Welcome to Food For Thought cooking and recipes - online since 1991! There are 5 new recipes, plus new cooking hints & tips, posted to this page each week.
Title: Stuffed Mini Peppers
Categories: Appetizer
Yield: 32 Peppers
16 mini sweet peppers
5.2 oz boursin cheese, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/8 ts ground cayenne
1/2 c plain panko bread crumbs
2 tb butter, melted
1/8 ts black pepper
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 tb chopped fresh chives
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 15x10x1-inch
pan with cooking spray.
Cut each sweet pepper in half lengthwise,
leaving stems intact. Remove seeds and
membranes. Place halved sweet peppers on pan,
cut sides up.
In small bowl, mix Boursin™ cheese,
cream cheese and ground red pepper with spoon
until well blended. Place cheese mixture in
small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut
1/2 inch off 1 corner of bag. Pipe mixture
evenly among pepper halves, about 2 teaspoons
for each pepper.
In another small bowl, mix bread crumbs, melted
butter and pepper. Sprinkle each pepper half with
about 1/2 teaspoon bread crumb mixture; gently
press into cheese mixture.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle
about 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan cheese on each pepper.
Return to oven; bake 5 to 8 minutes or until tops
are brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10
minutes before serving. Top with chives. Serve
warm.
Title: Slow-Cooker Chicken
Categories: Main Dish
Yield: 6 Servings
2 tb packed brown sugar
2 ts chili powder
2 ts salt
3 lb whole chicken
Spray 5-quart oval slow cooker with cooking
spray.
In small bowl, stir together brown sugar,
chili powder and salt.
Pat chicken dry, both inside and outside,
with paper towels. Rub chicken all over with
brown sugar mixture.
Place chicken, breast-side up, in slow
cooker.
Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 1/2 to
3 1/2 hours or until legs move easily when
lifted or twisted and thermometer inserted in
thickest part of inside thigh reads at least
165 degrees F. Remove chicken from slow cooker;
let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Title: Balsamic Roasted Carrots
Categories: Side Dish
Yield: 4 Servings
2 tb butter, melted
2 tb honey
2 tb balsamic vinegar
1/2 ts salt
1/4 ts black pepper
2 lb fresh carrots, quartered
2 tb chopped flat-leaf parsley
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 18x13-inch
rimmed pan with cooking spray.
In small bowl, mix melted butter, honey, 1
tablespoon of vinegar, the salt and pepper
until blended. Add carrots to pan. Top with
butter mixture; toss to coat.
Roast uncovered 15 minutes, then stir.
Roast 13 to 18 minutes longer or until
carrots are tender and browned. Drizzle
with remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar; stir
carrots in pan. Immediately remove
carrots from pan. Top with parsley.
Title: Raspberry-Lavender Pie
Categories: Dessert
Yield: 8 Servings
4 c fresh raspberries
1 refrigerated pie crust, softened
1/4 c cold water
1 1/2 ts unflavored gelatin
2 pasteurized eggs
1/2 c lavender sugar
1 pinch of salt
3/4 c heavy whipping cream
Rinse and dry raspberries. Place in food
processor and puree until smooth. Pour
through medium sieve over bowl to remove
seeds. Keep at room temperature.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake pie crust as
directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using
9-inch glass pie plate.
To make filling, pour cold water into 1-quart
saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Let set
until gelatin softens and swells, 5 to 10
minutes. Heat gelatin over medium heat until
clear and fluid, stirring as needed to dissolve,
3 to 4 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture into
raspberry puree.
In bowl, using electric mixer on medium-high
speed, beat eggs, lavender sugar and salt until
pale yellow; set aside.
In large bowl, using electric mixer on
medium-high speed, beat cream until thick, soft
peaks form. Add egg mixture and raspberry puree,
and beat until smooth. Pour filling into baked
pie crust, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
Refrigerate until filling is cold and firm, 4 to
6 hours.
Top the pie with dollops of sweetened whipped
cream. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.
