True talk: Rachael Ray taught me how to cook. Living alone after graduating college, I binged on 30 Minute Meals and absorbed her tips and tricks. As I learned more from other TV cooking shows, cookbooks, and blogs, she's fallen off my radar as a go-to resource - until recently. A friend gave me a stack of old Rachael Ray magazines and this stuffed pepper recipe popped out as something different but delicious-looking.

You start off prepping your poblano peppers. Her recipe asks for 6 but I only did 4. I sliced off the tops, removed the seeds and ribs, and rinsed inside and out. Then, you prep the filling, which includes:

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 4 ounce log soft goat cheese
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey jack (I used feta - had it on hand!)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (I used frozen kernels rinsed in warm water)
1/4 pound salami, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I left out)

So, I cut down the number of peppers, but didn't cut down the filling amount. You'll see below that this causes a tiny problem. My beans were not on board with being mashed up as the recipe calls for, so I left most of them whole. All in all, I liked the heartier texture when we ate them later!

I stuffed the filling into the peppers which were simply overflowing. I tried to jerry-rig a "stand" of sorts by rolling up some aluminum foil to keep all of the stuffing from falling out during baking. I popped these into an almost 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Some of the stuffing still fell out, yes, but it was AMAZING. The cheese on the outside got all crispy and crunchy and the high heat of the oven blistered the pepper skin beautifully.

I paired the peppers with But I'm Hungry's Pork Chops Adobado. Sounds and tastes super fancy, but it's basically a (mostly) dry rub for pork that contains:

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

I marinated two chops in the rub overnight and then threw them in the oven for 30 minutes or so in the same oven as the peppers until cooked through. Admittedly, I was preparing them right before bedtime and was wiped out, so I just tossed everything in a bag instead of toasting them all a bit on the stove. Even in Raw & Lazy form, the flavor is delicious. The paprika just adds such a big punch of smoky, rich flavor - you will love them.

We each got a chop and two peppers. This was one filling and flavorful dinner! The peppers were such a hit. I love that the heat was so high in the oven that the pepper skin got so blistery and hot. It was totally the look, texture, and flavor I imagined when I read the recipe, but I didn't have to deal with the grilling. I'll definitely be serving these again!

Sesame Stir Fry + Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

I love a good stir fry. It's a great way to fill up on loads of veggies in one meal. I added on to Real Simple's kale & red pepper stir fry recently and ended up with a heap of sesame-flavored vegetables paired with an Asian spiced pork tenderloin.

The stir fry contained:

1 red bell pepper
2+ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 medium bunch of kale, leaves ripped into bite-sized pieces
1+ cup snow peas, halved
1 10 oz container sliced mixed mushrooms
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 - 2 glugs of chicken or vegetable stock

Heat canola oil in a pan, then add pepper and ginger. After about 2 minutes, add in the mushrooms and peas. After another minute or so, add in the kale and soy sauce. Continue to toss until the kale wilts down but remains bright green. During this wilting process, I noticed the pan getting a bit dry, so I added in a small splash ('glugs' above) of stock. The stock gave off steam which helped further the kale wilting. Once finished, I drizzled on some sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I paired this with slices of pork tenderloin that I'd rubbed with a dry spice mix and baked. The mix was a tablespoon of Chinese 5 spice, a teaspoon each of cumin, hot paprika, and garlic powder, a 1/2 teaspoon salt and many aggressive shakes of fresh cracked black pepper. I let it sit on the countertop for about 10 minutes in the dry rub while the oven heated up, but you certainly could do this overnight for stronger permeation. This would work great on chops or chicken, too.

A flavorful pile of veggies and a rich, spicy protein, from fridge to plate in under an hour. I know some balk at weeknight meals that go past 30 or 45 minutes, but this one is full of big flavors. If you're not a pork eater, certainly swap in some chicken or even shrimp - even add them to the stir fry itself!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Romesco

While menu planning recently, J asked for lots of seafood - specifically shrimp. To me, shrimp is like chicken - it’s a very neutral canvas for a whole lotta flavor. I referred to my Future Recipes Pinterest board and merged two different ideas. Williams-Sonoma’s blog, Taste, inspired me to make a romesco sauce and grill them. Foodie Crush inspired me to wrap the shrimp in prosciutto and grill romaine lettuce, as well.

