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fall

Insta(gram) good: Baked stuffed peppers with brown rice and spinach

October 28, 2013 by Eva Louise 1 Comment

smokshow peppers

As my brother would say, this dish is a total smokeshow…OK, I think he uses that in reference to chicks, but let’s diversify its meaning. I wasn’t planning on posting this on the bloggy but one of my friends just asked for the recipe on Instagram and then I realized that I’d like to remember how I made this too! I really hate peppers and I really hate brown rice but for some reason I always crave this dish, especially after the gym. It’s quick, easy, hearty, healthy and vegetarian…oh, and cheap, that’s always a plus. What’s not to love? Here’s what you need to make: Baked Stuffed Peppers with Brown Rice, Spinach and Pepper Jack Cheese.

Makes 2 really huge post-gym servings

  • 3/4 dry cup of brown rice, cooked per instructions (yields about 1.5 cups, cooked)
  • 1.5 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
  • 2 medium white onions, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, or if you’re me, 5 cloves
  • 2 packages frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
  • 3 beautiful bell peppers, tops cut off and ribs removed or cut in half with ribs removed
  • smoked paprika
  • cayenne pepper
  • S/P

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a large, shallow pot, heat 2 T olive oil at medium-high heat. Add diced onions and crushed or pressed garlic cloves. Soften for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Take the spinach by hand and break apart into the pot and mix in with the onion-garlic mixture. Fold in the cooked brown rice, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the pepper jack, reserving the rest for the tops of the stuffed peppers.

Sprinkle about 1.5 T of smoked paprika and a few shakes of cayenne depending on your preference over the mixture.  Adjust flavors accordingly, it might need more salt and more garlic at this point.

While the spinach, cheese and sour cream warm, line a cookie sheet or casserole dish with tin foil, placing the bell pepper halves snuggly together, insides facing up. Salt the bell pepper halves lightly; no need for oil as there is enough moisture in the peppers to keep them from sticking or burning.

Spoon the delicious mixture into each of the pepper halves, packing it down as you go. Sprinkle the remaining pepper jack cheese over the stuffed peppers and bake in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 30-35 minutes.  Serve as is, or with shrimp, chicken or salmon.

Follow me on Instagram @evalou for more!

Filed Under: Dinner, Sides Tagged With: cheap eats, cheese, cooking, fall, food, healthy, recipes, rice, side dish, vegetarian

Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli

December 23, 2012 by Eva Louise 3 Comments

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Infused Olive OIl

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Infused Olive Oil

Christmas is coming and one of the nice things about this time of year is, of course,  gathering with family. There are several of my recipes that I reserve especially for these times, so I can take advantage of the extra man-power. Homemade butternut squash raviolis definitely fall into this category.  A simple but labor-intensive dish,  these raviolis are a great way to incorporate the whole family so everyone feels like they are part of the meal.

I adapted my recipe from Emril Lagasse’s and used wonton papers instead of fresh pasta dough. For my sauce, I used olive oil simmered with rosemary and sage, instead of the butter that Emril’s recipe calls for. One trick I use to finish this dish is to purposely allow the starchy pasta water to drip into the serving dish when I transfer the raviolis. This makes the sauce sauce-ier and more delicious.

Butternut squash and Parmigiano-Reggiano are the stars of this dish, but they could be easily substituted with different combos like crispy prosciutto and ricotta, goat cheese and mushrooms, salmon and chives (with a cream sauce instead). You could even do sweet raviolis with cinnamon-apples and mascarpone with a caramel sauce…mmm.

blog3

Cubes of squash are simmered with chicken broth and herbs while onions are softened. Their powers combine in the Cuisinart to make the filling.

A little Ecuadorian princess delicately folds the wonton papers filled with sweet and savory squash

A little Ecuadorian princess delicately folds the wonton papers filled with sweet and savory squash into perfect raviolis

Filed Under: Dinner, Pasta & Grains Tagged With: cheese, fall, family, food, holidays, pasta, vegetables, vegetarian, winter

A Day in the Life of the Orchard Queen!

October 27, 2012 by Eva Louise 2 Comments

A Saturday under the apple trees…

This weekend I went north to Massachusetts for a proper fall getaway. The family and I woke up early late and headed to Honey Pot Hill Orchard.  Only one of the most delicious places to be this time of year, Honey Pot is a hybrid orchard-farm where you can feed pigs, goats, sheep and bunnies, go on a hayride, pick apples, sip cider, eat apple cider donuts, AND brave the largest hedge maze in North America.  We had the pleasure of getting a personal, VIP  tour by Honey Pot’s best employee…my Mom!

We started the day off by meeting all of Mom’s co-workers!

Then we stopped by the break room.  Everyone there is always eating donuts…

Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon and Sugar

We didn’t want to distract everyone from their work, so we pitched in!…

Apple Picking!

We worked up quite an appetite, so unfortunately this happened:

We needed desperately to walk off our chili dogs, so we headed up the hill to “North America’s Largest Hedge Maze”:

…it took 7 years to grow!

Thanks for a great day at the office, Mom! xo

Filed Under: Life & Travel Tagged With: animals, apples, fall, family, food, fun, orchard, travel

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Welcome

I’m Eva Louise and welcome to Mind in the Butter! This is my food bloggy, showcasing my favorite dishes and recipes often inspired by and cooked for my loved ones. My goal with this blog is to eventually document every single dish I make so when I’m old and stale, I will be able to remember and celebrate memories from my favorite place…the kitchen!

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