June, 2012 | Kitchen Treaty

Four-Cheese Stuffed Grilled Peppers

Posted on Friday, June 29, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

Cheese. Melted cheese. It’s probably one of these best foodstuffs on Earth, unless you count chocolate … but then again, I consider chocolate to be more of a medication, per se, than a food.

And besides, chocolate probably wouldn’t be very good stuffed inside a grilled pepper. But cheese … yes.

In this case, we’ve got four different cheeses: ricotta for body and flavor along with tangy herbed goat cheese, plus Parmesan and mozzarella for that melty goodness. As if grilled peppers all by themselves weren’t divine enough … now I had to go and get obsessed with this amazing cheese-stuffed version.

White Cherry, Lime, & Watermelon Sangria

Posted on Thursday, June 28, 2012 in Beverages

I’ve been so pleasantly blown away by the popularity of my White Strawberry-Lemon Sangria – both online and at home – that I thought I’d try another fruity-citrusy white sangria combo.

I like this combo as much – possibly even more – than the first. Fresh bing cherries give this light, uber-drinkable sangria a lovely pink hue. And you can really taste that sweet cherry goodness. Loads of lime slices enhance the cherry flavor … and then there’s the super-spiked rounds of watermelon. Yeah, this is pretty much July in a glass.

Posted on Monday, June 25, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

Here’s a versatile little dish works equally well as a delicious main or a sumptuous side. Polenta is simmered in equal amounts milk and water, and melded with melty Parmesan cheese, tangy sour cream, and rich butter. All of these ingredients team up to create a lush, creamy consistency.

This creamy polenta recipe makes for a super-satisfying meal simply when sprinkled with a few chopped scallions or topped more heartily with grilled squash, steamed broccoli, or sauteed mushrooms. We also love it as an easy substitute for mashed potatoes: it’s the perfect base for pot roast or stew. When we make this in our house, it’s often a side for my carnivorous guy and a main for me, and we both feel like we got the better part of the deal.

Posted on Friday, June 22, 2012 in Happy Endings

I thought I’d go with a “Happy Endings” type recipe for this Friday. These are sweet, easy, and cute … the perfect conclusion to the week.

These two-bite tarts (three if you’re daintier than me) are ideal for entertaining – they’re easy finger food, they look great, and they take – I’m not kidding – not even 10 minutes to make. Taste-wise, the filling is just right. Sour cream, cream cheese, whipping cream, lemon zest, brown sugar, and a little vanilla. It’s the perfect base for those beautiful bursts of blueberries.

Posted on Monday, June 18, 2012 in Veggie Dishes Everyone Loves

I love simple recipes, and this sandwich is a perfect example of just that. With only four ingredients – and that’s if you count the olive oil and coarse salt – it couldn’t be any more straightforward. The key is delicious, quality ingredients, prepared well. Go ahead and buy the perfect loaf of crusty bread at the store or your local bakery, but the peppers, you should definitely roast yourself.

This simple, easy sandwich is made up of two thick slices of artisan bread stuffed with a layer or two of olive-oil soaked, smoky-sweet roasted red peppers, sprinkled with a little kosher salt or sea salt.