Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course. 

We love crispy skin on roasted chicken so I was looking for a way to add in flavor without covering that gorgeous skin. One day, as I was examining the contents of my refrigerator and cupboards, this idea came to me. Tomato sauce with pepperoni, but only knee-deep so that chicken thighs can still turn a lovely golden brown. 

The chicken juices meld with the pepperoni and tomato sauce that cooks down as the liquid evaporates in the oven, making the most wonderful sauce for pasta. 

Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

I used Italian passata, which is uncooked tomato puree, but if you can’t find it in your local grocery store, by all means use regular tomato puree. Or, if you’d rather start with uncooked tomatoes, puree canned crushed tomatoes in a blender. I’ve given the weight of my chicken thighs below but if yours weighs a little more or a little less, no worries. 

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb 14 oz or 850g)

2 cloves garlic

1-2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 cups or 500g Italian passata

3 1/2 oz or 100g spicy pepperoni, thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon sugar

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

For garnish: fresh oregano leaves

To serve (optional): 

cooked pasta

crushed red pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line the bottom of your baking pan with the pepperoni. My package had 48 slices of pepperoni and I used every single one. 

Peel and chop the garlic. In a mixing bowl, combine the passata with the garlic, oregano leaves and sugar. 

Remove the excess fat from the chicken thighs and lightly salt and pepper them. You can also remove the bones if desired but that’s not absolutely necessary. I didn't remove the bones but I did open the thighs up so I could rub some salt and pepper inside.

Pour the prepared tomato sauce into the pepperoni-lined baking pan.

Nestle the seasoned chicken in the sauce, skin side up. Tuck in the bay leaves. 

Roast in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken thighs are golden brown and cooked through. 

Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle on a little fresh oregano for garnish. Serve over cooked pasta, if desired. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and I’m hosting with the theme “Chicken Delights.” Check out all the wonderful recipes everyone is sharing below:

• Chicken and Stuffing Bake from Palatable Pastime
• Chicken Biryani-Gujarati Style from Sneha's Recipe
• Chicken and Ramen Noodle Dump Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chicken Fajitas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Chicken from Making Miracles
• Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken from Food Lust People Love
• The Best Brine for Whole Roast Chicken from Amy's Cooking Adventures

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Garlicky Artichoke Pasta

Toss a popular tapas dish, alcachofas al ajillo, with linguine to make delicious garlicky artichoke pasta, a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh, frozen or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to add in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color. 

This is normally served with drinks as part of an appetizer course but it is so simple to make and so flavorful that we love to eat it with pasta to sop up the lovely garlicky buttery sauces. 

Garlicky Artichoke Pasta

This recipe serves two as a main dish. It is also easily doubled or trebled to feed more. If you scale up, don’t skimp on the garlic. That’s what makes this dish so good!

Ingredients

1 can (drained weight 5.8 oz or 165g) small artichoke hearts

1/4 cup or 60ml virgin olive oil

1 rounded tablespoon butter

8 large cloves garlic

10 grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small red chili pepper

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper 

Few sprigs fresh parsley, hard stems removed, roughly chopped

7 oz or 200g pasta, cooked to manufacturer’s instructions

Optional to serve: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Drain the artichokes well and rest them open side down in a strainer or on some paper towels so they can dry even more. 

Finely mince the cloves of garlic and cut the tomatoes in half.

Split the chili pepper down the middle but leave it in one piece. This is purely aesthetic because I like the look of a whole split chili pepper. Feel free to chop it if you prefer. The seeds can be removed to lessen the spiciness of the dish. Finely chop the parsley. 

Heat half of the olive oil along with the butter in a large non-stick skillet over a medium high flame.  Tip in the well-drained artichoke hearts. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side, until they are turning golden in places. Turn them gently so the artichokes can color on both sides. 

Add in the chopped garlic, tomatoes, the chili pepper and the rest of the olive oil. Lower the flame to medium and cook the garlic until softened, making sure to stir often to keep it from burning. 

When the garlic is starting to color slightly and the tomatoes have wrinkled, turn the heat off. Sprinkle the top with salt and a few good grinds of black pepper and stir again. Stir in the chopped parsley. 

Add the hot, cooked pasta to the pan and toss well to mix the garlicky artichokes with the pasta. In the spirit of tapas, serve with a cold beer or your favorite red wine. 

