Peppers and Plums

PEPPERS Brown Rice Salad With Peppers and Olives 1 tb dijon mustard 2 tb red wine vinegar 1/2 ts honey 1/4 ts salt 1/4 c olive oil 4 c cooked brown rice 1 red bell pepper, julienned 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned 1 small red onion, finely diced 4 scallions, thickly sliced 1/2 c chopped pitted black olives 1/4 c chopped parsley In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, sweetener, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly. Pour over rice and toss. Add remaining ingredients and toss again.   Bell Peppers Stuffed With Shrimp 6 small green bell peppers 2 c cooked shrimp, peeled 1 c bread crumbs 2 whole eggs, beaten 1/2 c milk 1 ts salt 3 tb butter 3 tb celery, chopped 1 tb green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 ts pepper 1 tb Worcestershire sauce Cut off tops of bell peppers and reserve. Remove seeds. Saute chopped celery and bell pepper in butter for three minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop shrimp and combine with eggs, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add sauteed ingredients. Stuff into bell peppers, replacing tops. Place in a deep casserole dish. Cover the dish and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 50 minutes or until peppers are tender.   Pasta With Peppers 1 pound rigatoni 6 medium tomatoes, sliced very thin 2 sweet peppers, sliced in strips 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper freshly grated parmesan cheese Combine the tomatoes, peppers, basil, garlic, oil, salt, pepper and set aside. Boil the pasta, then drain well. Toss with cheese to taste and add the tomato mixture. Add salt, pepper, and cheese to taste.   Chinese Chicken-Stuffed Peppers 4 lg sweet red peppers 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 c finely chopped carrots 1 c finely chopped chicken* 1/2 c frzn peas, thawed 1 tb plus 1 1/2 t soy sauce 1 tb sesame oil 1 ts minced fresh gingerroot 1/4 c thinly sliced green onions 1 c cooked regular rice 1 egg, beaten 1/8 ts salt * 1 cup finely chopped, cooked chicken breast (skinned before cooking). Cut a 1/2" thick slice from the side of each pepper, reserving slices; remove seeds. Place peppers in boiling water, boil 5 minutes. Drain, set aside. Coat a large skillet or wok with Pam; add sesame oil, and place over med heat until hot. Add garlic and gingerroot; stir fry 30 seconds. Add carrots and green onions; stir fry 2 min more. Remove from heat. Add chicken and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Spoon 3/4 cup mixture into each reserved pepper. Top with reserved pepper slices. Arrange peppers, cut side up, in a 10x6x2" baking dish. Cover and bake 350 deg F for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Broiled Fish With Peppers 1 1/2 lb fresh fish fillets 4 tb olive oil salt and pepper 1 sm red bell pepper, sliced 1 sm green bell pepper, sliced 1 sm yellow bell pepper, sliced 1/2 lb mushrooms, thickly sliced 1/2 tb fresh basil, chopped 1 sm jalapeno pepper,      seeded and minced Preheat the broiler. Rinse the fish under cold water and pat very dry. Brush lightly with half the oil. Season to taste. Broil the fish 4-5" from the heat, 6-12 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the fish is just opaque throughout. While the fish is broiling, heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan. Thoroughly blend and stir for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are heated through, but still firm. Portion the fish on individual warm plates. Top with the sauteed vegetable mixture. Serve immediately. Baked Lemon Chicken With Peppers 1/2 c olive oil 2 lg red peppers 1/3 c lemon juice 2 lg green peppers 2 tb chopped Italian parsley 3/4 ts salt 1 tb dried oregano 1/8 ts pepper 3 1/2 lb broiler/fryer chicken Combine all ingredients except chicken and vegetables. Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, turning once. Drain and bake chicken at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch thick rings. Saute 8 minutes. Spoon peppers around chicken. Black Bean-Stuffed Peppers 1 c dried black beans 4 bell peppers 1 tb olive oil 1 c onions, chopped 1 tb chili powder 1 ts ground cumin 1 ts dried basil 1/2 ts dried oregano 1 tb wine vinegar 2 1/2 c brown rice, cooked 1 pinch salt 1 md tomato, chopped Prepare beans according to package directions. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Steam peppers, cut side down, over 1/2" boiling water until nearly tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.Saute onion until soft and translucent. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, beans and vinegar; mixing well. Stir in rice, salt and tomato. Remove from heat. Fill peppers with bean mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, until peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Amish Cabbage-Filled Peppers 6 bell peppers, red 1/2 cabbage 1/2 ts salt 2 c vinegar 1 tb mustard seed, yellow Remove stems and cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds without breaking the shells. Cut cabbage fine as in slaw and add to it the salt and mustard seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in peppers, pressing it in tightly. Place tops on pepper cases and fasten them down with toothpicks. Place them upright in stone jar and cover with cold vinegar. Place cover over jar and put away in cool place until ready to use. They may be kept for several months before using.