I was mostly excited to try the romesco sauce. Jarred piquillo (or roasted red) peppers, toasted almonds, and smoked paprika? Sounds like flavors I adore, but would I like the texture? I blended the following ingredients together in my baby food processor:

1 jar (10-11 ounces) piquillo peppers, drained
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic (I applied Garlic Math and ended up using 6 - 7)
2 tsp. smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

I could (and did!) eat this by the spoonful, it’s that good. It’s a gorgeous bright orange color and it is smoky and sweet with a little bit of crunchy texture from the nuts.

The sauce completed, I moved on to the shrimp. I bought a pack of prosciutto and sliced each of the pieces in half. Then, I wrapped each shrimp with the prosciutto. I also apparently kept Esther Williams in mind while arranging them on the plate.

I skewered three shrimp at a time onto pre-soaked wooden skewers and tossed them on the grill pan.

I turned them after 3 – 4 minutes and continued to flip them until the shrimp were fully opaque.

Once the shrimp were done, I drizzled romaine halves with olive oil and put them face down on the pan. I did these one at a time because our pan isn’t that big.

I topped the shrimp and the romaine with the romesco and included a radish + pea side salad – so much crunchiness on this plate!

Grilling romaine is the best, isn’t it? I love those stripey char marks and the slightly wilted warm pieces in the same bite as the crispy fresh non-grilled parts. I’m glad I kept the sides so fresh and neutral flavor-wise because this shrimp was to die for.

The prosciutto became crispy around the super tender shrimp and brought the perfect amount of saltiness. If you like bacon-wrapped scallops at weddings, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp needs to get onto your menu.

My biggest takeaway from this delicious meal is that romesco is my new favorite condiment, hands down. I could do one with green peppers and cumin, with marinated onions and smoked salt, or really just stick with this original piquillo and paprika perfection. It was the smokiness of the paprika that got me hook, line, and sinker. It is absolutely aggressive in it’s deliciousness. I knew it would be incredible paired with other proteins and, if you come back and read tomorrow’s post, I will show that attempt!

Chorizo Breakfast Bake

A few weeks ago, we invited some of J's coworkers over for brunch. It was so nice for all of us to kick back and relax together. In addition to the main attractions - bellinis and Bloodies - I also served food. The biggest hit was a crustless chorizo egg bake.

- 10 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh salsa (or jarred if that's your thing)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 (or more!) cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 bell pepper (I chose yellow, but pick your favorite color)
- 8 ounces chorizo
- shredded cheese of your choice (I tried Sargento's Nacho & Taco blend - not paid, not an endorsement, but it was pretty good!)
- salt and pepper

First, I browned all of the chorizo - if you opt for pre-cooked, you can certainly skip this step and simply cut it to your desired size. I removed it from the pan onto a paper towel-covered plate to drain a bit and scooped out most of the fats from the pan. I left a little bit behind and sautéed the onion in it. After a few minutes, I added the garlic and peppers in as well and cooked until the peppers just started to soften. I pulled the vegetables off the heat and let them cool.

Once cooled, I tossed the chorizo and vegetables into a lightly oiled casserole pan and covered with one or two handfuls of shredded cheese.

In a separate bowl, scramble all 10 of the eggs thoroughly. Having learned from my last multiple egg cooking attempt, I added three heavy pinches salt and a bunch black pepper (as much as you want, really). Add in the salsa and mix to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the chorizo and vegetables.

I topped it all off with another hearty helping of cheese. Because cheese is wonderful. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the top looked golden and the eggs looked cooked through.

YUM. I let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving, but it is as delicious room temperature - I confirmed this 4 hours later when there was only one helping left and I ate it directly out of the dish with a fork.

