Stuffed Green and Red Peppers (Capsicums)

       A few days ago, I found myself wondering through one of the farmers market so popular nowadays.  There is one right where I live.  I can not emphasize enough the importance that supporting your local farmers mean to the environment, and particularly to your health.  I just love to enjoy the multicolor array of vegetables, fruits, flowers and all of the rest edible, natural products that vendors proudly display on their tables.  If it was up to me, I would buy one of each.  But thanks to my reasonable husband, we always end up with just what we need the most.  He is a good "househusband," economically speaking. This is one of the reasons why I take him along when I visit my local organic market every weekend.  It was there that I luckily found these beautiful green and red bell peppers, or capsicums.  As soon as I laid my eyes on them, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them: Stuffed Bell Peppers. 

       For those of you who like your vegetables, and also for those of you who do not really enjoy eating them, this recipe will be a hit.  It is a little bit of work to prepare it, but the tasty meal that you end up with justifies the hard work.   
       Ingredients for 6 people (Half a pepper for each) 

• 3 whole bell peppers
• 2 lbs. of ground lean beef
• 2 cups of cooked white rice
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup parshley
• 2 cups of tomato puree 
• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried herbs du Provence
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon of curry
• dash of cumin 
• 1/4 teaspoon of Spanish paprika
• 1 cup of white cooking wine
• 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

     Mix well in a blender the following ingredients according to the recipes quantities: onion, green and red peppers, garlic, parshley, tomato pure, nutmeg, ground clove, oregano, herbs du Provence, thyme, salt and pepper to taste.   Blend it until smooth.  Pour it into a large skillet and cook it for about 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon.  Put a cover so the "sofrito" doesn't splash all aver your kitchen.

      Meanwhile, cut each of the bell peppers in half carefully so the stem does not fall off, take out the seeds and clean them under running water.  Dry them with a paper towel and arrange them in an oven safe tray, or pyrex.

      Cook the ground meat for 10 minutes, but be careful not to overcook it.  Just enough because it will cook all the way through later in the oven. 

     Check your sauce, and when it thickens add the cooked ground meat.  Stir.  Add curry, Spanish paprika, and cumin, and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Check the seasoning in case it needs more salt.  Set aside and let it cool for ten minutes.
      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 180 degrees  C.
      Stuff the peppers with the meat sauce.  Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, and pour 1 cup white wine in the tray around the peppers.
      Cook it in the oven for 40 minutes.

  
  Serve it with a good glass of wine and Que aproveche!

     
     

Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon and Dijon Mustard

     One day, at the supermarket, looking for something different to feed my family, I came about a nice, juicy piece of pork tenderloin.  To tell you the truth, I had never, ever have cooked pork tenderloin before, but this day I felt adventurous, so I bought the piece.  At the house, I opened the package and cleaned the meat.  I added some salt and pepper, and started to go through the fridge to check how would I make it.  My imagination running wild, and innumerable of watched Chopped episodes later (a cooking show on Food Network), I decided to go simple (just in case dinner was ruined) and I took bacon and mustard.  Who can go wrong with bacon? With this two ingredients, I created a dinner that my kids complimented me on.  And most important of all... their plates were empty.  This night, I didn't need to fight with them as usual.                                          
    Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (whole)
• 10 bacon slices (add more if the piece is long)
• 1/2 cup of Dijon Mustard (spend the money on this)
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt 
• Pepper

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Take the piece of meat and clean it under running water, pat it dry and place it on a cutting board.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the onion powder and the garlic powder to taste.  Spread the mustard evenly all around the tenderloin.  Use more mustard if needed.  And finally, wrap the whole piece with the bacon.  Make sure the bacon covers well the meat.
Place it on an oven safe dish and pour the white wine around it, not on top.  Put it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
    In this picture, I served the dish with Potato Salad, but simple mashed potatoes go good together as well.  Que aproveche!