piquillo peppers

September 28, 2010

Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites lamb, meatballs, piquillo peppers, pork

Meatballs with Roaster Pepper Tomato Sauce

I’m not sure why, unhealthy but I find meatballs to be one of life’s great delicacies. Maybe it’s because it takes so long to season, shape, brown and bake them that by the time I actually get to taste them, they are simply delicious. Maybe it’s because I usually make them as an appetizer to serve with other small plates and my taste buds love variety. Maybe I just really like meatballs.

Whatever it is about them, these were among the best I’ve made. I used a mixture of ground pork and lamb and seasoned them simply with salt, pepper and Italian parsley. I also added some bread soaked in warm milk to keep them super moist. I brushed the top with a thick sauce of piquillo peppers, tomato paste, anchovies and smoked paprika that was sweet and smoky, piquant and salty. A sauce that caramelizes over the meatballs in the oven so that they emerge bright and fragrant and super flavorful.

I wish I had more of these right now. That salad I had for lunch isn’t cutting it when I have meatballs on the brain…

March 5, 2010

Chickpea & Orzo Salad with Piquillo Pepper Vinaigrette

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites chickpeas, chives, orzo, piquillo peppers, prosciutto, salad

Chickpea & Orzo Salad with Piquillo Pepper Vinaigrette

I love recipes that taste better the next day and the day after. I bring my lunch to work, pilule so if I can make a big batch of something on Monday and enjoy it for the rest of the week, visit this I’m happy. This is one of those salads. The chickpeas and orzo absorbs the tangy, buy more about peppery vinaigrette until they’re tangy and peppery themselves. A little slice of prosciutto (or Serrano ham if you can afford it) and it’s my idea of a perfect lunch.

Chickpea & Orzo Salad with Piquillo Pepper Vinaigrette

January 6, 2009

Spanish-Style Tuna Salad with Piquillos & Onions

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites onions, piquillo peppers, salad, sandwich, tuna

Spanish-Style Tuna Salad with Piquillos & Onions

I am a bad, disorder bad blogger. I haven’t posted a thing in two weeks! Apologies, but I was celebrating Christmas with my family by roasting a whole pig in our backyard on Christmas Eve. Then it was up to Michigan for 10 days of snow, cold weather and a whole lot of cookies and libations. It was great to see the snow and snuggle under a pile of blankets, but I was very happy to don my flip flops the second I got home. Now I’m back and I’m ready to cook up a storm!

Since it’s a new year, I’m sure there’s no shortage of new resolutions to eat better. Since I don’t really do diets, this means eating healthier and hitting the gym more often. But healthier doesn’t mean diet food, and it definitely doesn’t mean boring food. For me, it means Spanish-style tuna salad. More veggies, no mayo.

Start with imported Spanish tuna packed in tomato sauce. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, opt for some sold-pack tuna in olive oil. Saute some onions, add some chopped piquillo peppers (or roasted red peppers if you can’t find piquillo), sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt and you’ve got a tangy and delicious tuna salad. Eat it with whole wheat crackers, on a salad, in a sandwich, or wrapped in some whole wheat flatbread with lots of leafy greens.

Either way, it’s a great alternative to the traditional tuna that will make you feel great about starting the new year right.