PLUMS Pork Loin Stuffed with      Plums and Rosemary 1 1/2 pounds plums 2 shallots or 1 sweet onion 1 bunch rosemary 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup water salt pepper 2 lemons 1 standing 6-rib pork loin The plums can be prepared a day in advance. Split the plums in half and remove the pits. Cut the halves into small wedges. Peel and chop the shallots fine. Strip enough rosemary leaves off the stems to make a scant 1/2 teaspoon, chopped. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the shallots and the rosemary, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until wilted, add the plums, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the water and mash the plums with a potato masher or whisk. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, a generous amount of pepper, the grated zest of 1/4 lemon, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook at a simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring often to keep the plum paste from sticking and burning. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Let cool completely before stuffing the pork loin. To stuff the loin, take a sharp knife and cut along the rib bones to separate them from meat. Cut almost all the way down, leaving only 1 inch of the loin attached to the bones. Make a lengthwise pocket for the stuffing, cutting halfway into the roast, where the meat has been exposed from the bones. Liberally season the roast all over with salt and pepper; this will give it a delicious crust. Season the inside of the pocket and stuff it with the plum paste. Press the pocket closed. Slice the second lemon as thin as you can. Arrange the lemon slices and rosemary sprigs between the bones and the meat. Gently push the roast back into its original shape. Using cotton twine, tie up the roast with one tie between each rib. Now the loin is stuffed with the plums in the middle and the lemon and rosemary between the ribs and the meat. It can be roasted now or covered and refrigerated for up to a day. If the loin has been refrigerated, take it out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the loin in a roasting pan, bone side down, and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, until an internal temperature of 130°F. is reached. Start checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer after an hour, but be sure to insert the thermometer into the meat, avoiding the line of stuffing. When the roast is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes in a warm place. Remove the twine, carve into individual chops, and serve. Grilled Plums With Orange And Mint 8 lg plums; halved and pitted 2 tb honey 1/4 c fresh orange juice 1 tb chopped fresh mint 1 ts grated orange peel Preheat grill. Place plums in center of large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Sprinkle fruit with honey, orange juice, mint and orange peel. Seal packet tightly. Place on grill. Grill 5 to 10 minutes, or until fruit is tender. NOTES : Plums release a lovely crimson juice as they heat, so be sure to spoon the cooking liquid over the fruit when you serve it. Asian Noodle Salad With Chicken And Plums DRESSING 1/4 c chicken broth 3 tb soy sauce 3 tb sesame oil 2 tb hoisin sauce 3 lg garlic clove, minced 1 tb minced fresh gingerroot 1 ts sugar 1 ts red pepper flakes salt pepper SALAD 8 oz poached chicken breast meat 4 ripe firm red plums, pitted      and cut into chunks - peels left on 1 c shredded bok choy napa and spinach leaves 4 green onions, sliced 8 oz angel hair pasta, broken in half 1 tb toasted sesame seeds, opt 1 crisp chow mein noodles, opt For dressing, combine broth, soy sauce, vegetable oil, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in blender container. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until as smooth as desired. Shred the chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss chicken with 2 tablespoon of the dressing. Prepare the plums, bok choy and green onions. Add to the salad bowl with the chicken. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing; toss to coat. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well. Add to the salad bowl. Toss to combine, adding a little dressing if needed for moisture. To serve: If desired, add the rest of the dressing just before serving or offer it on the side. Transfer the pasta salad to large shallow bowls, sprinkle with sesame seed. Cinnamon Apples And Plums 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 6 plums, stones and skins removed 2 ts sugar 1 dash water 1 cinnamon stick Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir the fruits gently to break up any large lumps of fruit. Serve warm or chilled, with cream, yogurt or custard. It is also nice to roast some sunflower seeds, tossed in a little brown sugar, under the grill until they are golden brown, sprinkle on top of the stewed fruits. Plums With Honey 6 to 8 plums depending on size 2 c orange-spice tea 1 honey 1 pecan halves 1 vanilla ice cream graham crackers Place plums into boiling tea. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Remove skins. Pour honey into heavy-bottomed pan and heat on low; add plums and turn until all sides are covered. When ready to serve, add pecans. Serve with ice cream and crackers. Roasted Chicken With Plums 4 whole chicken breasts, skinned and split salt and pepper to taste 2 tb butter 6 plums, washed, pitted, and quartered 4 tb sugar 1/4 c balsamic vinegar Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season the chicken breasts inside and out with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tablepsoon butter, add the chicken, meat-side down and saute the breasts, 3 minutes on each side, before removing to place in an ovenproof dish. Place in the oven and roast for 7 minutes while you finish the plum sauce. To the same saute pan, add the plums and saute briefly over high heat. Add the sugar and cook briefly before adding the vinegar. Cook 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Swirl the remaining butter into the plums. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven, test for doneness by pressing the breast which should be firm to the touch. Place the chicken on a serving dish and pour the plum mixture over the chicken. Serve immediately with potato latkes and sour cream.

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