Stuffed Bell Peppers

 Living in Florida for eight years, we never really got to experience the seasons.  Most Floridians will tell you, Florida has two seasons, Summer and January.

As a girl who grew up in the midst of the Appalachians of Maryland, I missed my seasons. 

So when the husbandman was given the chance to transfer to Virginia, we jumped at it!

Back to the Chesapeake Bay, mountain air, Maryland Blue Crabs, lazy summer days on the Eastern Shore, oysters as big as your hand, walking outside on chilly winter nights and smelling the mix of wood burning stoves with snow....and the return of seasons. 

Our little townhouse in the snow

My favorite is Fall.  Every Labor Day, I'm ready to welcome it with open arms.  And what's not to love?  Boot weather, cozy sweaters, stomping through the leaves during evening walks, spending cozy nights in front of the fire place and the delicious smells of hearty, home cooked meals wafting out of the kitchen and filling the home. 

Williamsburg on a lovely November weekend.  Please don't judge my Iphone photography skills!

For me, Fall is all about comfort food.

So every fall, I dive into my recipe box and pull out some new favorites and some oldies but goodies.  This past week, I made a favorite from my childhood that has become a favorite of the husbandman.

Stuffed Bell Peppers!

My mom made this when I was a child with ground beef.  It was basically meatloaf in a pepper.  While delicious, I have updated the recipe a bit and put a my own personal spin on it. 

Because isn't that what cooking is all about?  Taking a recipe and putting your own mark on it?  I'd like to think so.

So here's what ya need:

Olive oil warmed in a skillet
Rice (I made one cup, but this will vary on how many people you're serving.)
3 Green Bell Peppers (They can be red or yellow.  Your call.)
1 pound ground turkey (Ground Beef works well, but since heart issues run rampant in the husbandman's family, you will typically find me substituting beef for more heart healthy options.)
A handful of Mushrooms
1 Diced Onion (I used yellow onion, but purple would work too.)
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese!  Any kind will do.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the rice per the package instructions.

Take the turkey and put it in the warmed skillet with the olive oil.  Stir it around and cook until it's nice and brown.  Pour out the grease. 

Add the diced onions to the warmed skillet that still has the turkey in it.  Cook until the onions are nicely browned.

Add the mushrooms and cook until nicely browned. 

Now take the bell peppers and slice them in half.  Scoop out the insides and lay the peppers in a pan. 

Now take a spoon and start spooning the turkey mixture into the peppers.

Top the peppers with cheese.  I used yellow American, 'cause that's what I had.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted and bubbly. 

Serve in a bowl with a bit of salsa on top.  You could also use spaghetti sauce.  Alfredo on top is yummy too! But we normally stick with good ol' salsa.  It makes you think you're eating a burrito bowl. 

So enjoy, my friends!  Maybe you can add this to your list of favorite comfort foods, too.

Butternut Squash Risotto

There are a few obsessions I have in life. 

Wine, time with family and friends, Kate Middleton and cooking.  And because I love cooking, I follow a TON of cooking blogs. 

My favorite?  The Pioneer Woman. 

Seriously y'all.  My obsession with Ree Drummond almost rivals my obsession with Kate.  However, as much as I love her recipes, there are a few ingredients she uses regularly that make me want to run for the hills.

One of these is heavy cream.  I need a run in the hills if I eat any of that!  I feel my hips grow simply by looking at the stuff.  It's like the effect at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but with my thighs instead of my heart. 

So I took her butternut squash risotto recipe and modified it a bit to fit my lifestyle without expanding my waistline. 

