Stuffed Banana Peppers with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

• 6 banana peppers

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or dill 

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• Olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Wash the banana peppers and cut a slit down the length of each one. Remove the seeds and membranes to make room for the filling.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper until well combined.

4. Using a small spoon, carefully stuff each banana pepper with the cheese mixture. Be generous but make sure the filling stays inside the pepper.

5. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Drizzle a little olive oil over the peppers to help them brown and roast.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese filling is golden and bubbly.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil or dill.

8. Serve warm as an appetizer or side dish.

Enjoy your delicious stuffed banana peppers! 

Super EASY Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Get more recipes like this here
Servings: About 24 spears, or two 1-quart jars

INGREDIENTS:

• 1¼ cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)

• 3 tbsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 cups cold water

• 1¾ to 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers (about 6), cut into halves or spears

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds

• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

• 16 dill sprigs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small saucepan (stainless steel, glass, ceramic or teflon) over high heat. 

2. Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Transfer the liquid into a bowl and whisk in the cold water. Refrigerate brine until ready to use.

3. Stuff the cucumbers into two clean 1-quart jars. Add coriander seeds, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, dill sprigs, and chilled brine into jars, dividing evenly. If necessary, add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers the cucumbers. 

4. Cover and refrigerate for about 24 hours, then serve. 

The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Stir-Fried Mixed String Beans

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Blue Lake beans, trimmed

• 1 cup Dragon Tongue beans, trimmed

• 1 cup Yellow Wax beans, trimmed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash and trim the ends of all the beans. If the beans are long, you can cut them in half.

2. Blanch the Beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch them for 2-3 minutes until they are bright and slightly tender. Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and stir fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add the sliced bell pepper and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.

5. Add the blanched beans to the skillet and stir fry for another 3-4 minutes, until they are tender-crisp.

6. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Stir well to coat all the beans.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Transfer the stir-fried beans to a serving dish. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve hot.

Keto Blackberry Cobbler

Check out this keto blackberry cobbler from thebigmansworld.com 

It’s a low-carb, sugar-free version of the classic fruit cobbler! What’s even better is that it’s simple!

INGREDIENTS:
For the filling:

• 6 cups blackberries or a mix with other berries

• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (or substitute with chia seeds)

For the cobbler topping:

• 1/2 cup almonds chopped

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice

• 1/2 cup coconut oil melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking dish and set it aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, add the filling ingredients and mix well. Pour into the baking dish and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the cobbler topping. Once the filling has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the topping all over the top. Place back in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Remove the cobbler from the oven and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Blackberry Scones

Here are some amazing, soft and fluffy scones with juicy blackberries and blackberry icing (naturally coloured!) from teakandthyme.com

INGREDIENTS:

SCONES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

• 1 large egg, cold

• ½ cup heavy cream, cold

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup fresh (or frozen) blackberries, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, to coat blackberries

• 2 tbsp heavy cream, for brushing

• 3 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling

ICING (OPTIONAL):

• ¼ cup blackberries fresh or thawed

• ½ cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

SCONES:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Cut butter into flour: Toss the cubed butter into the flour mixture to coat. Use a dough blender or press the butter pieces in between your fingers to break them down until they become small pea-sized pieces, distributed evenly throughout the flour mixture.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

4. Make a well in the middle of the flour and butter mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the well and use your hands to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms a soft, shaggy dough.

5. Toss the chopped blackberries in flour until coated. Add them to the dough and very gently fold them into the dough just until they're evenly distributed. Don't overmix otherwise the blackberries will bleed into the dough.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to press the dough together. If it's too floury and won't hold together, you can fold it onto itself 1-2 times but don't knead or overwork the dough. Press the dough into a flattened disc shape about 1" thick.

7. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 2" in between each scone.

8. Let the entire baking sheet chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 400°F.

9. Right before baking, brush the tops of the scones with a thin layer of heavy cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the cream.

10. Bake scones for 18-20 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly golden brown. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack or enjoy them warm.

ICING:

1. Place the blackberries in a fine mesh sieve over a small bowl. Use the back of a spoon to mash the blackberries until the juices drip down into the bowl. Transfer 2 teaspoons of the blackberry juice to another small bowl.

2. To the blackberry juice, add powdered sugar and mix until it becomes a thick but pourable consistency. If it's too thick, add a bit more blackberry juice. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

3. Transfer the icing to a piping bag and cut the tip off. Drizzle the icing on top of the scones.

Broccolini-Carrot-Onion Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch of broccolini, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp cooking oil cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Trim the broccolini and cut into bite-sized pieces, peel and slice the carrots into thin matchsticks, and thinly slice the onion.

2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot.

3. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add the sliced onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.

5. Add the broccolini and carrots to the skillet. Stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

6. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Stir well to coat the vegetables evenly.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds if desired, either on its own or over rice or noodles.