I may be addicted to food blogs: Food Porn Roundup

My RSS feed list is growing. What with work and projects, I only review new posts about once a month, but I can lose track of time bookmarking recipes I want to try. Here are some I discovered today, listed in no particular order:

My Kitchen Snippets

Mini Cottage Pies

Chocolate & Zucchini

Yellow Zucchini Tarte Fine on a Yogurt-Based Crust

White on Rice Couple

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Baking Powder
Pepper Jack Zucchini Muffins

L. Brooks Cooks
Chicken Salad with Peaches and Hazelnuts

Mark Bittman
Stir-Fried Beef with Lemongrass and Chiles

Zoom Yummy

Galette with Ricotta and Zucchini

Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Yeasted Sprouted Wheat Bread

Homesick Texan
Summer Squash Enchiladas

girlichef

Stromboli

Waffleizer

Waffled Quesadillas with Roasted Tomato Salsa

What’s for lunch, Honey
Spinach and Caramelized Onion Lasagna

101 Cookbooks
Rosemary Olive Oil cake

Furey and the Feast
Strawberry Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sausage Shrimp Jambalaya with Quinoa

By the time I got home from work the other night, I didn't feel like cooking, but I was famished.

I also didn't feel like cleaning up after myself. Hence this meal-in-one-pot. From start to finish, done within the hour. Leftovers became the Best.Lunch.Ever.

I didn't take photos, but I plan to make it again next week, add pics to the blog, and then participate in D-Feast Friday.

Sausage Shrimp Jambalaya with Quinoa
Ingredients
1 small red onion
1 red pepper
4 stalks celery with leaves
2 summer squash
3 cloves garlic
4 strips bacon, chopped (optional)
olive oil, just enough to sautee veggies
1 1b. chicken or turkey sausage -- find something tasty
1 1b. raw shrimp
1 c. quinoa
1/2 c. short-grain brown rice
3-3 1/2 c. chicken or veggie broth (more broth if you use fresh tomatoes)
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. cayenne
2 T fresh thyme leaves or half as much dried thyme
1 14.5 oz can unsalted diced tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Chop veggies and sautee with bacon and smidge of olive oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Slice sausage and add to sautee pan to brown.
3. When veggies are al dente, add broth, tomatoes, grains and seasonings.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes until grains are edible, not mushy, and add shrimp.
5. Contine to simmer until shrimp is cooked, which will take no time at all.
6. Top servings with something fresh, fragrant and green: sliced scallions, basil.

Quick notes about seasonings: Let flavors simmer, taste as you cook and season to taste. You'll use less salt if your food is flavorful. My measures are approximate. Ultimately, how much you use depends on your taste preferences and the freshness of your ingredients.

I also use a low sodium, soy-based vegetarian "chicken flavor" powdered broth I get at the local natural food store. Locals, go to the food bins at New Leaf.

Peppers Stuffed with Zucchini and Israeli Couscous

Using seasonal ingredients and what's in the pantry, blah blah blah. The best food blogs sing this song.

But really, that's the way I cook. I shop the natural food and chain grocery stores for pantry staples, shop the farmer's market for fresh veggies and herbs.

And then I play.

So, I've got succulent red bell peppers, beets, globe zucchini, and fresh basil. What to do?

Snip the beets greens, julienne the basil, finely chop the zukes....and then cook up the remainder of the Israeli (aka pearl) couscous that's been sitting on the shelf since winter, mix it up with fresh herbs and tasty bits, and stuff the peppers.

Baking is a science. If I'm making bread or a sweet treat, I tend to follow the recipe as it's written. But otherwise, I view a recipe as a suggestion. I hope this sounds good enough for you to try, but the next time I make stuffed peppers, I'll do something different. Maybe use quinoa and cilantro. Stuff poblanos instead of bells. Add sausage or sun-dried tomatoes. Use cheddar or goat cheese.

Depends what's in season and what I have in the pantry.

Stuffed Peppers with Israeli Couscous and Zucchini
Ingredients
2 roomy red bell peppers (pick peppers you can halve and stuff full, not quirky ones)
3/4 c. uncooked Israeli couscous
1/2 red onion and 2 globe zucchini, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
a handful of beet greens and fresh basil, julienned and chopped
1 egg
1/3 c. grated parmesan

Directions

1. Cook the couscous in chicken broth until al dente.
2. Halve the peppers and clean out the seeds.
3. Lightly oil a baking dish and arrange the peppers.
4. Chop the other vegetable ingredients.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked couscous, the veggies and basil, egg, and parmesan. Lightly salt and pepper.
6. Fill the bell peppers. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.
7. If inclined, sprinkle more fresh herbs or a little more cheese when the peppers come out of the oven.