Category:

Peppers

Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

by jughandle June 22, 2019

written by jughandle

Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Just found this amazing idea on Delish.com, Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers. If you are like me and love Philly Cheese Steaks and also love stuffed Bell Peppers, this recipe is the best of both worlds. The provolone cheese is gooey and delicious. You could make this with any protein out there. I’m going to try ground beef, strip steak, sliced beef and/or pork loin. That should hold me for a while. – jughandle

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

A Philly favorite with a twist!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Protein Beef, Cheese, Steak

Cooking Method Baking, Pan Fried

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Protein Beef, Cheese, Steak

Cooking Method Baking, Pan Fried

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Servings 4 two pc servings

Author Delish

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

4 bell peppers halved
1 tbsps vegetable oil
1 onion large sliced
16 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1/4 tsp Kosher salt more or less to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground, more or less to taste
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak thinly sliced, tenderloin, skirt steak or pork loin will also work nicely
2 tsp Italian seasoning thyme, oregano, parsley, marjoram
16 slices provolone roughly 1 lb
4 Tbsps Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º. Place peppers in a large baking dish and bake until tender, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onions and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 6 minutes. Add steak and season with more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning.
Add provolone to bottom of baked peppers and top with steak mixture. Top with another piece of provolone and broil until golden, 3 minutes to color and melt cheese.
Garnish with parsley before serving.

Video

Nutrition Facts

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Amount Per Serving (2 halves)

Calories 720 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 25g156%

Cholesterol 181mg60%

Sodium 1238mg54%

Potassium 1529mg44%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 70g140%

Vitamin A 5065IU101%

Vitamin C 157.2mg191%

Calcium 943mg94%

Iron 4.9mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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June 22, 2019 0 comment

All About Blog Topics Informational Blog Peppers Vegan Vegetables Vegetarian

Chiles, Fresh & Dried

by jughandle April 6, 2019

written by jughandle

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Fresh and dried chiles are a staple of most cuisines. Chile, with an “e”, is the fruit of a plant.

With an “i”, Chili is the dish made famous in Texas, with or without beans.

This post will address what you need to know about Chile with an “e”, and touch on the “i”.

The image above shows some of the most common fresh peppers with their dried names to the right.

Fresh Chile Peppers

There are thousands of different peppers in the world. Every country and cuisine have peppers indigenous to their region that have been used as ingredients in their dishes for hundreds of years.

What To Look For

Use your eyes and nose to make your selection. Try not to touch the chiles with your bare hands. Many chiles have oil on them that can be very uncomfortable if transferred to sensitive areas of your body.

A good rule of thumb, but not written in stone, it that the smaller the chile, the hotter the chile. Bell Peppers and Banana Peppers are very mild, where
Habanero Peppers and Bird Peppers are small and very HOT.

Fresh chiles are peppers that are “fresh” from the garden, or recently harvested. “Fresh” means plump, juicy, and clean.

When choosing peppers at your market, look for fruit that does not have mold on the stem and the flesh is tight and firm with no wrinkles, bruises or rot. The scent should be fruity and fresh with no moldy or off notes.

Heat

The Heat or spiciness of a chile is relative to each person’s own taste. The chile industry has developed a scale to give an indication of a chile’s heat without having to taste it.

Note that heat depends greatly on how and where the chile has been grown. When it was harvested in its growth cycle also plays a large role. If the chile is picked before it has vine ripened it will not reach its full heat potential. That is why some peppers in your grocery store are not as hot as home grown peppers of the same variety.

Scoville Scale

The Scoville scale is a rating of the spiciness or “heat” of chili peppers and other spicy foods, and is rated in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The scale is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids.

The scale is named after, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, the creator of the method. Originally developed in 1912 it was known as the Scoville organoleptic test. Now days, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used to determine the capsaicinoid content as an indicator of spiciness. HPLC is more scientific than the Scoville scale which relies on the skill and pallet of trained experts to detect heat.

For more detail on the Scoville scale and HPLC follow their links to Wikipedia.

Examples From The Scoville Scale – Wikipedia

Scoville heat units	Example peppers
800,000 to 3,200,000	Pepper X, Carolina Reaper, Dragon’s Breath
350,000 to 800,000	Red Savina pepper, Chocolate habanero
100,000 to 350,000	Habanero, Scotch Bonnet
10,000 to 100,000	Malagueta pepper, Cayenne pepper, Siling labuyo
1,000 to 10,000	Guajillo pepper, Jalapeño
100 to 1,000	Banana pepper, Cubanelle
0 to 100	Bell pepper, Pimento

Chile Powder

Chile powder, which can be spelled, chili powder, chilli powder, or powdered chili, is the dried, ground fruit of one or more varieties of chile peppers, When it is blended by the addition of other spices it is usually known as chili powder blend or chili seasoning mix. It is used as a spice to add flavor or heat to dishes.

