So STUFFED!!!!!

There are three recipes this evening. The Bryants had the chicken lastnight, but for tonight's recipe victim we had a lovely meal of Italian Stuffed Peppers and salad.  Most of the meal was pre-made: we just had to put together the peppers and pop them in the oven and make a quick salad when everything was ready.

For some reason, today really felt like a Monday, so it was nice to not have too much to clean up after our meal.

Italian Stuffed Peppers
adapted from Kitchen Trial and Error

2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup uncooked orzo
1 ½ cups pasta sauce
2 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup basil, minced
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup zucchini, grated
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
6 bell peppers


Preheat your oven to 400F. Place a strainer over a square baking dish.


Brown the ground turkey in a sauté pan over medium low heat. set aside.  Bring the chicken broth to a boil and cook the orzo, about 4 minutes. Drain the orzo with the strainer, so the chicken broth is in the baking dish.


In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, orzo, pasta sauce, zucchini, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix well.

Cut a small slice off the bottom of the peppers so they sit flat in the baking dish. be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom or the filling will fall out.  Cut the top off the pepper and remove the insides.


Fill each pepper and place in the chicken broth baking dish. Cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes. Remove foil, dust with parmesan cheese, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Serving size is one stuffed pepper, with a points value of 6 each.

Suz: I made the stuffing last night when I got back into town from Raleigh.  This evening I simply cut the tops off the peppers, stuffed them and popped them in the oven.  Very easy and I like the orzo in place of the rice!

April~ Very good... subtle flavoring seems to melt into the peppers. Yummm...


Cayenne-Spiked Oven-Fried Chicken
from Hit the Spot: 140 Savory, Crispy, Spicy & Sweet Recipes You'll Love

Prep 5 min              Bake 25 min           Serves 4

1/4 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3/4  cup low-fat buttermilk
8  3.5 oz chicken drumsticks skin removed

1. Preheat the oven at 450F. Line the broiler pan with foil.
2. Mix together the panko, flour, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large shallow bowl. Dip the drumsticks, one at a time, into the buttermilk mixture, then roll in the panko mixture to goat evenly.
3. Spray the chicken with nonstick spray and place in the broiler pan. Bake until crispy and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

4 points for 2 drumsticks.

April~ I love the seasoning. I would not do the chicken legs again, not a fan a fan of dark meat. I will however purchase a meat thermometer.... going to try the panko mix on boneless/skinless chicken breasts next time. PS.. it took longer than 25 minutes and they were still moist. They do have a little kick to them... Alden was not a big fan. Panko is with other bread seasoning things like stuffing in the grocery store... just fyi.

Suz: I didn't try this dish, but since I think I have all of the necessary ingredients, I may be making some this week...


Frosted Carrot Cake Cupcakes
from Hit the Spot: 140 Savory, Crispy, Spicy & Sweet Recipes You'll Love
Prep 25 min             Bake 20 minutes              Makes 2 doken

1 (18.25 oz box spice cake mix
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 cups shredded carrots
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineappple in juice drained
1/4 cup dried currants

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

4  ounces light cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cake mix, egg substitute, applesauce, and buttermilk in a large bowl until blended, Increase the speed to medium an dbeat until smooth, about 2 mintues. With a rubber spatula, stir in carrots, pinapple, currants and 1/4 cup of pecans.

3. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool on the racks.

4. To make the frosting, with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth.  Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth.  Spread about 2 teaspoons of the frosting on each cupcake and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining pecans.

April~ FYI Currants are in the dried fruit section of Kroger and you'll want to shred more than "shredded carrots" it's just not thin enough in my opinion. When you are filling the cupcake cups you'll think it's going to overflow they are so full, but they don't... promis. I love these... so much that I am giving them away. Which is the true sign that sweets are too good in my house... the must leave or I will eat them all !!!!

Suz: I really like these cupcakes!  I'm not usually a huge fan of carrot cake, but the cupcakes really hit the spot.  Perfect amount of frosting too!  My mom will love these :)

Blogger is being crazy, so we ask that you cock your head to the right to see our lovely plating of the peppers and salad.