Tamale Peppers

A new meatless (not protein-less) dinner.
*serves 4 (but we had left over filling that we put in tortillas for lunch the next day)
4 medium bell peppers (we like red and yellow best)
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
3/4 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c cornmeal
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1) preheat oven to 350. cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl combine all ingredients except only 3/4 cup of the cheese.
3) spoon mixture evenly into peppers, and top with remaining cheese.
4) Place stuffed peppers in an 8x8 baking dish. add 1/2 in water to pan (we didn't add water and they turned out great). Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until peppers are tender and filling is hot.

Wild Rice with Roasted Veggies

2 Large zucchini, thickly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 red peppers, chopped
6 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 teaspoon salt
4 cups wild rice (or use 2+ boxes of Rice-a-Roni wild rice)
4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Slice zucchini and mushrooms. Chop red pepper. Brush vegetables lightly with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil (or drizzle on top). Preheat oven to broil--about 400. Spread veggies out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Broil veggies, turning occasionally, until just tender. In the meantime, Cook wild rice according to rice directions--or use a rice cooker. Place rice on a plate and top with veggies. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

*This is a new favorite

Homemade Fries

We love this lunchtime snack, especially since it is even healthier than our baked potatoes (less fat).

About4-5 medium sized baked potatoes cut into fry size strips (pretty precise term huh--between 1/4" to 1/2" thick) / or you can cut the potatoes first then boil them until you can just get a knife through them, but I prefer to bake them and have them on hand for quicker fries.
1/4 cup olive oil
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut potatoes into desired fry size and place in large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and lightly toss until potatoes are coated. line a cookie sheet with foil for easy clean-up and spread fries in a single layer on cookie sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and crispy. For more flavor you can sprinkle parmesan (or any other) cheese on top the last 15-20 minutes.

Sausage and Summer Squash

1/3 to 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz cooked polish sausage (halved lengthwise, sliced diagonally)
3 small summer squash and/or zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 wedges Italian flat bread, split
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat broiler. In small bowl combine dressing and garlic. In extra-large skillet cook sausage and squash in 2 tablespoons of the dressing mixture for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is heated through and squash is almost tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, place bread on broiler pan; brush with 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture. Broil 3-4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted.

3. Serve sausage and squash with toasted bread. Drizzle remaining dressing; sprinkle green onions and Parmesan cheese on top.

* would make good kabobs