Here's what you need:

1 Butternut squash
A bit of butter
Olive oil
1 Diced onion (How big of an onion depends on how oniony you like your food.  The husbandman picks out onion if he sees it, so I used one medium sized onion.)
A handful of mushrooms
1 cup of Arborio Rice
1 box of chicken/vegetable broth
1 cup of dry white wine (I typically use chardonnay.  Last night we were out, so I used a bit of Woodchuck Fall flavored cider beer.  The hint of cinnamon and nutmeg really made it taste fantastic!)
Various spices.  I used kosher salt, pepper and turmeric in this.  Use whatever your little heart desires.  
1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt, whatever you have on hand)
3/4 cup of Almond milk (of fat-free, 1% percent, coconut, goat....whatever ya got!)
Parmesan cheese

Start by loping of the stem part and the very bottom of the butternut squash.  Then peel the squash.  Get all the skin and veiny parts off.  Then slice the squash in half. 

The bottom, round part of the squash has seeds in it.  Scoop the seeds and the guts out like a pumpkin. 

Now slice the squash into small, bite sized chunks. 

In a cast iron skillet (or regular skillet...it tastes fine either way!) melt a bit of organic butter.  I didn't use a full tablespoon of butter, but I put a bit more than I would use to butter bread.  Just use your best judgment.  Go ahead, I trust you.

Dump the sliced squash into the warmed skillet.  Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt, pepper and whatever seasonings you desire onto the squash.  Cook it until it's a nice, lovely color.  It should be bright orange with some delicious brown marks from the skillet and butter on it. Either turn off the heat or throw the squash onto a plate.  This will be one of the last things added to the risotto.

In a Dutch oven (Or stock pot. Or just a regular pot.  We're not professionals here), put in a bit of olive oil.  Normally I prefer coconut oil, but the husbandman has complained that he doesn't like his Italian food to taste like coconut.  So this time I used olive oil. You could also use butter I suppose. 

While the olive oil heats, slice up an onion and mushrooms.  Toss them into the pot with the warmed olive oil.  Let them brown.  It takes roughly 2-3 minutes. 

When the onions and 'shrooms are nice and browned, dump in the cup of UNCOOKED Arborio rice.  I know, crazy right?  But don't worry.  I would never lead you astray. 

Stir in the Arborio rice until it's mixed up with all the yummy onions and mushrooms.  This is typically the point where you add in the dry white wine. 

I opened my refrigerator, hung my head in shame as I realized I did not have any wine in my house (shocking, I know) and debated for a second whether or not I should send the husbandman to Farm Fresh. 

Then I decided to be innovative and use what I have on hand.  So I cracked open a bottle of cider beer, poured a cup of it into the pot and patted myself on the back for using my noggin. 

The difference between white wine and cider beer is that the cider beer kind of caramelizes.  But it still worked!

Now once the rice has absorbed a bit of the beer, add in the first cup of broth.  I used chicken broth. 

Stir the rice and broth together until the rice absorbs the broth.  This takes a minute or two.  You don't have to stir the whole time, but make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.   

Keep adding broth and stirring until the rice is nice, puffy and soft.  Stick a spoon in and have a taste to make sure the rice is the right consistency.  If it helps, I typically use about 3/4 of a box of chicken broth. 

Now toss in the butternut squash.  Stir it around until it's all a big, sticky, fantastic mess. Sprinkle in the turmeric. This gives the risotto a nice, golden color and out of this world flavor.

At this point, one normally would heavy cream.  But for a healthier version, I put a tablespoon of Greek yogurt into a measuring cup, added almond milk and stirred it together and then added it to the pot.  This gives the risotto a nice, creamy taste that makes it utterly divine. 

Stir everything until it's all mixed together. 

Now scoop a big heaping of risotto into a bowl.  Take a hunk of parmesan cheese and using a cheese grater, grate a nice handful of cheese.  Please don't use the white dust in the can.  There is just something so much more gratifying when you have freshly grated cheese. 

Take that freshly grated cheese and sprinkle it on top of your warm risotto.  This takes the risotto from divine to life-altering. 

Serve it with a smile to someone you love.  And then hang your head a sigh while he slowly picks the onions out. 

Oh wait, that's just my husbandman?  Dang it.