Welcome back!  Today, we have a quite unique dish: stuffed bell peppers! This type of culinary concoction is found all over the world, with different cuisines adapting the dish to their own cultures. They vary greatly, but the one we have here is more of a traditional American version. However, you could honestly stuff these peppers with whatever you want; there are plenty interesting ones out there on the Internet, from vegan  to Southwestern filling. Stuffed Bell Peppers Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 2 large sweet bell peppers (any color) 1/2 pound ground beef (pork or turkey also works) 1/2 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 can (7 ounces) diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes) 1 cup cooked wild rice 2 teaspoons Worcestshire sauce 1 teaspoon herbs (thyme, oregano, Italian, pepper flakes, etc.) Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup cheese (we used pepper jack) Directions: Cut the bell peppers in half. Scoop out the inside membranes and seeds. Put the bell peppers...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a upscale version of the classic kid's favorite: mac and cheese! This is a big step up from Kraft Mac and Cheese, as it features rich cheeses that taste real and is baked with a crumbly topping. Despite the gourmet style of the dish, it's still accessible to everyone (as long as you're not lactose intolerant), because it is still essentially mac and cheese. Baked Mac and Cheese Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 8 ounces elbow pasta 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 cup half & half 1 cup Gruyere cheese 1 cup ghost pepper cheddar cheese 1 cup Mozzarella cheese Pepper to taste Topping: 1/2 cup panko 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese A pinch of smoked paprika Directions: In a pot, cook the butter and flour into a roux. Add the milk and half & half in, a little at a time and mix with the roux. Add in the cheese, about 1 cup at a time and mix. Cook the elbow pasta according to the instructions on...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious soup originating from Tuscany, Italy (this is the region where Florence is in). Traditionally, this dish is a combination of various vegetables with some Italian bacon and Tuscan bread. The one we made is more Americanized, featuring Italian sausage, and it's a little heartier. However, they are still pretty similar in the vegetables used: kale, potatoes, carrots, etc.  Tuscan Soup Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 8 to 10 ounces Italian sausage 1 medium onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons flour 3 cups chicken broth 1 to 2 cups half & half 1 large potato, diced 1 medium carrot, diced 1/2 bunch kale, chopped Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Steam the potato and carrot and save it for later. With the olive oil in a pot, cook the Italian sausage until browned.  Remove the sausage from the pot. Saute the onion and garlic in the pot. Add the flour into the pot and mix. Add in the chicken br...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another classic holiday feast side: stuffing! Traditionally, this is stuffed in the turkey to fill up the insides, which helps the turkey retain moisture and enhances the flavor. However, since we didn't cook a whole turkey at once, there was no turkey to stuff, so instead of making stuffing to stuff the turkey with, we decided that this stuffing would just be to stuff our bellies with. Stuffing Ingredients: 1 pound cornbread 1/2 pound baguette or sourdough bread 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion (1 cup), chopped 3 stalks celery (1/2 cup), chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 egg 1 3/4 cup broth 1/3 cup white wine Directions: Cut the cornbread and bread into cubes. You should have about 7 cups of bread. Bake these in the oven at 325°F for about 20-30 minutes to dry them. In a pan, saute the onion, celery, and garlic with the olive oil and ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a casserole that's commonly featured as a side dish for Thanksgiving feasts: Green Bean Casserole! It was first created by a Campbell's Soup worker, featuring their cream of mushroom soup. Nowadays, a large portion of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup sales go towards the making of this casserole, which is quite interesting. However, since we wanted to make something as fresh and gourmet as possible, we didn't use the canned soup and instead made our own "soup" to go with the beans. Green Bean Casserole Ingredients: 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut 1 shallot, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 slices of bacon, chopped 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 cup half & half 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional) French fried onions Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a pot of salt water, blanch the green beans for 6 minutes until fork tender. Once done, take these out and rinse them ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have the Thanksgiving staple: Turkey! Even though it's past Thanksgiving, this is a great turkey recipe that you could use for Christmas or whenever you want to eat turkey! This recipe really brings out the natural flavor of the turkey as it doesn't add too many additional seasonings or spices. Plus, it's quick to make compared to cooking a whole turkey, and you don't need to prepare the whole turkey at once, making it better for smaller meals. Instant Pot Turkey Breast Plus the whole Thanksgiving spread! Ingredients: 1 bone-in turkey breast (about 5 pounds) 1 1/2 cup broth 1/2 cup white wine Salt and pepper to taste Herbs and spices of your choice Chopped vegetables like onions, celery, or carrot to put in the broth Directions: Thaw the turkey. Once thawed, prepare the turkey by rubbing with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs and spices you like. Let this rest overnight. The next day, you can cook the turkey. Pour the broth and white wine into th...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another tasty galette, this time, with cranberry and apple for the filling. Once again, this free-form dessert is a great way to make a pie that looks a little more rustic. It also features a fruit that is not as popular: cranberries, which I mentioned before that they are almost all used for cranberry juice, probably because they're not the greatest tasting raw. Nonetheless, this is still a great tasting galette! Cranberry Apple Galette Ingredients: 1 Basic Pie Crust 6 ounces cranberry preserves 2 large apples (we used the Sweetango variety, any crisp apple should work) Juice from 1/2 lemon 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup fresh cranberries Turbinado sugar to sprinkle Egg for egg wash Directions: Slice the apples, about a quarter inch thick, and add the lemon juice, sugar, and flour into the apples. Take the pie crust out and roll it out into a 12" circle. Take the cranberry preserves and spread it on the pie crust. Leave about 1 1/2...