Grilled stuffed peppers *melissa

One of my favorite ways to prepare peppers in the summertime is to stuff and grill them. There are so many possibilities when stuffing peppers but I usually come back to this particular combination of ingredients....so tasty!

Ingredients:
bell peppers
plum or cherry tomatoes
green onions
sharp cheddar cheese
cayenne pepper
chipotle chile pepper (or regular chili powder)
cous cous OR quinoa (for a low glycemic/ high protien/ gluten free option) *check out the link for interesting facts about this stuff

 First, prepare cous cous or quinoa according to package directions. Let cool while prepping other ingredients.

Next, shred the cheese, chop the tomatoes and scallions...

Combine tomatoes, scallions, cous cous, and cheese in a medium sized bowl...

Time to add your spices. I usually go by taste but I would estimate a tsp of chile pepper and a dash of cayenne. Lightly combine with a fork.

Now, cut off the tops of your peppers like so....

FYI, this one had babies growing inside...

And this is my crazy cat who LOVES green peppers and comes running any time he hears them being cut. He practically  climbs up my legs every time to get a taste.

 Now, spoon mixture into peppers... 

 Place peppers on hot outdoor grill (OR if you don't have a grill place peppers in the oven on a low rack and broil on high, watching closely)...

On the outdoor grill, once the bottoms of the peppers start to brown and the skin bubbles move to upper rack or lower heat. Grill for about 2-3 more minutes. ENJOY!

Rosemary & Lime Spicy Salmon * Melissa

Thankfully, I married someone who likes fish! Here's a new salmon recipe that I tried last week. It turned out to be super tasty.

Salmon
1 Tbs fresh rosemary
1 lime
sprinkle/ to taste cayenne pepper
sprinkle/ to taste sea salt

To start, spray pyrex baking dish with cooking spray. Place salmon in dish. Juice 1/2 lime through strainer (to catch seeds and pulp.) Pour lime juice over salmon. Coarsely chop rosemary and sprinkle on. Then, sprinkle sea salt and cayenne (*a little goes a long way but makes for excellent flavor.) Thinly slice lime into rounds and place on salmon. Broil on high for about 15 minutes or until fish flakes but is still moist.

By the way, the above pictures of rosemary is from my herb garden which I'm SO excited to finally be able to grow now that I have a sunny porch. Anyway, this salmon turned out to be a huge hit with Nate and was SO tasty! (And, not too spicy, if anyone is wondering...all depends on the amount of cayenne that's a-sprinkled.)

I served the salmon with fresh green beans and Naan (Traditional Indian Flatbread) from Trader Joe's. On the side we had a delicious summer fruit salad of blueberries, green grapes, and watermelon.