Stuffed pepper appetizer

1 lbs Bob Evan's sausage (or any breakfast sausage)
2 bags of small bell peppers
16 oz philedelphia chive cream cheese
Cheddar cheese, shredded ( we prefer sharp, but mild is fine)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash peppers then cut peppers in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds and ribs. Set aside.

In a large skillet,  brown sausage, breaking into small bits.

Once sausage is browned, reduce the heat , and stir in the cream cheese. Mix in and once melted turn off the heat. This won't take long. 

Stuff the peppers, be careful not to burn yourself. Lay peppers ona cookie sheet. 

( I recommend a silpat or parchment paper on the tray.) Then sprinkle cheese over stuffed peppers. You can stop and refrigerate at this point.  

Oven at 350 degrees. Bake about 10 min.,  until cheese melts. Serve warm. Caution guests will eat this off the bake sheet if you aren't fast enough.  Always a big hit.

Maple Soy Glazed Salmon

 Serves 6-8

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

6 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp. Asian sesame oil.

1Tbsp. Freshly grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions thinly sliced

 6 8-oz. Wild Salmon filets, 1 inch thick skin on

1. In a large shallow dish, whisk soy, syrup , ginger, garlic and scallions. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Turn the salmon periodically. ( I do all day )

2. Preheat grill or oven to 400 degrees

3. Remove Salmon from marinade. See step 5.

4. Pour the glaze into a small pan and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes to strain glaze of you want. (I don't.)

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment and bake for 10 minutes, until center flakes with a fork.  May take longer depending on the size.

5. Or oil the grate of the grill and grill for 6 minutes. I would recommend a grill pan or fish grilling tray. 

6. Transfer to the plate and drizzle small pan syrup over the salmon. You can sprinkle scallions as a garnish.

Can also use sea bass- cook 20 min. per inch. Also good marinade for pork 

Skyline Chili South of the Border

South of the Border page 58
1 13.25oz. package thawed Skyline Chili
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided (1/2 cup for topping)
1 medium onion chopped, optional
8 6-inch tortillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, in a pan. Heat and stir until blended. Spoon 1/4 cup into tortilla and roll. Line up in 9x13 pan. Pour remaining mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake 20 min.

Corn, Sugar Snap Peas & Chives Saute'

Serves 6-8

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 green onions using the green & white parts
2 16 oz. of frozen corn, defrosted (Can use fresh instead- mix white & yellow)
3 cups sugar snap peas
1/4 cup finely chopped chives


1. In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat, add the onions & saute' 3 minutes- until the onions are softened.

2. Add the corn & peas & cook about 5 minutes , until the peas are softened.

3. Add the chives & serve.

4. You can make ahead & just heat up before dinner.

** Did you know that you can cut chives & green onions with scissors & freeze. You'll always have them on hand.

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Chile Soup with Corn Pepper Relish

By Rita Heikenfeld

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup ( generous) chopped onions
2 Tbsp. Light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
3 lbs. Peeled sweet potatoes 1 inch about 3 large
2-3 tsp. Chopped Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (seeded= heat!)
5-6 ounces chicken broth
1 cup half and half
Fresh lime wedges

Melt butter in a soup pot. Add onions, cinnamon, salt and cinnamon. Cook on medium high heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes and chili, cook for 10 minutes. Then  add chicken  broth. Cook 25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Let it cool a bit  ( now you can stop and freeze here, before the half and half).
 Use a hand blender and mix, or carefully do in batched with a standard blender. Be careful! Now if you want a chunkier soup don't process as much or use potato masher. Stir in half and half. Salt and pepper to taste.

Corn Pepper Topping (optional)
1 Tbsp. Butter
12 oz. Corn , If frozen thaw partially or cannedand drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Cilantro to taste
Sour cream garnish


Melt butter and saute corn and pepper until crisp tender. Add in cilantro, salt and pepper. Laddle  soup in bowl and garnish with relish and sour cream.

FOUR BEAN HEATH SALAD WITH HERBS AND GRAINS

Rita Heikenfeld


Dressing:
2/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 1/3 c. Olive oil *Add last may not need all
1 T. plus 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1 T. plus 1 tsp. minced garlic  \
1 T. plus 1 tsp. dried oregano (rub in your diced hands to release oils)

Salad:
4 cans of beans, rinsed well and drained : garbanzo,black, red and light kidney
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper
1 bunch of green onions, (snipped with scissors or chopped green you wish)
5-6 plum tomatoes (or 1 can diced add last, you may not need all of tomatoes, not drained, in the winter)
1 handful of chopped cilantro, to taste taste (or more to 1 handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, to
taste)
4 ribs of celery, diced
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 bag fresh baby spinach (or any salad)

1/2 c. cracked or bulgur wheat, reconstituted*. (Do it!)
* To reconstitute cracked wheat: Take 1/2 cup of wheat and rinse it under cool water
3 times. Place in a bowl and leave 1/4 in on top. Drain when wheat is soft. You can do
a day ahead, but I find by the time I have done everything else for this recipe, it's
done.

Mix first 7 ingredients, going easy on the oil. Set aside.
Mix the bean and veggies, but not the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste, then the drained wheat. Mix in the salad dressing (You may not want to add it all. I do.) with the veggies/beans.
Serve over spinach. Placing spinach in the dish quickly wilts it, so it's best kept fresh
and separate. This keeps well as the vinegar lets it last longer. (The notes below are
mine, not Rita's)
You can also add chicken or stuff in a pita. Great recipe.

Note: Don't let this small step of cracked wheat stop you from trying this. My
neighbors and I call this the "girl dish". I don't know if it's the estrogen in the beans or
what, but we have trouble sharing this recipes with anyone else.

Beverly Koch's Cowboy Caviar

1 cup oil
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cop of apple cider vinegar-heat to dissolve sugar. Cool and set aside.
Chop peppers (all 4 colors) and a finely chop 1/4 cup of red onion. Drain 1 can black beans and 1 can of white corn.
Mix all vegs  into a bowl with cool oil mix let sit covered over night or for 6 hours. Then drain and serve!