October Peppers !

I love bell peppers....cute little balls of spicy goodness...and they come with a hat!
Orange bell peppers are a natural for October meals ! You can treat them like a pumpkin....slice the top hat, clean out the seeds, cut out the face, and stuff and bake.

I've made stuffed bell peppers many many times. I do think they may not agree with everyone...but I love how easy they are to make and how good they taste.
I saw this cute Idea on pinterest....it is exactly what I've done for years.....cut the top off  so it has a hat, with a handle...and then clean out the inside seeds, and stuff with vegetarian meatloat-type stuffing. So, what a fantastic idea....to make them look like Jack O'lanterns!


You can stuff lots of things inside...here's a few things I've done over the years.
mash up leftover burgers, rice, cooked vegetables, cheese chunks, stewed tomatoes, cooked sweet potatoes.......it's a great way to use up a few days of leftovers for stuffed peppers....They're easy to prepare and cook ..put them in a pan, lightly greased, in a 350 oven, for about an hour until the peppers are soft.
I usually pre-cook the peppers for 10 minutes in the microwave....let them cool....and then cut & stuff. Then, it only takes about 20 minutes to heat up in an oven.

I changed the top hat style of stuffed peppers because I knew my family wouldn't eat a full stuffed pepper....I cut them in half lengthwise, after clipping the stem short, and then ....I cut the eyes and smile Jack O'lantern style!!

For my birthday party dinner, I mashed up a carton of tofu, a can of stewed tomatoes, italian seasoning, a teaspoon of honey, and the bits of the pepper eyes and smiles. I pre-cooked the 5 peppers in the microwave for 10 minutes, and let them cool. I snipped the stem short, then cut them in half lengthwise, and cleaned out the seeds. I cradled the half pepper in my hand, and with a sharp knife, I cut the eyes and the smile....I only cut a slit for the nose, thinking it would split and be too "holey"....I think I shoulda just cut the noses. (next time).
Then I turned them over, still cradled in my hand, and packed them full of the vegetarian tofu mixture, and quickly placed them face side up, in a greased pan. I put them in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
The family ate about half of them....so success! It was a very yummy dinner with a mixed green salad, potato salad, Jack O'Lantern peppers.....but....
They really went crazy for the Taco Pie.....that's the next foodie bloggie post!

I Like it Fast and Easy

One Pan Lasagne. Really.
hey, let's eat. I do like to eat. but....I don't really like to cook. I do like to bake. This is one of my favorite recipes for One Pan Lasagne. Oh sure, you say. No wait ! This is ONE PAN. Not a big pot, and a colander, and  a baking pan...Oh no no no. One pan. Put in oven. Bake. Eat.
....back in the olde days I took great pride in my ability to get dinner on the table by 6 ish. I was so organized! with 3 kids and an ex that thought feeding the family was as easy as calling out for pizza delivery, I had to stay organized, and collect fast, easy and cheap, and oh yeah, mostly vegetarian and super-healthy recipes.
These days, I do make a good dinner, and we eat well, but .....let's just say, I love the microwave and the toaster oven.
One Pan Lasagne. Really.
Measuring cup, a spoon or 2, grated or sliced cheeses (about a pound or less, use less if you want to use some cottage or ricotta cheese, or some cream cheese), a jar of spaghetti sauce (or make a quart of your own), a bottle of tomato juice, some water, oil, a box of lasagne noodles (those long ones),  foil, an oven, and one lonely little 13" x 9" baking pan.
Here we go........ Turn the oven on to 350 degrees to pre-heat.
First, Pour into the baking pan about a Tablespoon of oil and a 1/2 Cup of water.
Start to lay down a layer of DRY lasagne noodles, pour on about 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce, and over that spread 1/3 of your cheese(s). (here's where I added that spinach)
Repeat this 2 or 3 times.
Finish up with some sprinkles of grated cheese.
Here's the big secret: Pour 1 cup of tomato juice down the sides of the pan that is now full of raw lasagne goodness. Really. See pictures below. Cover this amazing goodness with foil, 
put it in your hot 350 degree oven for a half hour, then take off the foil, and continue baking for 15 minutes more. Turn off the oven, and let the lasagne rest for 15 minutes or so, before enjoying!

So, here's what I used.....a jar of Artichoke Okie dokie spaghetti sauce, a can of spinach, some sour cream ( I forgot to buy ricotta!), some Parmesan, a chunk of cheddar, and a box of lasagne noodles.
You have my permission to add olives or whatever. Personally, I think olives are great, but they are really best when put on your fingertips while pretending you are Mickey Mouse.
That doesn't make much sense, but that's what we did as kids, before they invented video tapes.

 Here we go....layering layering layering.........

Instead of boring old tomato juice......I used V8. "I could have had a V8!"

 Now I am pouring the V8 on the sides.......Really!

Then I covered it with foil......use your imagination, and popped it in the oven and set the timer.......
And since I had the V8 juice already out........and I had extra in my measuring cup....Oh what the hell! Let's get out the vodka!!!
and make a Kitchen Bloody Mary, with Don't Forgetta the Mezzetta !
plop in a few chunks of the Mezzetta veggie goodness and Vodka !

Mezzetta Italian Mix Giardiniera vegetables......
Yes, another thing from my hometown!

 Is the lasagne cool? yes. well, then ....
Oh My Gosh !! Yum Yum Yum.......yum yum yum ....yum......
 That's it. I swear. Be sure to let it cool, and then eat it.
You can make this ahead, like in the morning.... and bake later, or bake it and save it!
I'd also like to remind you ....I did this without a staff....no stylist, no photo editor,  and just a point and shoot camera.
That's how I roll......or layer, whatev'.