July is almost over, and our garden here in northern Michigan is beginning to show promise. Of course, my hubby doesn’t have a large garden like he did when our four children were young. Now that it is just the two of us, all he plants are about six tomato plants and six pepper plants. The tomato plants are laden with green tomatoes, and with the warm weather we have been having, they will soon turn a delightful red. The peppers are also showing promise.
With that in mind, I have decided to post a favorite recipe I like to make using both the fresh tomatoes and peppers. It is my version of STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS.
When I make them in the summer, I use fresh tomatoes, but when I make them other times of the year, I use petite diced tomatoes. (I drain the tomatoes before adding them)
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (you can use ground turkey, ground pork or even ground Italian sausage)
Two or three ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 small can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup each of diced onion and diced bell pepper
Salt and pepper to taste and I add about two shakes of garlic powder
Directions
Step one- fix 1/2 cup of dry rice per directions. I use white as my hubby prefers it, but you could just as easily use brown.
Step two-while the rice is cooking, brown the meat, onion and pepper and spices. Drain
Step three-add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer
Step four-when the rice is cooked, add it to the meat mixture, stirring until blended in. Let simmer for about ten minutes.
Step five-put the meat and rice mixture into the peppers you have cut the tops off and cored…I usually use a glass baking dish.
This recipe will fill 4 large bell peppers of your choice of color. I use green as that is what my husband likes. I also only make two peppers and put the rest of the mixture around them. That gives us two meals…a half a pepper at a time.
Bake at 350 degrees until peppers are cooked to your preference. I usually cover the pan with foil after about twenty minutes. It takes a good fifty minutes for the peppers to get done.
I think every hearty meals deserves a little sweetness to go with it. I often make banana muffins as a little treat to have for dessert. This recipe only calls for one banana which is perfect for my hubby and me. The recipe comes from my sister’s cookbook she published. It is available on Amazon.com
One banana, banana muffins-page 33
Ingredients:
- 1 very ripe large banana
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg ( her recipe calls for only the white but I use the entire egg)
- 1 TBS + 2 tsp vegetable oil—I use canola
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- A pinch of nutmeg
- These two ingredients I do not use-1/3 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/3 cup chopped nuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F and line a muffin tin with 6 liners
In a medium large bowl, mash the banana with a fork or potato masher. Add sugar, egg, and oil. Stir with a spoon until combined. Mixture will be lumpy.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If using the chocolate chips and/or nuts, stir them in as well.
Divide the mixture between the six baking cups. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffin tops turn golden.
Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle then transfer to a cooling rack.
This is an easy meal to make and can also be paired with a small garden salad if you prefer. Enjoy…
As always, “Don’t save today for tomorrow.”
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