Category Archives: Recipes

pasta with tuna, cherry tomatoes and arugula

Posted on
2

Want a supafast, supadelish, weeknight meal?  Like tuna?  Better say yes…this dish is yummy and I suggest you make it immediately.  Mini penne pasta from Trader Joe’s is a nice addition to this rustic ‘sauce’.

DSCN6802DSCN6821

DSCN6826

Pasta with Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula (serves 2)

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups dry mini penne (or 2 servings any pasta)
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (enough to fully cover bottom of pan)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
  • 1 can solid albacore tuna in olive oil (use oil)
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • Sprinkle of sea salt
  • 2-3 cups fresh arugula

Directions

  1. Boil a pot of salted water for the penne.
  2. Add olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes to a (cold) sauté pan.  Heat on medium until oil begins to sizzle, but don’t brown the garlic!  This shouldn’t take long at all – 3-4 minutes tops.
  3. Add tuna with oil and tomatoes, give it a sprinkle of sea salt, stir and cook, covered, approximately 5-10 minutes, or while your pasta boils.
  4. When the pasta is done, drain and add to pan with fresh arugula.  Stir to wilt the greens and serve!  top with parmesan if you wish, but it’s lovely all by its lonesome.

Simplicity at its finest!

venison stuffed peppers

Posted on
3

This is an ultra easy and fairly normal version of the classic stuffed pepper.  I subbed wild rice, cooked in my rice cooker, for regular old white and venison for ground beef.  Don’t skimp on the sauciness because it totally makes the dish.  It’s pretty hard to f*ck up stuffed peppers unless they’re dry…NOOOObody likes dry stuffed peppers!  I am a huge fan of prepping the peppers, as opposed to baking them from raw, too…huge time saver.

DSC_0062

Venison Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground venison (or ground beef/poultry)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt & pepper
  • 3-4 bell peppers, halved
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
  • 1, 16-24 oz jar marinara sauce (I used wegman’s brand)
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Put a pot or deep sauté pan with about 1” of water on boil.  Rinse peppers, trim tops and innards, then slice them in half lengthwise.  Blanch for about 3 minutes in boiling water, just to take the bite out of them but be careful because you don’t want soggy peppers!  You could also do this step in the microwave.  Pour about 1/2 cup of sauce into a baking dish and top with the drained peppers, cavity side up.
  3. In a separate pan, heat about a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil on medium high.  Add onions and garlic, cook for about 1 minute, then add venison, spices, salt and pepper and brown until fully cooked.
  4. Mix rice, about a cup of marinara, and meat mixture until combined.  Make sure you have enough sauce so that your mixture is moist, but not drippy.  Stuff peppers, top with a healthy spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 25 minutes, uncovered.  Serve and top with excess sauce scrounged from the bottom of the baking dish!

Lunches this week just got way more exciting.

DSC_0064

Have a great week…4 days until freedom for me!  I am 100% in the christmas spirit already…as shown by our stolen santa hats at the bar on saturday night and the copious amounts of christmas cookies I’ve made.  And no, I do not know these boys hahaha. 

DSCN6699