Mexican stuffed peppers

Are you curious about how the yard glacier is holding up? I hope you are! There is $200 on the line! I will write an update at the end of this post. Aren't I mean? Making you read through my loooong boring post first? Actually, the yard glacier, which is now just a dirty, disgusting pile of snow, is truly ugly and that is why it has been placed at the bottom. 

Today and tomorrow are busy days for my boys and me. We are heading out of town early Thursday morning for a little vacation [insert excited squeal here]. Our boys get to spend a couple nights with my dad and stepmom in North Carolina while Dan and I attend a friend's wedding in South Carolina. I've never been to SC before! Any suggestions about what we should check out in the Charleston area?

As is the case before any vacation, I have a million things to accomplish before bedtime tomorrow night. I'm wishing I had more of these stuffed peppers leftover so we wouldn't need to think of something to make for dinner tonight. We ate every morsel in less than 24 hours. If you are looking for a healthy, spicy (or not--doesn't have to be), delicious dinner, you have found it!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Pour a half inch of water into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Using a sharp knife, cut a circle around the stems of 4 large (or 6 small) red or green bell peppers. Twist and remove the stems. With a knife or side of a spoon, remove the ribs and seeds from the insides of the peppers. Rinse out with water and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.

Add 1 to 2 finely chopped jalapeño peppers to the skillet. (Omit this step completely if you wish to avoid spice.)

Cook for 3 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and fragrant.

Add to the skillet:

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

15-oz. can corn kernels, drained

14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (use a flavored variety if you're feeling saucy)

15-oz. can black beans, drained

1 bunch green onions, sliced (white and light green parts only)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Divide the mixture between the hollowed-out peppers. Place in the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (total) over the tops of the peppers and place back in the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Quite honestly, if you want to slim the recipe down, avoid the cheese altogether and it will be just as tasty. I added it simply to capture a prettier photo.

We LOVE these! Hoping you do, as well! 

Printable recipe: Mexican stuffed peppers

This was the state of the dirty, disgusting pile of snow yesterday morning. Before the rain came. It is a lot smaller today. But! Snow is on its way! Possibly a significant amount, from what I hear. If that happens, then the dirty, disgusting pile of snow may grow. Since we will be out of town for a few days, I am hoping to get one of my neighbors to monitor the situation. "Uhm, would you mind checking on my dirty, disgusting pile of snow, please?" Is that is an odd request? 

Slow cooker cilantro lime chicken

My husband and I adore our slow cooker, especially in the winter-time. And guess what? It is winter-time! I had to bust out my fluffy pink driving mittens yesterday morning for the first time since, well, since last May. Last winter was a long, cold one here for us in Minnesota. Hopefully this winter won't be quite so brutal!

To help ease some of the pain involved in facing winter again so soon (it seems), we threw some ingredients into our slow cooker for a comforting, delicious meal. And listen, friends, I have never eaten such tender chicken in my life! I was pretty much able to shred it by just looking at it. And the flavor? Mmmmm, the flavor. Delicious! There is plenty of room to turn up the heat on this recipe, if that's what you prefer, and it's also easy enough to keep it on the mild side. Tailor it to your liking!

In a slow cooker, mix together:

One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa

Juice from one lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

Add 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves (completely defrosted) to the slow cooker and coat with the salsa mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Serve the chicken with the salsa mixture spooned over the top. If you're feeling crazy, throw a dollup of sour cream on top with some crushed tortilla chips.

This is also delicious as a taco filling or in a taco salad. 

Gotta go find my Snuggie!

Click here for a printable recipe!

Jamaican rice salad

This post written by the original Ebby.

It's pushing 90 today and I'm looooving the warmth and sun. If only I was near a body of water, sand between my toes, with a fruity drink in hand. But hey, at least there's months between now and the next snowstorm! I've got plenty of time to find that beach.

The heat makes me crave something light and refreshing, and this salad fits the bill perfectly. The flavors of lime, coconut and mango are irresistible! I've never been to Jamaica, but when I eventually get there I hope they have food like this.

Start by cooking 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of coconut milk. I used Basmati rice and think its nutty flavor is just right for this dish. While it's simmering away you can assemble the rest of the salad.

You'll need a cup of cooked shrimp, medium size. I took the lazy easy route and thawed out some of the frozen stuff. Unfortunately I live in a land-locked state and don't have access to any fresh seafood that is worth a darn. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Combine the shrimmp with 1 cup black beans, two chopped mangoes (mine yielded about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Now, for the onions. I was not lazy with my onions! Instead, I got a little crazy and decided to do a quick-pickling. It's super fast and easy and adds a little sweetness and beautiful color to the onions while mellowing them out a bit. Just boil 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Slice one medium onion, add to the pot and simmer for about 3 minutes. After the slices cool, chop up 1/2 cup and add it to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Or just chop the onion and use it raw. It'll be good that way too.

Next add your cooked rice (after it has cooled down a bit) and give the whole mess a good stir.

Then add 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, the zest of one medium lime and 1/4 teaspoon allspice. Add salt to taste and give everything another good stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The flavors in this salad are phenomenal! It tastes even better the next day, after the lime juice has a chance to permeate the rice and shrimp.

By the way, permeate is not a word I use on a regular basis. But it alwaysmakes me thing of the William Steig book Dr. DeSoto. Dr. DeSoto is a dentist, and there's a part in the story that talks about a treatment he has applied to a patient's teeth. He tells the patient to keep his mouth closed so the solution can "permeate the dentine." Why this particular phrase is still rattling around my brain after all these years is a mystery to me. It's probably taking up the space that would otherwise be used to remember the correct date of my only son's birthday.

Anyway...make this salad! Let the flavors permeate! And then eat it with your dentine! If possible, eat while sitting on a beach near a body of water. Wash it down with a fruity drink sporting an umbrella. And if you're not in Jamaica, close your eyes and pretend!

Click here for a printable recipe!