Benedictine Sandwiches
May 4, 2009|Comments (13)
What Kentucky Derby party would be complete without the famous Benedictine sandwiches? With their smooth-cool elegance, they remain a timeless classic which is perfectly paired with a mint julep and hot Kentucky cheese wafers. My inner feminist also celebrates their inventor, who managed and founded Benedict’s (a restaurant and catering service) in downtown Louisville, Kentucky in the early 1900s. Benedict’s was the place to cater for the muckety-mucks Derby parties. The inventor and entrepreneur’s name? None other than: Jennie Benedict. Read more
Goat Cheese and Leftovers Tart
January 16, 2009|Comments (19)
Can you keep a secret? I mean really. As in like actually not telling a single soul what I am about to tell you? That’s okay… since starting this blog over a year ago, I’ve accepted that I no longer have any secrets. None. I am stripped of my mystery. But not of leftovers or vegetables, thank goodness. I couldn’t function without them. Vital organs would begin shutting down, I tell you. Which brings me to today’s recipe… Read more
Skillet-Style Stuffed Bell Peppers
January 1, 2009|Comments (20)
I could write a symphony for these sweet babies. Would you look at that cheese? How about those gorgeous (and STILL crunchy) bell peppers? Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, darling stuffed peppers?
No boring old rice and tomato sauce here. No sir. These are not your momma’s stuffed green peppers — they rock. Here’s what you need:
- 4 large bell peppers, halved and cleaned
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage without cases (sweet or hot — makes no difference to me)
- 2-3 cups of baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 16 oz of extra sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
- 10-12 shallots, diced or chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock, heated
- 3 cups herb-seasoned dressing cubes
- butter (your call… olive oil is fine, too, but don’t waste your EVOO)
- garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute mushrooms, shallots, and turkey sausage with butter in a cast iron skillet (if you’re feeling particularly adventurous… you may add grated zucchini). Add garlic salt and some pepper
Now stir in the dressing cubes and the hot chicken stock. Stir very gently. Now, line an extra large cast iron skillet with butter or shortening. Fill each pepper half with the mixture and top with slices of cheese. Stop to admire your handy work, you savvy thing.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Call your mom and tell her that if she’d made stuffed peppers like these — you might have actually eaten them. On second thought… don’t do that. Might not be a very good idea after all.
Serve these little darlings with steak or something. You don’t have to thank me. Seriously. The round of applause from your young ones will be heard around the world. My kids LOVED these and they helped me stuff them, too.
