I love a stuffed vegetable……any stuffed vegetable! Don’t you? I just happened to have some “pretty” vegetables so I thought “why not stuff some”? Good idea? Let’s go!

• 2 large vine ripe tomatoes, hollowed out reserving juice and pulp
• 2 bell peppers, any color, cut in half with seeds discarded
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• A handful of pimento stuffed green Spanish olives, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 – 2 cups flavored bread crumbs
• 1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese + more for topping

These are the ingredients that struck my fancy today but feel free to add or subtract ingredients according to your fancy!

Use a cast iron frying pan or one that is oven safe

Heat oil in pan

Sauté onion, celery, garlic and olives Until soft and translucent adding salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Add reserved juice and chopped pulp from the tomatoes after straining the seeds out

Add enough bread crumbs til mixture comes together but is still moist

Stir in the cheese

Stuff the vegetables and put them back in the same pan

Top with some shredded cheese

Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan and cover with aluminum foil

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Remove the foil and bake 10 more minutes

Submitted by G ♥️

2 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup oil

2 cups flour

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups sugar

1 cup hot water

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour batter into a prepared 9×13 pan; bake @350° for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake and frost as desired. Tonight, I think a sprinkle of powdered sugar is all we’ll need.. 😋… and maybe some coffee. ☕️

Submitted by L: 👩🏻‍🍳

During this health crisis with intermittent access to groceries, the best recipes are the ones that require the fewest ingredients. These peanut butter cookies are just what we need! And, the bonus is that they are gluten-free!

You will need 1 cup of natural peanut butter (or whatever kind you have on hand), 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 egg. Mix it all together until the sugar is dissolved and the batter is creamy. Drop onto a parchment-covered cookie tray, crisscross with a fork, and bake @350° for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake them. Just get the bottoms very lightly browned. This keeps them soft and chewy.

Steep a cup of your favorite tea to enjoy with a freshly baked cookie, and embrace the opportunity to delve into that book you’ve been meaning to read. Linger over the passages that truly speak to you and be grateful for all the moments you been given.

Please stay well and safe.

Submitted by L ☕️😊

I may have overdone it in the produce aisle on my last grocery delivery. I know, soooo surprising!! But in my defense, I thought there may be some shortages due to these trying times so I ordered extra. Here is a recipe that evolved by searching what was in my fridge:

• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, blanched and cut into 1” pieces
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
• 1 green pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
• 1/2 lb penne pasta, cooked to al dente
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Greek Cucumber Dill Yogurt Dressing

Prepare the vegetables as noted above and place in a large mixing bowl

Cook the pasta, add to the bowl, and combine

Pour the dressing over the top and gently combine thoroughly

Add salt and pepper, to taste

I used what I found in my fridge. You can make your own version by using what is in yours. And feel free to add YOUR favorite dressing or make your own!

Submitted by G ♥️

The grocery delivery was a welcome sight. We now have some fresh vegetables and many staples – excluding those that were out of stock – all of which will make food preparation much easier in the next week or so.

Deciding to use what was in the house prior to the grocery drop-off , I found a a rather limp celery in the refrigerator that I just didn’t have the heart to toss. I knew that it could find new life in a pot of soup. Growing up with a Great Depression Era mom taught me frugality and rules hammered into my brain forcing creative use of food so that nothing would go to waste.

This is the recipe that became a surprisingly tasty dish.

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery, including leaves, coarsely chopped
• olive oil
• 3 cups water
• ¼ teaspoon herbes de Provence
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon marinara sauce
• ½ cup chopped cooked chicken (omit for vegetarian version)
• ½ cup milk

Sauté the garlic in the oil for about 2 minutes, add the celery and continue cooking until the celery is softened. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the milk, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the celery is totally cooked. Add the milk, let the mixture cool slightly, Place in a blender and pulse to desired consistence. Return to pan and heat through – do not boil. Serve with crackers.

• 

Submitted by L: 😋🍵

My maternal grandfather became a widower with 10 children in 1934. Although his eldest son was 22 years old, his youngest child was only 2, leaving a motherless family to cope with the challenge of unfathomable loss in the midst of The Great Depression. The entire family pulled together to support and raise one another, including the eldest daughter who left school at age 15 to tend the younger children and run the household. From the stories my mom used to tell, their home was a loving one, filled with the sound of laughter and the aromas of great food.

Each week Grandpa made several loaves of bread to feed his hungry brood. This granddaughter never actually mastered the bread making process that he apparently excelled at without the use of a recipe. But I persevere nonetheless, giving it a go from time to time. Pizza dough is pretty forgiving, and since our Instacart groceries may not be delivered in time for dinner, this seemed like a good way to use up the ingredients in our vacation rental. (In the interest of full disclosure, the yeast was part of my traveling kitchen supply box…)

Pizza Dough

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• ⅞-1⅛ cups lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1¼ teaspoons salt

Dissolve the active dry yeast in ¼ lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes until it bubbles. Combine the dissolved yeast with the remainder of the ingredients and mix together in a mixer using the dough hook just until the ingredients hold together. I added some black pepper and a dash of dried oregano to the dry ingredients for extra flavor. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for about 90 minutes or until doubled in volume.

