Tuesday, July 31, 2012

stuffed peppers

This report is part of my investigation of making stuffed vegetables. I have shown how to stuff zucchini, now its time to stuff some bell peppers.

Recipe:
green bell peppers, with the top cut off and the seeds removed
diced green bell peppers( use the tops of the pepper)
precooked rice
diced tomatoes
diced onions
granulated garlic 
black pepper
salt
dried oregano
diced summer squash
tomato sauce

Method:
Take green bell peppers and cut the top off so you can stuff the pepper. After cutting the top off take out the white part and the seeds. With the tops dice them into small pieces. 

In a saute pan with olive oil cook the onions first for about 3 minutes. Then add the salt pepper, granulated garlic, and dried oregano. Then add the diced bell peppers, and diced summer squash. Cook that for about 4 minutes. Then after 4 minutes, add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. 

When the veggie mixture is ready, take off the heat and add the rice. Mix the precooked rice with the veggies. Then stuff into the peppers. Place in a baking dish or hotel pan with tomato sauce and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

After 30 to 40 minutes, the peppers will be ready. This is a great dish for vegetarians. Enjoy!


Monday, July 30, 2012

John Harvard's Brewery and Ale House

For any beer and food lover, there is a seat for you at John Harvard's Brewery and Ale House. The name of this establishment should send signals that they specialize in brewing their own craft beer. They do this excellently, but excellent beer is even better with good food. The food John Harvard's serves is awesome. They have all of the classic bar food appetizers, pizzas, and burgers that you would expect to find.  Yet, John Harvard's offers great daily specials, entrees, and salads as well so every palate will be pleased. I had the seafood pasta special with penne, mussels, calamari, shrimp, and cod. For beer, I suggest the Minuteman IPA for beer. It is very floral and has a bitter bite which is unique to the IPA. IF you like good food try John Harvard's in Harvard Square or in Framingham, MA. Enjoy!




Saturday, July 28, 2012

wild rice stuffed zucchini

There are many vegetable preparations that involve stuffing the vegetable with something delicious that adds a burst of flavor. One such dish is stuffed zucchini. To make stuffed zucchini here is an ingredient list.

Zucchinis
precooked wild rice
diced onions
diced tomatoes
dried basil 
dried oregano
granulated garlic
olive oil 
tomato sauce 
salt 
black pepper

Method
Cut the ends off of the zucchinis. Then with a paring knife or an apple corer, take out the center of the zucchinis. In this process you will also de-seed the zucchinis. 

For the filling, saute the diced onions until they begin to caramelize. Then some salt and pepper along with the dried basil and dried oregano. Cook for a minute and then add the diced tomatoes. Cook for two minutes. Then take off the heat and add the wild rice. Combine the ingredients. 

Then take the filling and stuff the zucchinis. When the zucchinis are filled, place in a baking dish with tomato sauce halfway from the top. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 40 minutes. 

This recipe is completely vegetarian. If you are not a vegetarian, try them first with out meat. They are just as delicious. If you insist having meat in them, try any ground meat or sausage. After adding the tomatoes you would add the ground meat until it is cooked through. Enjoy!






Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Drinktime: Mayflower IPA

I love to drink IPAs. They are known for being a more bitter than most other ales and lagers due to the amount of hops used in the brewing process. I love the bitter complexities that an IPA brings. One of the better American IPAs that I have had is the Mayflower IPA. Mayflower Brewing Company is out of historic Plymouth, Massachusetts (Hence the name Mayflower). The Mayflower IPA is not as bitter as other IPAs, but it has just the right amount of bitterness that makes this beer very pleasing to the palate. The Mayflower IPA has 7.0% ABV so it is stronger than a typical beer. Mayflower IPA is a great choice, but it may be harder to find outside of New England. Cheers and Enjoy!


Sunday, July 22, 2012

daikon radish salad

This is a very easy salad to make and is great for a hot summer day.

1 peeled daikon radish
1 peeled carrot
1 red delicious apple 
soy sauce 
ground ginger
a pinch of wasabi powder 
sliced sticks cucumber

Method:
Grate the daikon radish, carrot, and apple. Cut the cucumber into sticks. Make sure to remove the excess liquid from the grated carrot and grate daikon radish. Combine the ingredients with the dressing which is the soy sauce, ground ginger, and a pinch of wasabi powder. Enjoy with as a nice side with grilled teriyaki chicken or fish. You can also add toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil to add another layer of flavor. Enjoy!


Monday, July 16, 2012

bourekas

It seems that many cultures have similarities when it comes to there food. One of these similarities is that many cuisines around the world have a filled pastry. In Spanish and Latino cultures the empanada is king. Yet in the eastern Mediterranean the borek, or boureka is very common. Bourekas can be found in Israel, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. A boureka is puff pastry or phyllo dough that is stuffed with fillings of meat, vegetables or  cheese. The bourekas I made are filled with mashed sweet potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and sauteed onions. Take squares of puff pastry and put the mashed sweet potato mixture onto the puff pastry sheet. Then fold the pastry over so you get a triangle. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until good brown and delicious. Enjoy!