Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

So I have to preface this cooking experience with an extreme caution. I'm not really a spicy food lover, but I like moderate to medium spiciness at times. Because of this, I've never handled hot peppers, leading to some troubling experiences to say the least. . .

First of all, when cutting the peppers, it releases some of the oil into the air, so be prepared for some moderate coughing. You may want to run the peppers under water while working with them to help keep it out of the air. Next, when working with hot peppers, especially jalapenos, WEAR GLOVES. The oil from these peppers gets EVERYWHERE, even if you don't realize it. I touched only a corner of my face, and 5 minutes later, my ENTIRE face was burning like the fiery gates of HELL. I went through a series of flushing my face in the sink, smearing it with sour cream, pouring milk on it, and slathering it with vegetable oil. It took around 10 minutes for it to start to die down, and after that, I was terrified to touch anything else in the near vicinity. . .

That being said, the Anaheim peppers themselves are not terribly spicy, so as long as you cautiously cut them up, you will not have any of the terrible experiences I did. Perhaps I made a beginner's mistake, but no one ever told me. You have been warned.

Stuffed Peppers:

1 Large Can Diced Petite Tomatoes
Your Choice of Meat (I used 2 large, halved, chicken breasts, but a shoulder of pork is a good choice as well)
1 Small Can Green Chiles
1 Small Can Diced Jalapenos
1 C Chicken Broth

3-4 Anaheim Peppers
Shredded Cheddar

-Add first group of ingredients to a large stockpot, cover, and stir occasionally.
-Allow most water to boil off, then remove the chicken/pork and separate using two forks. When the meat is mostly broken up, add back to the stockpot and cook until the rest of the water cooks off.
-This entire process should take ~1 hour.
-Slice Anaheim peppers in half long ways. Remove all seeds and dividers (these are spicy too!), and microwave the peppers for 1-2 minutes.
-Spoon shredded meat into the peppers and pile it on! Add shredded cheese.
-Bake @ 350º for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.



Jalapeno Poppers:

Jalapenos
Cream Cheese
Milk
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Oil

-Cut tops off of jalapenos and remove all seeds and other inside parts.
-Stuff with cream cheese.
-Dip entire pepper in milk and roll in flour.
-Allow to rest and dry for a couple minutes, then dip in milk again, and roll in breadcrumbs.
-Wait a few more minutes and dip again in milk and then roll in breadcrumbs again.
-Cook in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side or until jalapenos are golden.

P.S. Thanks for the great recipe, Mom!

Homemade Nachos

I had 0 nacho chips, so I made some! Then I made nachos!

2 Tortillas, Cut into Triangles
2 TB Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Chopped Tomato
Chopped Onion
Shredded Cheese

-Mix tortillas with olive oil and spices in a bowl until well mixed and coated
-Bake at 350º for 10-20 min or until golden-brown, turn often
-Top with cheese, tomatoes, and onions, bake an additional 10-15 minutes

Meatloaf

I had some extra ground beef lying around and decided to make a mini meatloaf. It was delicious, but didn't hold together very well, mostly because I tried to stretch the meat farther than it could go. . . oops. . . Ah well, it was still delicious and I suppose that's all that really matters. As always, the amounts on my recipes are not exact, it just seems to work out better when I feel it out.

Recipe:

1/2 lb Ground Beef

1/8 C Breadcrumbs

1 TB Red Wine Vinegar

1 TB Worcestershire Sauce

1 Egg

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Thyme

1tsp Sage

1 TB Parsley

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1 Small Onion, Grated

-Combine all ingredients except meat.

-Add meat in, but don't overhandle it. Form into a loaf.

-Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

-Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy (or BBQ sauce if you prefer).

Pita Bread Pizza

The other day I had extra pita bread lying around and no hummus to go with it. While trying to figure out what to do with it, I realized it would make the perfect pizza crust. I was right, it's perfect! It makes for a very soft but thin crust, and isn't greasy or unhealthy. I'm sure naan and similar flatbreads would work just as well, and add other interesting flavors.

Ingredients

1 Piece Pita Bread
1 TB Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Basil
1/8 tsp Oregano
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 C Asiago Cheese
1/4 C Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Tomato, Sliced
Extra Basil and Asiago Cheese for Decoration

Directions

-Place pita bread on a pan. Spread olive oil over the surface, and sprinkle with spices.
-Sprinkle asiago cheese and mozzarella cheese over the pita bread.
-Lay tomato slices on top of bread and sprinkle with extra cheese and basil.
-Cook at 350º for 10-15 minutes.