I also like to put out a block of Parmesan and a microplane grater and let everyone add their own cheese. 

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing recipes that start with a can in honor of National Canned Food Month, in some cases many cans! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• Baked Beans Curry from Sneha's Recipe
• Chicken Spaghetti from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlicky Artichoke Pasta from Food Lust People Love  
• Homemade “Better Than Canned” One-Pot Chili by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Italian Pot Roast from Making Miracles 
• Pulao from Magical Ingredients
• Scalloped Tuna Bake from Palatable Pastime  
• Spam Musubi by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Ragù Bolognese from  Karen's Kitchen Stories 

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant

Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant is a showstopper of a main course, guaranteed to be loved by vegetarians and omnivores alike. After all, who can resist ripe tomatoes, flavorful basil pesto and melty mozzarella roasted in a hasselback-cut eggplant?

When our elder daughter went off to university, she fell in with a crowd of vegetarians. All really nice kids, I couldn’t help but like them. But that girl had grown up in a home that was definitely meat-centric. How could she live a baconless life! (Was a baconless life even worth living? Turns out, yes.) 

Fortunately she came home that first Christmas with a flexible attitude and a few lovely recipes to teach me. She was happy to eat whatever side dishes I made with dinner and just skip the meat portion. But that began my search for tasty vegetarian recipes we would all enjoy.

On many Sunday dinner tables around the world, including ours, the centerpiece of every meal is something roasted, perhaps beef, chicken, pork or leg of lamb. The vegetables, gravy and bread rolls that accompany the meat are supporting actors, but that big oven-roasted turkey or ham at Christmas time? Those are the superstars.

In vegetarian households some replace the meat with a nut roast or faux meat of some kind, perhaps made out of tofu or seitan. I am not a fan of those though and would rather make a lovely roasted vegetable ratatouille or eggplant Parmigiana. Or skip the showstopper all together and just make several vegetable and pasta dishes with a side salad. Hey, if you really need a centerpiece, how about some flowers?

Or you can try my wonderful Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant. It’s more impressive with one big eggplant. In fact, I almost turned the words around and called it a Caprese Stuffed Eggplant Roast, but you can also use several smaller eggplants if that’s what you have available.

Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant

If you do have one large eggplant, the trick is to roast it in a pan or dish that is just the right size so you can press it down to fit securely. That way, it won’t tip sideways as it bakes. My eggplant is one big guy, almost 10 inches or 25cm long. It weighed 1 lb 9 oz or 710g, before being stuffed. This will serve 3-4 people as a main course, with side dishes.

Ingredients

1 very large eggplant or 2 normal sized ones

2 large beef tomatoes, halved and sliced

4 3⁄4 oz or 135g mozzarella cheese, not soft burrata but the pizza

kind, sliced

3⁄4 cup or 190g pesto 

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Optional for serving:

Toasted pine nuts, little basil leaves and fresh grated Parmesan

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Slice the eggplant almost all the way through, leaving the slices connected at the bottom. (The easiest way to do this is to place a chopstick or wooden spoon handle on either side of the eggplant. Cut through just until the knife hits the chopstick or spoon. The slices should be around 1/3 in or 7-­8mm thick.

You’ll have to hold the eggplant to support the uncut side, allowing the cuts to open a bit. Put a healthy teaspoon of pesto into each cut then stuff a tomato and mozzarella slice in after, which should push the pesto down into the cut and spread it around. This was awkward to photograph but here’s my best try.

Place the stuffed eggplant in a snug ovenproof baking dish greased with a little olive oil. Push it down so it almost lays flat. It will slump completely flat as it roasts.

Drizzle on a little olive oil and roast in your preheated oven for about an hour or until the eggplant is cooked through and nicely browned. If you are feeling really insecure about its stability, feel free to prop it up on both sides with some foil or even a halved tomato. 

To serve, cut through the bottom of the slices, making sure that each slice has some cheese and tomato on top as you lay them on the dinner plates.

Sprinkle with pine nuts, basil and Parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!

For many people, eating healthier means eating meat for fewer meals and more vegetables so I figured this dish was perfect for today’s Sunday FunDay theme Welcoming 2021 – Let’s Celebrate and Stay Healthy! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the other lovely dishes we are sharing. 

