Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

By: Co+op, stronger together

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Tex-Mex flavors spice up this crowd-pleaser that's equally at home as a weeknight family-friendly meal or for dinner guests.

Ingredients

• 4 medium to large green peppers

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels

• 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked beans, drained and rinsed (black, pinto, or black-eyed peas)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or smoked cheddar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 fresh or pickled jalapeno pepper, diced

• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup salsa

• 1 cup cooked rice (optional)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and bring a stockpot of water to a boil.

2. Cut the green peppers in half through the stems, or leave whole and remove the tops. Remove seeds and thick inner ribs. Blanch peppers for 4 minutes. Remove and reserve.

3. In a large bowl, combine the corn, beans or black-eyed peas, cheese, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, salsa, and rice (if using).

4. Stuff each pepper or pepper half with an equal amount of the filling and place in a baking dish.

5. Add enough water to fill the bottom of the baking dish. Top each pepper or pepper half with a dab of butter and a pinch of paprika and bake 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestion

Top with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole and serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

Entertaining is easy when you have delicious ingredients to work with! Fresh vegetables, grilled or roasted in the oven make for a delightful pairing with your favorite cheese and spreads.

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

By: Lynne Vea

Total Time: 
25 to 30 minutes

Servings: 
6-8 appetizer portions

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

• Squeeze of fresh lemon, plus wedges for serving

• Salt pepper to taste

• 6 to 8 small carrots, peeled

• 1 cup organic snap peas (don’t remove the stems)

• 1 small organic zucchini, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces

• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

• 4 tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

• 6 to 8 fingerling potatoes, boiled for 15 minutes and cut in half

• Basil sprigs, to garnish

Preparation

1. Combine the olive oil, basil, citrus juice and the sea salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the vegetables in this mixture to coat well. Add a little extra olive oil if you need it.

2. Preheat a gas grill to high or build a bed of hot coals. Grill the vegetables, turning once or twice, until grill marks appear and the color pops. Don’t overcook them, as they will continue to cook slightly after you have removed them from the grill. Arrange the vegetables on a platter and serve with any of the additional items below. Garnish with wedges of lemon and whole sprigs of basil.

Serving Suggestions

Accompany all of this bounty with some freshly baked bread and a Mediterranean dip-like hummus and you have a gorgeous tribute to the season!