I also made zucchini and cream cheese muffins that were... Not Good. J swears they were delicious and not a single muffin remained, but I thought they were dense and chewy, almost gummy. Avoid. I also made a fruit salad of sliced strawberries and red grapes with a balsamic vinegar-vanilla extract-Campari-lemon zest reduction. It was Fancy and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who actually used the reduction. More for me!

All in, the egg bake was a hit. It was so simple to put together, and I'm sure you could even cook all the vegetables the night before to save time day-of. It was spicy from the chorizo and salsa, but it wasn't so hot that it completely burned out your taste buds. I think serving some fresh avocado on top would also be an outrageous and tasty addition.

There weren't any leftovers (after I scarfed down that last serving when the guests left) , but I had hoped for some to take a square to work for lunch! I'll definitely be making this again!

Napa Chicken & Vegetable Bake

On Friday I mentioned my habit of auditing my kitchen cabinets. What do I have stuck back there? How can I use up what I’ve already purchased? Enter Napa seasoning.

I have no idea where we got this seasoning blend. The website listed on the back goes to a granola company. Googling the brand brings us to the Napa General Store, but it's not for sale. I found it on Amazon but you can't actually purchase it. It's basically a tin of herbs blended together that are scrumptious on chicken. The first of the ingredients listed? "Spices." I know, I can't. It reads: spices, sea salt, dried garlic, orange peel, chiles, lemon peel. So it's a little spicy, definitely salty, and zingy from the citrus. Plus spices. Even though it's a mystery, it's delicious.

I was inspired by a trio of recipes - two from Real Simple and one by The Pioneer Woman - that all involved baking green beans.

I went with green beans, quartered button mushrooms, peppadew peppers, fresh rosemary, a diced half onion, and chopped bacon.

I also tucked some lemon slices into the mix. I simply tossed everything but the lemon and rosemary together, poured it into a lightly oiled lasagna or casserole pan, and nestled the lemon wedges and whole sprigs of rosemary on top.

I want to lay down and take a nap on this. Or at least bottle the aroma and maybe burn it as a candle or possibly spritz it onto my pulse points.

I liberally rubbed the Mystery Napa Spices onto 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, getting as much underneath the skin as possible. Those went on top and the whole thing went into a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

And all of your taste buds kick into overdrive. The chicken is crispy and moist and so flavorful. And the vegetables are rocking, as well.

The bacon has crisped up, the mushrooms and peppadews have released all of their glorious juices, the green beans are tender but not mushy, and everything smells like lemon juice and rosemary. I could make this dish chicken-free and it would be a hit.

My iPhone illustrates that this whole plate visually skews toward brown, but the flavors are a rainbow. Yes that is a cheesy and ridiculous thing to say, but bear with me. All of the vegetables are done perfectly and, like I said above, would be delicious on it's own. I could also see this working well topped with pork chops or a tenderloin, or even a hearty fish like salmon. I'd also consider using this Napa blend on non-chicken, but it really was made for it.

This is a thing of beauty, no? You can see the pieces of chiles and the large flecks of sea salt - spicy and salty chicken alone is a gorgeous combination. But then you add the dried citrus peel and the elusive "spices"? If you can get your hands on this stuff, grab some. Take it hope. Massage the hell out of your preferred cut of chicken. It is so worth it.

Poulet Basquaise

Now that I teased you with some délicieux French wines, I have a quick and flavorful French dish today! Of the many Julia Child recipes I've pored over throughout my love affair with French food, Poulet Basquaise keeps bubbling up to the surface. The dish - which, in English, is called Basque Chicken - naturally comes from the Basque region of France. I found this particular iteration of the dish on a French website called Marmiton, which means 'scullion' in French, which means 'a servant assigned the most menial kitchen tasks'. And yes, I newly learned the word 'scullion' when making this recipe.

Ingredients
- 1 chicken, cut up (I used breasts and legs, but reserved the wings for stock later)
- about 8 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 red bell peppers and 1 green bell pepper
- 3 yellow onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 bouquet garni of fresh thyme and sage
- 3 dried bay leaves

The trickiest word that stood out was "peeled". Peeling tomatoes isn't difficult, but requires a little bit of setup. My mom taught me this well-known trick years ago and it is a simple but very useful one to add to your arsenal of kitchen techniques.

