My favorite Bell Pepper recipes.

Tamara Nugteren

Now, what to do with all those frozen and roasted bell peppers?

(I'm short a few pictures for these recipes, but I really wanted to go ahead and post this.  Please bear with me, I'm making more hummus this weekend!)

I've no doubt you could find oodles of fantastic recipes on Pinterest.  But, to save you the effort of searching, here are my favorites.  These recipes are all good for you, too!

Below you will find:
-Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
-Veggie Packed Savory Meatloaf
-Veggie Packed Savory Mini Meatloaves
-Soup starter

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Notes: This recipe is so delicious, that there are some weeks where my husband & I eat it every day. 
It is great as a sandwich spread (I like it on toast with thin sliced turkey, lettuce, cheese, bacon and sometimes avocado.), but best served with the flat pretzel chips.  
I always double this recipe and freeze half for later - but it is listed below as a single batch.

Ingredients:
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (aka. chickpeas), drained and rinsed.
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced OR 1 1/2 tsp. jarred pre-minced garlic.
- 1/3 cup Tahini*
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup roasted red or orange bell peppers (if from a jar, then drained)

Directions:
With a stick blender, food processor or blender of your choice (don't try to do this by hand!) blend all the ingredients together until smooth.  The hummus is better if it has been refrigerated for an hour or so before serving, but it isn't necessary.  That's it.  Really.

* Tahini is a sesame seed butter.  Sometimes found in the ethnic food section, sometimes near the other nut butters.  Ask your grocer.

Veggie Packed Savory Meatloaf 

Notes: This recipe is also easy to double and freeze half for later. 

Ingredients:
- 1 medium carrot, Sliced into strips.
- 1/3 onion, red or white - sliced and diced.
- 1/2 - 3/4 bell pepper, cut into strips (I used some of my pre-sliced and frozen bell peppers).
- Optional add in - 1/2 cup of some type of leafy green.  Spinach or Kale are great in this dish.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1/2-3/4 cup bread crumbs (homemade or store bought preseasoned - doesn't matter)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Canola or other vegetable oil
- pepper to taste
- ketchup

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat up a hot skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom.  I love my large cast iron skillet for this!
When it is hot (a drop of water will sizzle), turn it down to medium heat and start sautéing your vegetables.  Start with the carrots first as they take the longest.  Stir and cover in 2-3 minute intervals.  You want the carrots to cook, not burn and stay hard.  Once the carrots have a pretty good start, add in the onion and the bell peppers.  They cook quickly. Keep stirring at this point so the vegetables all cook evenly and don't burn.  Once they are done, turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the spinach or kale, if you are using it.  Cover and let it steam until the greens are soft. Uncover and let the sautéed vegetables cool a bit.

In a big mixing bowl, add your lean ground beef (raw), the egg, bread crumbs salt and pepper.
Without mixing it, set the beef mixture aside.

Put your somewhat cooled sautéed vegetables in a food processor, magic bullet, blender or whatever you can puree with.  Puree the vegetable to your liking.  If you have picky eater children like I do - make it as 'chunkless' as possible.  Pour the vegetables into your beef mixture.  Important:  You may not need ALL of the pureed vegetables.  You want to use as much as you can, but you don't want the beef mixture to end up runny.  See the Soup Starter recipe below for what to do with your extra puree.  Take off your rings, wash your hands and roll up your sleeves.  Have the hand soap ready.  Mix the whole beefy bowlful with your hands.  Its kind of disgusting, but it is by far the best way to mix it all up.  At this point, you can bake it or freeze it for later.*  If you are going to bake it, form it into a ball and pop it into a baking dish of your choice.  You can put it back into the cast iron skillet, use a loaf pan or any quart sized baking dish.  Top the meatloaf with ketchup - this step is mostly for appearance.  I try to do a nice spiral.

Cover it with a baking lid or foil.  Pop it into your pre-heated oven.  Bake for 30 minutes covered and another 15 uncovered at the end.  This bake time is approximate and will vary based on your oven and the type of dish you are baking it in.  I highly recommend a meat thermometer to be sure of doneness.  The recommended internal temperature for ground beef is 160 degrees.

Enjoy - savory, delicious and  PACKED with vegetables.

*If you are going to bake a meatloaf that you had previously frozen, be sure to give it time to completely thaw in the refrigerator first.  Expect at least a day for thawing.


Veggie Packed Savory Mini- Meatloaves
Notes: Mini meatloaves are great for single serve or nights when no one eats at the same time.

Follow the directions above, except portion your beef mixture out into single serve sizes in a standard or large-sized muffin pan.  You can go ahead and bake at this time, OR you can put the whole muffin pan into the freezer.  Once the unbaked mini meatloaves are frozen, you can pop them out and put them into a freezer bag.  When you are ready to eat, put the frozen mini meatloaves back into the muffin pan and bake one or many at a time.  Make sure to label the bag with baking instructions! 350 degrees, but they bake much faster.  Use your meat thermometer - they'll be done in approximately 30 minutes.

Soup Starter

Notes: This makes a delicious soup base for many many different soup recipes.  You can make a whole batch by following the vegetable sauté instructions above (in the meatloaf recipe) or you can make a single serve soup with any leftover you had (also from the meatloaf recipe).  

If you have leftover from above:

You likely have just enough for one serving. Pour it into a small sauce pan.  Add in 1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock.  Stir and heat to simmering.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.  You can stop here or add in milk or cream as well.  Want more servings?  Add in fresh (1 medium sized) or canned (1 can, pureed) tomatoes.  Simmer for several minutes.  If you add the tomato, consider a few leaves of well sliced basil at the last minute.  

If you are making a new batch of soup:

Follow the vegetable sauté instructions above (in the meatloaf recipe).  After pureeing, add the vegetables to a medium-sized sauce pan.  Add two cups chicken or vegetable broth.  Stir well and bring to a simmer.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.  You can stop here or add in 1 cup milk or cream as well. Bring back to a simmer.   Want more servings?  Add in fresh (2 medium sized) or canned (1 can, pureed) tomatoes.  Simmer for several minutes.  If you add the tomato, consider a few leaves of well sliced basil at the last minute.  

This Soup Starter recipe has endless variations.  You can add and subtract forever. The key is the sautéed vegetables.  Add chicken.  And noodles.  Or chicken and rice and diced tomatoes - no cream and a bit of taco seasoning.  Leave out the tomatoes and add cooked pumpkin (you should know - I haven't tried that - but it sounds good).  

Enjoy!