When chile powder is made from a specific type of chile pepper used, it should be spelled with an “e” but it is not always.

Varieties of chili peppers used to make chili powder include Aleppo, ancho, cayenne, chipotle, chile de árbol, jalapeño, New Mexico, pasilla, and piri piri chili peppers. Gochugaru is a variety used in Korean cuisine traditionally made from sun-dried Korean red chili peppers known as taeyang-cho, with spicier varieties using Cheongyang peppers. – Wikipedia

Blends

Chili powder blends are made mostly of chili peppers then blended with other spices such as, cumin, onion, garlic powder, and sometimes salt. Check the label. The chiles are most commonly red chile peppers of the species Capsicum annuum. The spiciness of any given chili powder varies depending on which chiles are used and what percentage of the other spices are used.

How To Minimize The Heat or Remove it All Together

Peppers are amazing to cook with. The fruity aroma and flavor can really enhance a dish. The problem is that sometimes a very hot pepper’s heat can get in the way of enjoying the flavor.

I have a way to reduce the heat in any pepper.

Remember that the spiciness of a pepper comes from the capsicum oil in the fruit. Most of that oil is contained to the seed pod and the seeds inside the fruit.

First Step

The first thing you do is put your gloves on. The oil is very hard to remove from your skin. Now cut the stem off and slice the fruit open to reveal the seed pod and seeds.

**The Seeds And White Membrane are Hot**

Remove The Seeds And Membrane

With a spoon or dull knife, scrape off the seeds and all of the white membrane from the inside of the pod. Then scrape the back of the flesh again to pop the clear blisters.

Oil The Inside Of The Fruit Pod

Use Olive oil or any mild vegetable oil to rub the fruit. Rub it in with your gloved fingers.

Even though most of the capsicum is found in the seeds and membrane there is still oil found in the clear blisters on the inside of the fruit. The trick is to remove the capsicum to the point that you can enjoy your meal.

Rinse And Repeat

Now pick a consumable alcohol (I use Vodka) and pour a small amount on your oil rubbed fruit. Rub the fruit again then rinse with more Vodka.

At this point your peppers are ready to use or eat raw, but they will still have some heat depending on how hot they were to begin with.

To Finish The Job

To remove most or all of the remaining heat do the following:

Place the peppers in a canning jar and cover with more Vodka. Shake the jar for 30 seconds or so.

Add a little more Vodka, put the lid on and let the jar sit for 1 to 3 hours.

At the end of 1 hour about a 1/3 of the heat will be transferred from the fruit to the liquid.

After 2 hours around 2/3 of the heat will be gone from the fruit.

3 hours is all the time you need. Most if not all of the capsicum will be removed from the fruit and dissolved in the Vodka.

Do not go more than 3 hours or the peppers will have no flavor but the Vodka with taste great.

Storage

You now have mild flavorful peppers and hot Vodka.

Put the peppers in another canning jar and cover with Olive or vegetable oil. Place in the refrig or use the pepper right away. They should keep for weeks.

The Vodka is another story. It will not require refrigeration and can be used as a cocktail mix for as long as you still have some.

Sources And Recommendations

Websites I Purchase Herbs, Spices And Peppers From:

Bulk Apothecary

Herbco

Mountain Rose Herbs

San Francisco Herb Company

Bulk Herb Store

Spice Jungle

Atlantic Spice Company

Frontier Co-op

Dried Peppers And Powders

Spices Inc.

A Guide To Types of Mexican Peppers

The Spice House

North Bay Trading Company

Mexgrocer.com

The Chile Guy

Products Available At Amazon That I Recommend:

April 6, 2019 0 comment

All About Blog Topics Holiday Meals & Parties Hors d'oeuvres Informational Blog Peppers Southern American Vegetables

Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper Poppers

by jughandle September 8, 2011

written by jughandle

Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper Poppers are great hors d’oeuvres. These meet all the qualifications of a great hors d’oeuvre, starter, or appetizer. They can be eaten with your hands in one or two small bites, they aren’t too messy and they are very good. In fact, the spiciness stimulates the appetite. Don’t worry too much about the heat of the pepper. Capsaicin, the active chemical that causes the the “fire”, is reduced when cooked.

You’ve heard me talk about all the good food we eat when we visit our Alabama relatives. Well, that inspired me to ask Brent if I could release his stuffed jalapeno pepper recipe to the world and he graciously said yes.

I’m going to have a separate post for Brent’s recipe, but in this blog I’m going to talk about the different variations and components you can use to create great poppers.

Methods

The Cut-

the peppers can be cut in a variety of ways. I’m going to post some pictures below to show some of those great ideas from top cut, half cut, lengthwise cut, cut and capped, end cut to side sliced.

