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 Denise Gianatasio is a Northport Village resident and freelance writer. She is a licensed agent at Signature Premier Properties, 172 Main Street, Northport 631-754-3600. Denise enjoys cooking and sharing her recipes and family stories, as she wants to inspire a warm sense of home with her readers. Please feel free to contact her for any advice you may need at dishinwithdenise@yahoo.com. |
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The beautiful fall season is upon us, the days are shorter, a bit cooler and dining outdoors may be on hold for awhile. The good news, ~ this brings us back into our homey kitchens, preparing warmer, heartier, cozy meals for our family. Whether you’re in or out try my "zany take" on stuffed peppers! Inside out is a much quicker and easier method for stuffing peppers. Feel free to select from the beautiful array of colors, as peppers are now making their debut. My absolute favorites are the yellow and orange peppers, I think they are sweeter. The variety of colors creates a pretty fall meal presentation. So with the new season comes the new reason for cooking ~ even if they are inside out! When selecting your peppers at the market, look for nicely shaped peppers for stuffing. Wash and carefully cut out top and stem, save for later. Clean out the seeds and veins from inside the pepper, discard then rinse the peppers. Turn pepper upside down on top of paper towels to dry. On chopping board slice peppers thinly, now in a skillet saute onion in olive oil until soft and caramelized. Add sliced peppers, and mushrooms if desired, put a lid on your pan as they cook down until soft. Add oil if needed or 1/2 cup chicken broth. In a separate skillet brown your sausage meat (optional) and lean ground until cooked. In the meantime have the boiled rice of your choice ready, add rice to sauté peppers, fold with meat mixture. Add a ladle or more of the marinara sauce (hopefully you have some saved for Sunday's dinner) to the mixture. Add the grated cheese, fresh basil, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Serve with extra marinara sauce, additional fresh herbs and crispy bread. A glass of wine and you'll feel fine. Weather permitting… you may eat inside or out! Do enjoy! xo Dishin' with Denise 8 peppers Marinara sauce: Add olive oil to pot with onions and saute till soft. Add spices, hand squeezed tomatoes and simmer for 25 minutes. |
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20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000. 