First, cut a small X at the base of the tomato (opposite from where it attached to the stem). Then, boil a pot of water. You'll basically dunk the tomatoes into the boiling water for at most one minute. For big tomatoes, you can do one by one. I just plopped the whole mess of Romas into the pot this time. After juuuust that quick trip into the jacuzzi, immediately transfer the tomatoes to cold water. For me, I drained them and then re-filled the pot with icy cold water from the tap. In the past, I've set up a cold water bowl and will just spoon the tomatoes directly into it. Whatever suits you - the point it so go from hot hot to cold cold. Once the tomatoes have cooled slightly, the skin of the tomatoes will very easily peel off. Once peeled, I quartered each tomato lengthwise and cut the quarters in half.

The second bit of prep I did was making the bouquet garni. This is basically a fancy term for Fresh Herbs Tied Together. The recipe called for fresh thyme, fresh sage, and fresh bay, but I only found the first two of the three. I tied the sage and thyme together with some twine.

Tomatoes and herbs prepped, I cut up my peppers, garlic, and onions and started cooking.

The original recipe requires two pans - one to cook the vegetables and one to brown the chicken. In the interest of (A) flavor (B) doing fewer dishes, I browned the chicken in a cast iron casserole, about 4 minutes a side, and reserved the pieces on the side.

It looks more like 'tanning' than 'browning', but go with it.

Once all the chicken was done, I added the chopped onions into the same pan and a good dash of salt. The salt helps the onions release juice faster which picks up all the fond (the outrageously flavorful brown bits left over from browning the chicken - why would you use two separate pans?!). After a minute or two of just onions, I added in the garlic and the peppers.

I let this cook, stirring periodically, for five minutes. Then, I added the chopped tomatoes, a little bit more salt and black pepper.

I covered the pot and simmered for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway.

After 20 minutes, the vegetables released so much of their juice and flavor - it all smelled perfect even at this stage. Instead of just grabbing a spoon and digging in, I added the browned chicken back into the mix. I used tongs to really nestle all of the pieces deep down and cover them with the sauce. The bouquet garni and the bay leaves dove in, and I also poured the end of a bottle of viognier into the pot, a little bit more than a cup.

I covered the pot again and this time simmered for 35 minutes. I served it up in bowls over some whole wheat couscous.

Is it weird to characterize this as "summer stew"? It was warm and filling but still tasted fresh and light. The sauce of the vegetable juices plus wine really lent to that lightness. This would have admittedly been delicious brothy vegetable soup on it's own without any of the chicken. Nonetheless, I loved using the whole bird in the mix, from light meat to dark meat and all the accessories. I ended up pulling the skin off of my pieces before eating (not crispy = not edible in my book) but the skin and the bones both added incredible depth to the overall flavor of the dish.

Like most French dishes I attempt, they look fancy, but are quite easily broken down into technique-heavy and flavor-focused smaller steps. Plus, they always say to cook with the wine you'll drink with it - this dish worked perfectly with viognier. Bon appetit!

Chili-Coffee Spice Rubbed Pork

The first time I made this spice rub, I used it as Katie intended and smothered a gorgeous steak with it. Since then, I've used it a number of times on red meat and also pork. It is bomb dot com on pork.

The side dish here? I basically used my Fairway olive bar standards: peppadews and artichoke hearts, plus some trusty ole asparagus, all roasted in the oven.

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt (leave out if you're watching your sodium!)

For this side, I sautéed leeks and Brussels sprouts hit with a bit of low sodium soy sauce at the end for some brightness (it could also be good with a squirt of citrus or any good vinegar).

But what about the actual rub? It is DELICIOUS. Rich, spicy, almost chocolatey from the brown sugar melding with the coffee flavor, and really unique. You can use a little or a lot to adjust the spice level and works for the grill, the stove top, or the oven. With summer grilling weather upon us, I know I'll be putting this into heavy rotation!

Ok, here's a bonus EXTREMELY zoomed-in picture of the rub used on steak. Goodness, I love steak.