As you can see, there are also many ways to cook them and many things to stuff them with

Ways to cook –

After market devices like the holders shown in the pictures above allow the peppers to be grilled, baked and broiled. You can also deep fry the little buggers, breaded or not. If your stuffing is just cheese all you have to do is cook the peppers until the cheese melts or gets crusty. If you use meat, you should either partially precook the meat or cook the peppers until the meat is done.

Ways to stuff them-

Peppers can be stuffed with hard cheese, soft cheese, rice, sausage, quinoa or a mixture of any of those. I sometimes cut cheddar cheese into long square pieces just large enough to push up into the bottom of a pepper when the end is cut off. Brent cuts his peppers in half lengthwise then stuffs each half with a cream cheese mixture and finishes by wrapping them in bacon.

To wrap or not to wrap –

Many people like to add flavor and texture to the peppers by either coating them or wrapping them. The most popular wrap is with bacon. The coatings could be egg wash then dredged in flour and bread crumbs or other things like grated hard cheese and cornmeal.

Precautions

When you are cleaning the peppers, ALWAYS, DID YOU READ THAT, ALWAYS, WEAR GLOVES. You may not write to thank me if you follow my caution, but you will most definitely think of me if you don’t and then either rub your eyes or use the bathroom. Don’t laugh, it is hard to explain that your “junk” is on fire and you need help putting it out because when you touch it with your pepper hands, it just gets worse.

Look for the recipes I’ll be posting in the near future, or better yet, please send me some of your own. Thanks again to Brent for his inspiration and great recipe variation – Jughandle

September 8, 2011 5 comments

American Food Bell Peppers Combination Side Dishes Hors d'oeuvres Peppers Quinoa Vegan Vegetables Vegetarian

Jughandle’s Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

by jughandle August 12, 2011

written by jughandle

With any satisfying meal it is important to not only have good flavors, but combine different textures and even different temperatures.

Jughandle’s Quinoa Stuffed Peppers have the crunch of the pepper with the mouth texture of the quinoa and the spice of the tomato mixture.

The topping provides depth of flavor, texture and spice that is hard to find in any dish.

For a whole meal serve with a cold tossed salad.

This recipe is an original Fat Farm creation. Let me know what you think. – jug

Jughandle's Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

The crunch of the pepper with the mouth texture of the quinoa and the spice of the tomato mixture provide depth of flavor in this dish. Texture and spice are hard to find in any dish. For a whole meal serve with a cold tossed salad. This recipe is an original Fat Farm creation. Let me know what you think. – jug

Course Dinner, First Course, Main Course

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Protein Tofu

Cooking Method Baking

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Course Dinner, First Course, Main Course

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Protein Tofu

Cooking Method Baking

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Servings 4 Servings

Author jughandle

Ingredients

4 bell peppers Large peppers, use multiple colors
3/4 cup Quinoa uncooked pre-rinsed variety which has the hull or saponins removed.
1 cup Onion 1 medium onion finely chopped
2 T olive oil
1/2 Cup Carrots chopped smallish
1/2 cup celery 2 ribs finely chopped
1 T ground cumin or 1/2 T cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic 2 tsp minced
1 cup tofu extra firm cut into cubes
1 lb spinach fresh blanched and squeezed dry
10 oz Diced tomatoes & green chilies can of RoTel brand
15 oz kidney beans can
4 T Tomato Spread See recipe

Instructions

Stuffed Pepper Method:

Blanch Spinach:

Bring a large pot of water (1 to 2 qt) to a boil. Put spinach into boiling water for 30 sec. then remove and quickly place in cold water to stop the cooking process. Reserve.

Cook Quinoa:

Rinse the grain briefly in cold water. Cook as you would rice. One cup of grain for 2 cups of water or other flavored liquid, such as stock or even vegetable juice.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 10 -15 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed.

Make The Stuffing:

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 additional minute. Stir in spinach and RoTel brand tomatoes & green chilies (reserve juice). Cook 5-10 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
Stir in kidney beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup crumbled extra firm tofu. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble And Bake:

Preheat oven to 350°
Pour reserved tomato liquid into bottom of baking dish.
Cut the top off of each bell pepper and with a spoon remove the seeds and as much of the white membrane as possible, then rinse.
Fill each bell pepper with heaping amount of the quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish.
Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour.
Uncover, top with 1 T of tomato spread and bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and sauce each with seasoned pan juices before serving.
Note: any remaining stuffing can be frozen for later use.

Notes

Note: This topping can be cheese which would be very tasty but would change the dish from vegan to vegetarian.

Note: For my vegan friends, Tofutti brand foods have some acceptable dairy substitutes. Try the health food section of Whole Foods or your local store.

Nutrition Facts

Jughandle's Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Amount Per Serving

Calories 526 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 289mg13%

Potassium 2016mg58%

Carbohydrates 79g26%

Fiber 18g75%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 17280IU346%

Vitamin C 204.7mg248%

Calcium 331mg33%

Iron 10.9mg61%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

August 12, 2011 1 comment