Southwestern Style Stuffed Peppers

With summer coming, and Richard, well, being the way he is in the garden (ahem....crazy) I figured that getting a few new veggie recipes under my belt would be a pretty great idea. Last summer we had so many bell peppers that we were sending friends home with bags full of them and finding ways to work them into pretty much every meal. 

Being on a low/no carb diet (6 months until we tie the knot!!!).......any vegetable that can be stuffed full of meat and cheese is A-OK in my books. 

So here we go.... a new twist on the original (slightly boring) Italian stuffed pepper. 

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 pound grass-fed, ground beef
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1 15oz can black beans, drained
2 4.5 oz cans chopped green chilies
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup jack cheese, grated
4-6 large red bell peppers
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
salt and pepper


Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the rice according to package directions. Set aside.

In a large skillet, combine ground beef, chopped onion, chopped chilies, and cumin. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent.

Mix in the corn, black beans, cooked rice, 1/2 of the jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the red bell peppers....
cut the top of the pepper of lengthwise. Remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper.

Arrange the cut bell peppers in a baking dish. Stuff each pepper with the beef mixture. Add 1/2 cup of water to the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft.
I feel like stuffed peppers always take FOREVER to cook.... so be patient.

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining jack cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Top each stuffed pepper with a dollop of greek yogurt and sprinkle with sliced scallions.
I have started using greek yogurt to replace sour cream in a lot of recipes. It is so healthy for you and I really cannot taste the difference. Just make sure to buy plain! If you think it is a little thick, you can whisk in some water until you get to your desired consistency.

Makes 4-6 stuffed peppers.

Lavender and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

In honor of last weekend feeling a little like it was the middle of July (holy hell it was HOT!)  And in honor of my ridiculously handsome, Italian brother from another mother......

Lavender and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Now, no part of me is Italian, but I swear there is this little spark inside me that still believes that I am going to grow up to be a cute Italian grandmother that always has a big pot of bolognese simmering on the stove and whose house always smells of lavender ice cream.... Oh my gosh, this recipe makes your house smell so yummy!

The combination of lavender and cream is absolutely divine. Actually.... lavender and anything is amazing. I'm obsessed. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup 2% milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh lavender flowers (you can buy them at whole foods.... or pick them from your garden!)

1 vanilla bean, cut in half and scraped

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean, pinch of salt, and lavender flowers. 

Gently heat over low heat until warm, but not boiling. 

Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for about 15 minutes. 

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the mixture is chilled. 

Churn the ice cream in an cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. 

Serves 6.