Week 1: Stuffed Bell Peppers

The Recipe
3 large bell peppers
200g fresh breadcrumbs
A bit of milk
1 tbsp capers
6 olives, chopped
2 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
fresh basil (~12 leaves)
a handful rocket salad (~35g)
125g bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp stale breadcrumbs (a.k.a. rasp in Danish)
6 slices of cheese

Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the bell peppers into halves and remove the stems. Put them into an ovenproof dish.

In a pan, cook bacon and garlic until done. Put aside.

Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 5-10 minutes until the skin starts to curl. Remove skin and chop the rest, removing the seeds. Cut basil and rocket salad coarsely.

Put the fresh breadcrumbs in a second bowl and add just enough milk that the crumbs can incorporate it all. THIS IS LESS THAN YOU THINK! I think I ended up using less than 1dl. Just add a bit at a time until it's clear that it can't take more. Mix the bread with capers, olives, tomatoes, basil, rocket and the cooked bacon and garlic. Add half the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Stuff the peppers with the mix, add a bit of stale breadcrumbs to each and sprinkle with the rest of the olive oil. Put a slice of cheese on top of each and cook for about 30 minutes.

Serve with a nice salad.

The Verdict
I really liked the way it tasted, but the texture was WEIRD!!! The breadcrumbs didn't really work for me, and I think I'll substitute them with mince of some sort if I am to make this again. The capers and olives worked REALLY well, but there wasn't nearly enough of either.

In the end, I'll probably never make this again as-is, but might use it for inspiration.

Week 12: Pasta with Pesto and Asparagus

The Recipe
1/2lb pasta
150g bacon
1 lb asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil pesto (~130g)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup mozzarella cubes
Fried eggs for serving

Preheat oven to 200C. Place asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 8-12 minutes until tender and crisp. Let them cool before cutting them into 1-inch pieces.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.

In a pan, cook sliced bacon until crisp. Put aside, leaving drippings in pan (use them for frying the egg later).

In a bowl, toss together pasta, bacon, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

Serve immediately with a fried egg on top.

The Verdict
Okay, the original recipe didn't have the bacon, I added that myself. Everything tastes better with bacon ;)

I absolutely loved it! I don't think the egg did anything either way, but the rest was extremely yummy! The only thing lacking was roasted pine nuts, so I'll have to add that next time :) Unfortunately DH isn't too keen on that much pesto, but I thought it was fantastic. Will definitely be making this again.

Week 46: Jamaican-Style Beans and Rice

The Recipe
1 can (15oz) beans, undrained
1 cup rice
1 small can (6oz) coconut milk
Thyme
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
150g bacon, sliced

Cook rice.

Meanwhile, cook bacon and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes. Add beans, thyme, coconut milk, green onions and bell pepper. Heat through until warm and bubbly. Mix with rice and warm through immediately before serving.

The Verdict
A nice and low-key comfort meal. I used wild rice which I think was a mistake - for once I think regular parboiled would have been better. It was a pleasant mix of tastes though, and super-easy to make, so I'll probably make it again.

Week 44: Creamy Spaghetti Cabonara

The Recipe
1/2 lb spaghetti, uncooked
110g bacon, finely sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup light cream (10-12%)
4tbsp grated Parmesan cheese- tossed with 1/2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, cook the bacon and garlic in a small pan over medium-low heat until the garlic is aromatic and the bacon is lightly browned. Add the bell pepper and cook for a few minutes.

Add the wine, increase heat, bring the wine to a boil and cook until it has reduced by half. Add the cream and bring back up to a slight simmer (not much--it will break) and whisk in the Parmesan cheese mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat.

When pasta is done, drain it well and add it immediately to the bacon mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and toss quickly. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

The Verdict
Very nice indeed! :) Traditional Cabonara is often too rich for me, but I've discovered that the recipes that use either cream or eggs instead of both are right up my aisle. This was no exception and ended up absolutely delicious :)

Week 31: Stuffed bell-peppers

The Recipe
4 large bell peppers
250g cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
125g mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
8 slices of bacon (approx 150g)
herbs - e.g. thyme, basil and tarragon
pepper

Cut the bell peppers in halves and put them in a large ovenproof dish. Chop up garlic, tomatoes and cheese and mix in a small bowl with lemon juice, herbs and pepper. Spoon into the bell pepper halves.
Cut the bacon slices in halves and put two slices on each bell pepper, trying to cover the tomato-cheese mix as much as possible.
Bake in oven at 200C for 25 minutes.

Serve with rice and garlic bread.

The Verdict
Make sure to chop up the tomatoes and cheese finely, otherwise it won't mix up properly. But apart from that, I really loved the taste of it, although I think I may add fresh basil next time - that'd be a nice added touch I think. But all in all a delicious meal that doesn't take too much work. Definitely a keeper.