You won’t forget these novel Bell-pepper chips with delicious stuffing

Our green Bell peppers have really been showing off among the garden rows. Our garden looks as though a second spring has arrived. Pitiful-looking green-pepper plants that barely held their heads up through the summer drought now are bushy and thriving. Yesterday Hubby brought in a bushel basket of them. I had just the recipe I had been saving for this moment.

Pepper and Chicken Nachos were just the most adorable things—pictured in the July 2011 Southern Living issue that told us how to put our farmers’ market finds to good use. In July, because of the drought, we had no green peppers in sight, but what’s happening now makes up for that shortage.

The green-pepper wedges (I tucked in a few red ones for variety as well) were soaked in a flavorful marinade, chilled for 15 minutes, and then grilled until they were tender. A chicken-pea stuffing (the meat shredded from a Kroger deli chicken) went atop them, with cheese and cilantro on top of that.

Hubby just devoured these; although originally meant for appetizers, he made an entire meal out of them. He found the stuffing of the novel nacho “chips” to be highly filling and nutritious atop the healthy pepper.

Green peppers, we missed you months ago but are happy to have your hopeful yield during this fall season.

Pepper and Chicken Nachos

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 medium-sized Bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups chopped deli-roasted chicken

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 (7.5-ounce) package sliced sharp Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Combine garlic and next 5 ingredients. Reserve 3 tablespoons garlic mixture. Pour remaining garlic mixture into a large, shallow dish; add peppers; turn to coat. Cover and chill for 15 minutes, turning once. Remove peppers from marinade. Reserve marinade for basting. Grill peppers, covered with grill lid, for 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers blister and are tender. Turn occasionally and baste with marinade. Preheat broiler with oven rack 4 inches from heat. Combine chicken and peas with reserved 3 tablespoons garlic mixture. Place peppers in a single layer on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum-foil-lined broiler pan. Quarter cheese slices. Top each pepper with chicken mixture and one cheese quarter. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately Makes 4 servings.

Garden Breakfast Skillet a great suggestion for any meal (dinner, too!)

That trip across the Texas-Oklahoma border for Hubby’s regularly scheduled physical exam last week netted us more than just a stellar report on his lowered cholesterol level. Roadside veggie stands that are part of the Chickasaw Nation’s provision for its “elder” citizens always rate a stopover on our trips across the Red River.

The stand proprietors were wagging their heads with regret about their low supply this year because of the drought. They apologized for a reduced amount of offerings. But I saw tomatoes the size of grapefruit and giant piles of nice zucchini, yellow squash, and onions, among other items. I had no trouble finding produce to fill up my grocery bags to bring back to Texas.

I also brought home with me a few new recipe cards from the Chickasaw Nutrition Services, which has offices just across from the clinic where Hubby gets his physical. One I couldn’t wait to try was Garden Breakfast Skillet, an omelet-like dish that just happened to use my newly acquired tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion. Even though the recipe had breakfast in the title, I stirred this up for our meal last evening. Wonderful, quick, and healthy! Who could ask for three better adjectives (especially the quick part on a busy Monday) to describe a dinner?

Garden Breakfast Skillet

2 cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup green Bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, sliced (I subbed with white onion)

1 tablespoon margarine

1 medium tomato, diced

4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, shredded

dash paprika

In a large skillet over medium-high heat sauté garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, green pepper, and onions in margarine for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, water, mustard, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet; reduce to medium heat. Cover skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Cut into wedges and serve. Makes 8 servings.