• Baked Plantains (Plátanos Maduros Horneados) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking 
• Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant from Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Turmeric & Chia Seed Pudding by Sneha's Recipe
• Healthy Easy Immune Boosting Smoothie from Making Miracles
• Kadha (Spiced Herbal Drink) from Cook with Renu 
• Lemony Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Misir Wot (Ethiopian Lentils) from Palatable Pastime 
• Roasted Chicken with Greek Salsa by A Day in the Life on the Farm

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash

This roasted bruschetta pattypan squash - filled with ripe tomatoes, garlic and basil splashed with balsamic vinegar - makes a delicious and gorgeous main course for any special occasion. Added bonus: Even your vegetarian and vegan family and friends can enjoy it!

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I came across two lovely large pattypan squash grown by a local farmer. I didn’t even know they grew that big! Prior to these, the pattypans of my experience were either tiny baby squash or more typically, they were about four or five inches across. 

Special squash deserves to be made into a special dish. I couldn’t bring myself to cut it up and spoil its beauty. Stuffing seemed to be the best answer. With the tomatoes so wonderful and ripe, I wanted them to shine too. 

Except for the chopped squash, this stuffing is exactly the same topping I put on toasted baguette slices for our family favorite classic bruschetta, hence the title. The wonderful bruschetta filling infuses the squash with great flavor as it roasts to golden perfection. 

Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash

If you can’t find large pattypan squash, use whatever squash is your favorite. Don’t worry about the weight of your tomatoes. A little more or less won’t really matter. 

Ingredients

1 large pattypan or scallop squash (mine weighed 1 lb 9 oz or 650g)

For the filling: 

1 large clove garlic

4 small tomatoes (mine weighted about 9 oz or 260g)

7-8 leaves fresh basil, plus extra for garnish, if desired

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra for the baking pan

1 tablespoon best quality balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional to serve: 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Cut the top off of the squash. Use a spoon to scrape the seeds and fibers out of the middle.

Use a sharp knife to trim off the squash to enlarge the cavity. Chop the squash bits you trim off and set them aside. We’ll add these to the bruschetta filling.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Lightly grease a baking pan or iron skillet. 

Remove the cores from the tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Put a couple of paper towels on your cutting board to catch the juice that will inevitably pour off. Otherwise you’ll find it dripping off the work surface onto your feet. Not that that has ever happened to me. 

Mince the garlic. Roll the basil leaves together and slice them thinly into strips. Then chop the rolled slices roughly. 

Put the tomatoes, chopped squash bits, garlic and basil into a small mixing bowl. 

Add in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and several good grinds of black peppers. Stir well to combine. 

Spoon the filling into the pattypan squash.

Roast in your preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. 

Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with basil strips. 

Cut the squash into quarters to serve and let your guests add grated Parmesan, as desired. 

Enjoy! 

Happy Sunday FunDay, where we share recipes your families will love every Sunday. Today our theme is Squash it to me! - perfect for the season. Many thanks to our host, Rebekah of Making Miracles. 

• Autumn Harvest Fall Soup by Our Good Life
• Beef and Butternut Squash Chili by Making Miracles
• Couscous-Stuffed Red Kuri Squash by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Yogurt by Cooking With Carlee
• Curried Squash Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Lal Bhoplyache Bharit /Red Pumpkin Raita by Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash by Food Lust People Love
• Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

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Spicy Pickled Tomato Dirty Martini

A martini with a delicious difference, this spicy pickled tomato dirty martini is garnished with easy-to-make quick pickled grape tomatoes. The pickling liquid with rice vinegar and fish sauce also has a welcome hot kick from minced fresh chili pepper.

As promised on my post yesterday, here’s how you can enjoy a dirty martini made with the spicy pickled grape tomatoes I shared. I left mine to marinate in the refrigerator for two days before unsealing the jar and making my martini.

If, like me, you are a fan of more savory than sweet cocktails, you are going to love this one. It's the same recipe my husband uses to make my dirty martinis with anchovy or tuna stuffed olives and olive juice so until the pickled tomatoes are ready, use olives!

Spicy Pickled Tomato Dirty Martini

The ingredients list below makes one lovely chilled martini. The measure of 1 jigger = 1 fluid ounce or 30ml. You can, of course, increase the amounts to make two or more. The capacity of your cocktail shaker is the limiting factor.

