 1 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt
18. 1/2 tbsp of chili lime sauce

Method

1. Mix together salt and chili powder with the olive oil and apply on both sides of the fish filet and let it sit for about 2-3 hours as possible. I left it in the sun near the window. I marinating longer cover with cling wrap and put it in the fridge.
2. Mix the chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, chopped jalapeno and squeeze in the lemon juice. Sprinkle a bit of salt if required. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Whisk together the Greek Yogurt and chili sauce.
4. Heat oil in a saute pan and saute the onions, season with salt and red chili powder. Set aside.
5. Heat a cast iron pan or frying pan, add oil and when hot place the fish filets in a single layer. Let cook on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Once the fish is cooked it should be easy to flip. Flip and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
6. Cook the corn tortillas as per the recipe and keep it wrapped in a kitchen towel to let stay warm.
Assembling the Fish Taco
7. Place a piece of cooked fish on the corn tortilla. Add sauteed vegetables on top. Add the salsa, sliced avocado and chopped lettuce.
8. Drizzle the yogurt on top.

Like what you are reading? Subscribe!

Guacamole - Avocado,onion and tomato salad

I bet every immigrant understands this feeling of acute longing for home (country) some time or the other, triggered by sights, smells or an image. Mine was brought on last week when I was listening to a conversation on PBS. Charlie Rose was interviewing P.Chidamabaram and I chanced on it by accident while channel surfing. Maybe it was something he said or seeing a very familiar face on TV here I don't know which I felt this yearning to pack up and go home. If you were to judge him only by his interview he comes across as sincere, articulate and suave. India can stand proud (not).

It is amazing how he talked about corruption in India with a straight face. He is a politician after all and also part of the problem. The wealth he has amassed might be rivaled only by his boss - the madam from Italy.

That was that everyday details interfered and I forgot about that.

Now to the recipe of the day,

Hard to imagine I have spent a good portion of my life here in the US running away from Avocado. As for guacamole it just did not look appetizing enough. Like with everything else in life stuff happens. There was a period in my life when I was hooked on to Chipotle food that is when Guacamole became palatable enough and now I am actually quite fond of it, the homemade version that is.

It is a very easy condiment to make and is a great side for burritos or quesadillas and also for corn chips. Good enough to skip the store bought salsa and sour cream. I like the guacamole to have just enough avocado but feel free to add more if you like it more creamy. For people like me who are not fond of raw onion, the lime juice takes the pungency out.

Is Avocado available in India? By that I mean is it grown there? Just curious?

Guacamole - Avocado, Onion and Tomato Salad
Preparation Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1/2 White Onion (Red works fine too) about 1 cup chopped fine
2. Grape tomatoes cut into 4s about 1 cup cut
3. 1 -2 Avocadoes (do not cut it till you are ready to add it to the onion tomato mixture)
4. 1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
5. juice from 1 -2 limes
6. 1/4 tsp salt
7. 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Combine the tomatoes and onions with the lime juice and let it sit for 20 -25 minutes. Longer the better.
2. Cut the avocado in half, use the sharp end of the knife to pick out the stone, remove the flesh and mash it as smooth or coarse as you like. We like it with a few chunks.
3. Add in the chopped jalapenos, salt and coriander leaves. Give a good mix and the guacamole is ready.
4. Note: Mix the avocado as close to your eating time as possible to avoid discoloration.

Butternut squash and Spinach Quesadilla

Butternut Squash is one of those vegetables that has become a regular in my kitchen. Use it make a stir fry, or in Pasta or better yet make this sweet potato, butternut squash curry.

roasted butternut squash

spinach

flat bread prepared and ready

Butternut squash being a regular in my kitchen am always on the lookout for ways to use them. Can't hurt that they don't rot that quickly. So when I saw this recipe for butternut squash quesadilla on The Pioneer Woman Cooks I had a half butternut squash in the fridge and in an urgent need of something to cook for dinner. No kale in hand but a box of frozen spinach in the freezer.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Quesadilla Ingredients

1. 1/2 of a butternut made into 1/4 - 1/2 inch dice (smaller the better)
2. 1/2 of an onion chopped fine
3. 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
4. 1/2 tsp of pepper powder
5. 2-3 tsp of red chili powder (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
6. 10oz pack of frozen spinach thawed, water squeezed out
7. 1/2 - 1 tbsp of oil
8. salt to taste (a bit under salted because the cheese has salt)
9. 4 flat bread or 8 tortilla
10. 1 cup or more of Pepper Jack Cheese grated

Method

1. In a wide mouthed saute pan heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and saute till the onions are translucent.
2. Add in the cubed butternut squash and continue to saute till the butternut squash is soft.(see note)
3. Add the chili powder,pepper powder and salt and continue to cook till the squash starts to brown on the edges.
4. Set aside. To the same pan add the spinach and sprinkle a little bit more of the chili powder and salt and heat through.
5. In a griddle place a flat bread, spread some cheese on and when it starts to melt remove and set aside.
6. Now add another flat bread add more cheese, spread the butternut squashm spinach and a bit more cheese and slap the first flat bread on top and, let one side get crispy, flip carefully and let crisp on the other side.
Cut into halves before serving.

Note

1. When cooking butternut squash do not add any water but can cook with the lid on for a few minutes to speed the cooking process.