Tag Archives: red bell pepper

Fajita Foil Dinners

I had planned to make these on our last camping trip. Unfortunately, I forgot the foil, so I ended up putting everything in the Dutch oven instead. (Worked pretty well, actually!) Since we were getting bell peppers in our box this week, I decided to get limes, too, and try it at home. Potatoes aren’t a traditional fajita ingredient, but I can’t fathom a foil dinner without them.

Foil Fajita Dinners

You could slice the chicken and serve in a tortilla. However, I was too lazy to do that, so we just put the salsa on top. (Also, trying to watch carbs here; didn’t think we needed potatoes and tortillas.) It was raining, so I ended up cooking them on the gas grill instead of our fire pit, so the cooking time might be a little off.

Fajita Foil Dinners
Recipe type: Main, Camping
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 limes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 pound thin skinned potatoes, diced
  • Your favorite fajita toppings
Instructions
  1. Zest one lime, juice both limes. Combine lime juice and zest, oil, garlic, and cumin in a zip top bag. Add chicken. Marinate overnight.
  2. Heat coals or preheat grill. Tear 4 sheets of heavy duty, wide aluminum foil about 5 feet long, fold in half crosswise. Spray one side with non-stick cooking spray. Divide chicken breasts, peppers, onion, and potatoes among the 4 dinners. Drugstore wrap each packet.
  3. Cook for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through. Serve with your favorite fajita toppings.

 

Zesty Orange Sauce Knock Off

It’s been a while again. A combination of a last minute trip and a couple of unsuccessful recipes is to blame. Hope I am back on track now.

The inspiration for this recipe came from a couple of different sources. I wanted to do a kale stir fry, and found a recipe on Real Simple that fit that requirement. I also had a taste for some zesty orange stir fry sauce, but didn’t have any in my refrigerator.

Ginger Orange Stir Fry

This didn’t turn out as “orangy” as the bottled sauce, but it was really good! (And, probably, a lot healthier.) I don’t use fresh ginger very often, but it really added zest to this dish.

Ginger Orange Stir Fry
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Oriental
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 pound sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger root
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
  1. Combine orange juice, vinegar, and honey in a gallon zip top bag. Add beef. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wok or large skillet. Drain beef. Stir fry beef until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove beef from skillet and keep warm.
  3. Add remaining olive oil to wok. Stir fry ginger and bell pepper for 2 minutes. Add garlic and kale, stir fry until kale is just wilted.
  4. Return beef to wok, add sesame oil and soy sauced. Continue to stir fry until heated through. Serve over rice.

 

Vegetable Tortellini

We got zucchini from the farm (again!) this week. It is way to early for me to be struggling for something new to make with zucchini. Fortunately for me, there is Pinterest! I found this great recipe from The Mushroom Council for Tortellini with Mushrooms, Zucchini, and Bell Pepper. We also got a lot of bell pepper, so this killed 2 birds with 1 stone.

Vegetable Tortellini

I changed the spicing and sauce (added some wine!), and also added some carrots for more color and texture. The leftovers are even better the next day!

Vegetable Tortellini
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
  • 1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup red wine
Instructions
  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.
  2. While tortellini is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute carrots, pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms until they begin to soften.
  3. Combine garlic, rosemary, and basil. Add to skillet and cook a couple more minutes.
  4. Add broth and wine, cook until vegetables are softened.
  5. Add tortellini, toss and cook until tortellini is reheated.

 

My New Toy-A Grill Wok

Last week, I had to take my car in for service. There is a Kohl’s right next to the service place-too dangerous! Since I had a 15% off coupon, I decided to do some shopping while my tires were being rotated. They had their grill accessories on sale, so with my coupon I got a smoking deal on a grill wok.

Grilled Orange Stir Fry

The recipe that came with the wok recommended brushing the sauce on the vegetables. Instead, I just put it on the vegetables a teaspoon at a time. It did not end up really saucy, but was delicious. I’m not posting times for this recipe, because my grill was running out of gas and not as hot as usual. It would probably take 10-15 minutes on a normal day.

Grilled Orange Stir Fry
Recipe type: Main
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup Zesty Orange stir fry sauce, divided
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch Japanese sweet turnips, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 bunch broccoli florets
Instructions
  1. Combine ⅓ cup of stir fry sauce and the chicken in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning at least once.
  2. Preheat grill and grill wok on high heat. Remove the chicken from the bag with a slotted spoon and place in the wok. (Discard marinade.) Stir fry until chicken is cooked through. Remove from wok and keep warm.
  3. Place pepper, carrots, and turnips in the wok. Drizzle with a couple of teaspoons of the remaining stir fry sauce. Stir fry until vegetables begin to soften, adding additional stir fry sauce to coat.
  4. Add broccoli and remaining stir fry sauce. Continue to stir fry until vegetables are tender crisp.
  5. Add chicken back into the stir fry and heat through.

 

Sweet Potato Curry

My daughter makes chicken curry every time she comes home. I always say, “I should make curry sometime,” but never quite get around to it. I was looking for something to do with sweet potatoes, and found a couple of different recipes for sweet potato curry. I combined them, along with part of my daughter’s recipe, to make a nicely spiced curry that is completely plant based. (My friend, Terri, will be proud!)

Sweet Potato Curry

My daughter always makes coconut rice to go with curry, but I went for a simple jasmine rice with some cilantro.

Sweet Potato Curry
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 14 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
  1. Put sweet potatoes in a pan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain sweet potatoes, place back over heat for a minute to dry.
  2. While sweet potatoes are cooking, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add spices, cook another minute until spices are fragrant. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, cooked sweet potatoes, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. While curry is cooking, prepare rice according to package directions. When rice is done, add cilantro and toss to combine.
  4. Serve curry over rice