Ingredients
2 jiggers vodka
1 jigger extra dry vermouth
1 1/2 jiggers juice from spicy pickled grape tomatoes
4-5 small ice cubes

To garnish: 3 spicy pickled grape tomatoes

Method
Spear at least three spicy pickled grape tomatoes with a long cocktail pick and rest them in a martini glass.

Put all the martini ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake for a minute or two, until the ice has a chance to melt a little and chill the liquid. Strain into your martini glass.

So good. Enjoy!

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Spicy Pickled Grape Tomatoes #FoodieExtravaganza

Spicy pickled grape tomatoes are a tasty addition to salads or to serve alongside fish or chicken. The natural sweetness of the grape tomatoes are beautifully complemented by the rice vinegar, salty fish sauce and hot chili pepper. My favorite way to use them is in dirty martinis!

Savory cocktails aren’t as popular as the sweet ones but I must admit they are my favorites.  I’ll take a Bloody Mary over a daiquiri any day of the week. I am especially fond of dirty martinis made with the juice of olives stuffed with anchovies or tuna, garnished with the olives themselves, of course. It’s like a snack and a drink if you use enough olives.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are all sharing recipes for pickling or using pickles in celebration of International Pickles Week so I decided to pickle something I could use in a dirty martini. Grape tomatoes are perfect, as it turns out, especially if you add some fish sauce to the pickling vinegar.

Spicy Pickled Grape Tomatoes

This recipe is adapted from several I found on the interwebs. I had no idea people actually pickled tomatoes until I started to search for pickles that look pretty in drinks! These little guys are good in salads and would also be great accompaniments to fish or chicken. Or just eat them straight out of the jar.

Ingredients
20 grape tomatoes – about 1 cup or 140g
3 tablespoons fish sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 Thai chili, minced

Method
Prick the tomatoes through and through with a toothpick.

Mix the fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar in a microwavable container or a small pot. Heat the liquid up till hot but not boiling, about 130°F or 54°C. This is just hot enough to be uncomfortable if you put your finger in it. Add the minced chili pepper.

Put the tomatoes in a half pint canning jar and pour the warm pickling juice over them.

Seal tightly. Leave to cool.

Refrigerate for at least a day before eating outright or using in another recipe. Stay tuned tomorrow for my spicy pickled grape tomato dirty martini recipe.

Enjoy!

Sneak peek of the martini!

Many thanks to our host this month, Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Check out all the other recipes with pickles we are sharing today.

• Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Making Miracles
• Fried Chicken Sandwich with a Spicy Bread and Butter Pickle Coleslaw by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Hot Pepper Vinegar by Palatable Pastime
• Indian Raw Papaya Pickle by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Japanese Pickled Ginger by Caroline's Cooking
• Lime & Beer Pickled Red Onions by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips by Pandemonium Noshery
• Pickled Pork Tongue by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pickled Star Gooseberry by Sneha's Recipe
• Spicy Pickled Grape Tomatoes by Food Lust People Love

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This tomato salad topped baked spinach frittata is a delicious combination of richness from the eggs, ham and cheese and the sharp sweetness of the tomatoes with herbs. It makes a wonderful brunch, lunch or dinner dish!

Frittatas can be made on your stovetop in a skillet or baked in the oven. I created this one a while back when we were trying a low carb diet. I was craving quiche but crust was, of course, not on the plan. This frittata is basically a crustless quiche with a fancy Italian name.

You can adapt this recipe to use different cooked veggies or meat instead of the spinach and ham. Or change up the cheddar for your favorite semi-hard flavorful cheese. It’s all good.

Here’s a question for you: Am I the only one who buys ham that the family eats for two or three days and then abandons it? What do you do with it? I pop it in the freezer when it’s still in date and, while you cannot thaw it and still make decent sandwiches, it is perfect for quiche or omelets.

Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata

This recipe was inspired by a photo I saw in delicious.uk magazine for a ricotta tart. The mixed tomato salad that topped the tart was so pretty! Mine doesn’t have the green tomatoes because I couldn’t find any but I’m sure it is just as tasty.

Ingredients
For the frittata:
3 ounces or 85g sliced ham
2 ounces or 55g frozen spinach
4 large eggs
3/4 cup or 180ml cream
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
4 1/2 ounces or 125g sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
several good grinds of black pepper

To butter the baking dish or pan:
1 tablespoon butter

For baked topping:
2 oz or 57g sharp cheddar
Small handful green onion tops, chopped

For the herby salad:
1 lb or 450g mixed tomatoes, ripe but firm
Herbs of your choice  - I used a mix of flat-leaf parsley, tarragon and basil
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle white balsamic
Good pinch flaky sea salt
Few generous grinds of black pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and liberally butter your 9 in or 23cm quiche pan or baking dish.

