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Feta Stuffed Pepper
Feta Stuffed Pepper
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I’m not sure why, but the combination of flavors works so well together. I’ve tried it with and without the hot peppers and its great either way. There are variations of this GreekFood.com recipe all over the internet and in cookbooks, which include many different cheese and seasoning options.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 390°F. Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to break or tear the pepper. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until soft. Add oil, parsley, hot peppers, salt, and pepper and mix until very well combined. Using a small spoon, stuff the cheese mixture into the peppers to 1/2 inch from the top. Press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese filling from melting out during cooking. Place the caps back on each pepper. Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for 20 minutes or until they soften.
Bruschetta
Bruschetta
Fresh tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil…it’s that magical combination that screams Italian appetizer. This recipe can be prepared in minutes if you have a few tomatoes. It’s best, of course, in the summer months when NJ tomatoes are at their peak. Once you start eating this tomato mix you won’t be able to stop, especially if you are enjoying it with pita chips or the traditional way over toasted bread. You can also use it over grilled fish or chicken. Both basil and oregano work as the herb, but the oregano really adds a great flavor.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can. Aim for 1/4″ cubes and try to mush or break the tomatoes as little as possible. Next, finely chop the onion and add it into the bowl. If you’re opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly sauté the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe. Next, chop the fresh garlic and add it to the bowl.
Add in some fresh basil or oregano (or both) to taste. There is no “right” amount- just keep adding until desired taste. You can always add more at the end. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly. If you’ve got the time, let the mixture sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Cut 1/4″ thick slices of fresh Italian bread or baguette and toast them in a toaster, or under the broiler, if you’ve got a big batch. Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil. Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread. Finally, pile as much of the bruschetta as possible onto the freshly toasted bread, serve, and enjoy!
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Chile Rellenos
Chile Rellenos
Roasted poblano chiles stuffed with loads of cheese, battered with an airy egg coating, and fried until crispy equate to the Mexican version of comfort food. This classic recipe from Chow, served with spicy tomato salsa or a smooth salsa verde, won’t disappoint.
INGREDIENTS
For the salsa:
For the chiles rellenos:
DIRECTIONS
For the salsa: Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place the tomato halves skin-side up on a baking sheet. Scatter the onion, garlic, and serrano around the tomatoes. Broil until the tomato skins start to blacken and blister, about 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a blender, add the measured lime juice and salt, and blend into a smooth purée. Taste and season with additional salt and lime juice as needed. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
For the chiles rellenos: Using a paring knife, make two cuts into chile forming a “T” by first slicing down the middle of the chile lengthwise from stem to tip, then making a second cut perpendicular to the first about a 1/2 inch from the stem, slicing only halfway through the chile (be careful not to cut off the stem end completely). Carefully open the flaps to expose the interior of the chile and, using the paring knife, carefully cut out and remove the core. Scrape the inside with a small spoon to remove the seeds, ribs, and any remaining core. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place all of the chiles directly on the rack. Broil, turning occasionally with tongs, until the chiles blacken and blister on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. When done, remove and place chiles in bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a baking sheet and let the chiles steam until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Using a butter knife, scrape away and discard the chile skins, being careful not to tear the chiles; set the chiles aside.
Heat the oven to 250°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside. Season the inside and outside of the chiles with salt and pepper. Stuff each chile, being careful not to tear them, with a quarter of the cheese (about a heaping 2/3 cup) and close the flaps over the cheese; set the chiles aside.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until lightened in color and frothy, about 2 minutes; set aside.
Place the egg whites and measured salt in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the egg yolks, and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not deflate the egg whites); set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Working with 1 chile at a time, drop 1/2 cup of the egg batter into the oil and use a rubber spatula to spread it to about the same size as the stuffed chile. Lay the chile seam-side down on top of the mound of batter. Drop another 1/2 cup of batter on top of the chile, spreading it with the rubber spatula to cover the sides and encase the chile. Cook without disturbing until the bottom of the chile relleno is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula and a fork, carefully flip the chile relleno over and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. (If the sides of the chile are not brown, use a spatula or tongs to turn it onto each side to brown.) Transfer the chile relleno to the rack set over the baking sheet, season with salt, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining stuffed chiles.
To serve, spread 1/3 cup of the roasted tomato salsa on each plate and top with a chile relleno. Serve immediately, passing the remaining salsa on the side.
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