Greek Stuffed Peppers

http://www.edibleperspective.com/home/2013/10/8/greek-stuffed-peppers.html

I was looking for something different to cook and made these for a side. The were great. You can add steak or chicken to them and eat them for a main entree as well. The original recipe has been changed. You can find it here.


Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (can cook in water or veggie stock)
1 cup water
3-4 red bell peppers,  halved + de-seeded
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chickpeas, rinsed + drained
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives, pitted
scant 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
6 handfuls baby spinach
4-6oz feta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
olive oil, for cooking

Directions

1. In a sauce pot, cook the quinoa. You can boil it in a broth/stock or water.
2. Heat another large pot or sauce pan with a swirl of oil over medium.
3. Preheat your oven to broil and lightly oil, salt, and pepper the halved peppers and place on a baking sheet.
4. Just as you remove the quinoa from the burner, heat another large pan over medium and add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.
5. Once hot, add the onion and stir occasionally until translucent and soft.  About 5-8 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and black pepper for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add in the chickpeas and cook for about 6-8 minutes until starting to brown.
7. While cooking, place peppers under the broiler for a 2-4 minutes, then flip and broil for another 2-4 minutes.  You want them slightly tender, not limp.  Set aside.
8. To your pan add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 cups of quinoa and stir together.
9. Add in your spinach and incorporate until just starting to wilt, another 3-4 minutes.
10. Add half the feta, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then give it one more stir and taste.  Add more salt if desired. The olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese have a hefty amount of sodium so taste and add as desired.
11. Lightly pack into peppers, top with remaining feta, and place under the broiler until the mixture starts to brown.  About 2-3 minutes.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

http://damndelicious.net/2013/11/02/slow-cooker-crockpot-honey-sesame-chicken/

I made this and served over jasmine rice. It can be served with any grain you want. It was very good. I made a second batch of the sauce and froze it in a ziploc bag so the next time, I just have to add chicken to the crock pot and walk away. 

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish


Instructions

1. 
   
2. In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil and red pepper.
3. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs into a slow cooker. Add honey mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
4. Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred the chicken before returning to the pot with the juices. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.