Fry the chopped ham in a nonstick pan until it dries out a little and gets some browned crispy place. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Thaw your spinach, then drain it and squeeze it as dry as possible.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk. Stir in spinach and chopped basil.

 Next add the grated cheese, ham, sea salt and black pepper. Stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture into your buttered pan or dish.

Put it in the preheated oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350°F. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until it is almost set.

Remove the frittata from the oven and sprinkle on the topping cheese and green onions.

Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is browning and the frittata is set.

Meanwhile, slice your large tomato and set the slices on a paper towel to dry them a little. Halve the smaller tomatoes and mix them with the other salad ingredients.

When the frittata is baked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before topping it first with the sliced tomatoes.

 Finally, top with the dressed tomato salad.

Slice to serve. Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing recipes with herbs. Check out the delicious recipes below! Many thanks to our group organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of her behind-the-scenes work.

• Baked Spaghetti with Sausage and Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
• Ham and Herbed Potatoes Au Gratin from Making Miracles
• Herb Roasted Chickpeas from Cook with Renu
• Herbed Chicken with Charred Romaine Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• No Knead Herb Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Oven-Braised Rabbit with Herbed Dumplings from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Quiche Lorraine with Herbs from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Sage and Caramelized Onion Sourdough Bread from Caroline's Cooking
• Rosemary & Garlic Baked Potato With Sour Cream from Sneha's Recipe
• Tomato Salad Topped Baked Spinach Frittata from Food Lust People Love

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Piperies Yemistes me Pligouri - Bulgur Stuffed Peppers

These colorful roasted peppers are stuffed with a hearty filling of nutty bulgur wheat and tomatoes, seasoned with onion, parsley and cilantro, perfect as a side dish or main course.

Growing up in a Catholic family, I understood about not eating meat on Fridays, especially during Lent – those 40 days before Easter Sunday – but I never thought of it as fasting. Fasting was when you didn’t eat at all. Perhaps it was just my ignorance but, turns out, in the Orthodox church, it’s considered fasting when you abstain from meat as well and there are certain sects that will eat no meat, fish, dairy or eggs for the whole of Lent. 

How did I learn this? Well, about five years ago a girlfriend had to go into the hospital for treatment, nothing too serious – I think it was gallstones perhaps, but it meant being away from home for several days and leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves.

So a group of us decided we should make and deliver meals to help out. I asked if there were any dietary restrictions and she said her husband was fasting. Her husband is Greek Orthodox and, since it was Lent, that meant no meat, no poultry, no fish, no dairy, no eggs! There went my plans for several cheesy casseroles that travel and reheat well. Thank God for the internet! A search for Greek Orthodox Lent recipes led me to several very useful sites, which I shared with the other ladies who were cooking.

Note: If you are actually cooking for a strict Greek Orthodox friend, double check whether they also abstain from olive oil during Lent, and substitute canola or the like.

These stuffed peppers were so good that after I had made a batch for my friend’s family, I made a batch for us. And, still do, every once in a while. When this week’s Sunday Supper theme of Heart Healthy was announced, I knew these would be perfect. Meatless, cheese-less but, oh, so tasty! And I think they are quite pretty as well.

I adapted this recipe and serve them as a main course, with a salad on the side.

Ingredients
6 large bell peppers (Any color will do but the red and yellow are sweeter than the green.)
1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil, plus more for sautéing the onion and drizzling on the peppers before roasting
1 large onion (Mine weighed 7 oz or almost 200g)
1 cup or 210g bulgur wheat
1 can (14.5 oz or 400g) tomatoes (crushed or chopped)
1 teaspoon of sea salt or to taste
1 vegetable stock cube
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
Small bunch fresh parsley
Large bunch fresh cilantro
Optional: 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Method
Cut the caps off the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and any lighter colored fibers from inside. Set the caps aside for later.

The original recipe says to put them in a tight-fitting baking pan and to add crunched up parchment paper to fill any gaps but I like to use foil instead. Wedge them tightly together so they stand upright.

