Leftover Love

I have a love-hate relationship with leftovers.  On the one hand, they’re great for a quick and easy meal.  On the other hand, they’re boring.  I hate eating things two days in a row.  Yesterday, I came up with a great recipe to use up the rest of the stuffed peppers I had from Friday’s dinner.  It was easy, just requiring a few more ingredients, and it enhanced the flavor of the peppers.  Read on for a great leftover solution for stuffed peppers! 

Spicy Stuffed Pepper Soup

Serves 4

2 leftover stuffed peppers

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. chicken stock

1 tbs. tomato paste

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. cumin

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

½ c. dry white wine

Chop the peppers into bite sized pieces.  Place in a large pot with the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste over medium heat.  Add the herbs and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, covered.  Add the white wine during the last 20 minutes.  Serve with crusty bread.

Dinner Date Stuffed Peppers

B and I decided to have a Friday night dinner date at home.  We are trying to save up money for a vacation this summer, so we’ve been cutting back on how much we go out (it’s been painful, we love to go out to eat!).  We decided to open up a bottle of wine and make a nice meal.  I offered to cook, after a long and stressful week, nothing relaxes me like cooking, for some reason I find it therapeutic.  I decided to make stuffed peppers since we haven’t had them in awhile and I hadn’t quite perfected my recipe yet.  I thought they turned out really well, and the wine, which was a gift, was fantastic.  Here’s my recipe for stuffed peppers, bon appétit! 

Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4

4 bell peppers

1 c. cooked rice

Olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ Vidalia onion, diced

½ lb. ground turkey

Salt and pepper

¼ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. oregano

1 can tomato sauce

1 c. shredded mozzarella

Parmesan cheese if desired

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut the tops off the peppers; remove all seeds and white membrane from the peppers and tops.  Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Sauté the garlic and onions.  When onions are translucent, add the ground turkey and spices and brown the meat.  Remove from heat, put the mixture in a bowl and add the rice and cheese.  Stuff each pepper with the filling and replace the tops.  Place in a glass baking dish and top with tomato sauce.  Cook at 375 for 35-40 minutes.  Top with fresh parmesan before serving.