Knead gently on a floured surface and pat into desired pan. Top with sauce and desired toppings. Bake @400° for 25 minutes or until crust is done. I par-baked the crust for about 10 minutes with the sauce and some sliced vegetarian sausage links. I topped with shredded mozzarella and baked for an additional 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tomorrow – celery soup and chicken wings.

Submitted by L:🧑🏻‍🍳 (P.S. The groceries arrived just as I took the pizza out of the oven! Lots of good things to choose from for the next few days.)

• 

Here is yet another “clean out the fridge” recipe that you can follow as is or certainly adjust it to whatever you have as your “kitchen sink” recipe! Use your imagination, have fun in your kitchen and you won’t be tempted to throw food away. I try to never waste food. It is a precious necessity for everyone and soups are easy to share with others. Here is my version for today……

• 3 celery ribs
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 2 small onions
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 32oz container beef stock
• 4 cups water
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• 3/4 cup orzo pasta, cooked separately

Prepare all the vegetables by chopping, slicing or dicing into bite sized pieces

Add the oil to your soup pot and sauté all the chopped vegetables for a couple of minutes

Add all of the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

That’s it! Easy, healthy and tasty! All that’s left is to share it with your friends and family!

Serve with some grated Parmesan cheese on top if you like.

Submitted by G ♥️

Still working through the groceries on hand. There will be no whining from this gal during the shelter-in-place currently being observed by my loved ones and me. We are safe, have enough food, and are keeping busy with all manner of reading, listening to music, and generally taking time to smell the roses….. my heart goes out to anyone who doesn’t have these creature comforts and nutritional options we have.

This meal consists of one package of frozen ravioli, marinara sauce made from one large can of crushed tomatoes, and some steamed broccoli. Nothing fancy.

Finely chop two or three cloves of garlic and sauté them in some olive oil. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes, a pinch of baking soda, salt and pepper, to taste, and some dried herbs of your choice – I used half of a package of “Ariosto”, a prepared combination of savory herbs that my friend Sal brought to me after his trip to Sicily last year. It contains sea salt, dried rosemary, garlic powder, dried sage, dried juniper berries, dried bay leaf, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried marjoram, dried basil and dried red pepper flakes. It is a potent combination of aromatic herbs that adds a nice punch to the sauce. In absence of this, use whatever flavorings you normally use in a marina sauce. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Cook the frozen ravioli according to package instructions, and top with the sauce. For your side dish, steam a few spears of fresh broccoli, drain, and sprinkle with salt and pepper – or with lemon and pepper seasoning salt.

Please stay safe and well.

Submitted by L: 🍅🥦

I am always proud of my daughter; but it seems she is also becoming quite efficient in the kitchen. 👩‍🍳 Even to the point of getting creative with what is on hand. This post is something she fixed while she is working from her home during this trying time.

• Toasted sourdough bread
• Cream cheese
• Sliced cucumber
• Smoked salmon slices
• Poached eggs
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Toast 2 slices of bread and spread with cream cheese

Cover with several slices of cucumber

Add some sliced smoked salmon over the cucumber

Top each slice with a poached egg

Add sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Note: to poach the eggs, fill a small saucepan with water and a tsp of white vinegar. Bring to a simmer just before a boil, do not boil the water. Crack egg into a cup and gently pour into the simmering water, one at a time. Allow to simmer til set but not hard boiled, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dab on a paper towel to remove excess water from the egg and place on your preparation.

I can’t wait to try it myself!

Submitted by G ♥️

Provisions are waning, so it’s time to get creative with what’s available. I cooked a half-package of Rigatoni, drained it, and put it into a large serving bowl. I reheated the remaining sautéed garlic-mushrooms from yesterday’s “Breakfast for Dinner Potato Omelet”, added about ¾ cup of milk, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. I put this mixture over the cooked pasta and added a generous ½ cup of grated mozzarella.

After searching the freezer, we found and grilled a couple of tuna steaks and a few links of vegan sausage. The tuna was marinated a small amount of Italian dressing for about 1 hour before grilling time. The addition of a side salad to complement the meal added freshness and color.

Stay tuned for the next addition of “What can I Find to Cook Today???” … without having to go to the grocery store. (I am aware that grocery stores are offering deliveries – it just seems like a good time to use what we have on hand and leave what is in the store for others who might need it more.)

Please stay well, everyone.

Submitted by L: 😊