Peel and quarter your onion and put it in a food processor with the 1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil. Process until very finely minced or pureed. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the onion for almost the same effect.)

In a large skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion for a minute or two.

Add in the bulgur wheat and stir well to coat it with oil and onions.

Stir in the canned tomatoes along with the salt, vegetable cube, black pepper and 1 1/4 cups or 300ml water.

Bring to boil over a medium heat then turn the fire down to simmer and cover the pan loosely with a lid.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and chop your parsley and cilantro roughly.

Cook the bulgur for about 10 minutes and then taste to see if it needs more salt. I don’t usually have to add more salt, but I do add some crushed red pepper for a little spice.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and cilantro. Allow to cool for about five minutes.

Fill your peppers with the stuffing and top with the reserved pepper caps. If you have a little stuffing left over, consider that the cook’s treat and eat it straight from the pan with a spoon. Delicious!

Drizzle on a little olive oil and roast the stuffed peppers in your preheated oven for about one hour or until the peppers are softened enough for your liking. Check part way through and cover the tops with foil if they are browning too much.

The original recipe said to allow the peppers to cool and serve them at room temperature but we prefer them warm.

Enjoy!

Please join my Sunday Supper group and today’s hosts, Lori from Foxes Love Lemons and Ethel from eating in instead, as we celebrate National Heart Month with loads of delicious heart healthy recipes!

Better for you breakfasts:

• Apple Pie Oatmeal by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones by Brunch with Joy
• Create-Your-Own Overnight Oatmeal by Rhubarb and Honey
• Orange, Mango, Lime & Ginger Smoothie by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Pear Bran Muffins by Magnolia Days
• Stovetop Fruit & Honey Granola by What Smells So Good?

Jump start your health with these appetizers and snacks:

• Almond Crusted Chicken Nuggets by Momma's Meals
• Chipotle Black Bean Dip by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Lemon Aioli with Spring Vegetables by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Mala Baked Tofu Bites by Palatable Pastime
• Parmesan Pistachio Kale Chips by The Texan New Yorker

Soups that'll win your heart:

• Asian Soba Noodle Broth Bowl by Hip Foodie Mom
• Kale, Spinach, and Bean Soup by Ruffles & Truffles
• Mushroom Quinoa Soup by Pies and Plots
• Quinoa Chickpea Soup with Roasted Garlic & Veggies by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
• Turkey and Black-Eyed Peas Soup by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Veggies, Sides, & Salads your heart will thank you for:

• Collard Greens with Cumin and Paprika by Nik Snacks
• Salmon Caesar Salad by Casa de Crews
• Kale Roasted Beet Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing by Noshing with the Nolands
• Lightened-Up Creamed Spinach au Gratin by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Roasted Teriyaki Green Beans and Mushrooms by NeighborFood
• Salmon Salad Niçoise by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Seasoned Spinach & Bok Choy by Nosh My Way
• Spinach Berry Salad by Country Girl in the Village
• Sweet & Smokey Cauliflower Salad by Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Winter Citrus Salad with Avocado-Basil Dressing by Foxes Love Lemons

Healthy is the center of attention in these main courses:

• Baked Eggplant Parmesan by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Celeriac Noodles with Mushroom Ragu by The Joyful Foodie
• Gluten Free Roasted Chicken and Kale by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Heart Healthy Salmon Bento by The Ninja Baker
• Lemony Grilled Chicken by Peaceful Cooking
• Moroccan Salmon Tagine by Curious Cuisiniere
• Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Pickled Cherry Salsa by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• One Pot Mexican Quinoa by Having Fun Saving
• Oven Baked Tilapia Tacos by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Piperies Yemistes me Pligouri - Bulgur Stuffed Peppers by Food Lust People Love
• Salmon with Mango Salsa by Cooking Chat
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake by Food Done Light
• Vegetable and Ginger Congee by eating in instead
• Vegetarian Cuban-Style Black Beans & Rice by MealDiva
• White Bean, Corn, Tomato and Rice Skillet by Family Foodie

Staying healthy doesn't mean giving up desserts!

• Baked Figs with Vanilla and Honey by Happy Baking Days
• Caramelized Pear Tart by PancakeWarriors
• Cherry-Blueberry Trifles by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

We heart wine.

• Wine Pairing Recommendations for Heart Healthy #SundaySupper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Pin these Bulgur Stuffed Peppers!