Draft Day Pepper Poppers

 This is perfect while watching the draft, game night or anytime.

I’ve used jalapeños, but you can use poblano peppers or mild peppers instead.

8 whole jalapeños 

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper, dried parsley

1 package each: shredded cheese, cream cheese

pinch each: red pepper flakes, granulated garlic

Non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350’ F. 

Spray 1 - 2 baking sheets with non stick spray.

Rinse, cut jalapeños in half lengthwise, remove seeds from jalapeños, set aside.

In a bowl combine cream cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, pepper flakes, parsley, stir with a clean fork to mix.

Arrange jalapeño halves on baking sheets.

With a clean spoon, put cream cheese mixture into a clean baggie.

Snip 1 end of baggie and pipe cream cheese into jalapeño halves.

Top jalapeños halves with cheese and place into oven for 10 - 12 min. or until done.

Keep an eye on the peppers to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove baking sheets from oven,  turn off oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.

 Serves 4.

Easy Steamed Spinach

This is a perfect as a side dish or anytime.

2 - 3 c. fresh spinach

1 - 2 c. water

1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper

1 T. butter

Rinse spinach through a colander and snip ends. 

Run cold water for a few seconds and put water in a clean pot.

Turn on stove to medium high heat, lower heat to medium and put pot with the water on stove.

Add spinach, salt, pepper to pot. 

Place lid on pot and steam spinach for 8 minutes.

Remove lid from pot, turn off stove.  Let spinach set for a few minutes. 

Drain excess water from pan if needed.

Add butter to spinach and stir. 

Serves 4 - 6.

Game Day Grilled Sausage

This is perfect for watching baseball or anytime. 

I’ve used pre cooked sausages but you can use what sausages you like.

4 stadium kielbasa sausages

1 sliced onion

4 hot buns

1 - 2 T. oil

Mustard, ketchup, relish

Peel, rinse and slice onion.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat. 

Lower heat to medium, add oil.

Add sausages, onion to grill pan. 

Cook for 5 - 8 min on 1 side.

Turn sausages and onion over and cook on other side for 5 - 8 min more or until done.  

Turn off stove, remove sausages from skillet and place sausages in buns. 

Top sausages with cooked onion and your favorite condiments.

Serves 4. 

Spring Stir Fry

This is perfect for Lent or anytime.

1 - 1  1/2 lb thawed shrimp

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. each: salt, pepper

1/4 tsp. sliced fresh ginger 

3 T. olive oil

1 - 2 T. low sodium soy sauce

1 each chopped: bell pepper, onion 

1/3 c. sliced green onions

1 c. each: snow peas, sliced carrots, sliced mushrooms, chopped zucchini 

1/4 - 1/3 c. cold water

1 tsp. corn starch

1 -2 clove garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped

Slice fresh ginger.

Peel, rinse, crush and chop garlic.

Peel, devein, rinse shrimp if needed.

If you're using pre-cooked cooked, omit step.

In a bowl combine shrimp, salt, pepper, garlic,  1 T. soy sauce, 1 T. oil., ginger, garlic.

Toss mixture to coat shrimp 

Cover shrimp, place in refrigerator to marinate for a few hrs.

Peel, rinse, chop onion.

Rinse, seed, chop pepper.

Rinse, cut ends off, chop carrots and green onions.

Rinse, snip ends off snow peas and cut in half.

Rinse, slice mushrooms.

Rinse, chop zucchini.

Place vegetables in a clean bowl.

Preheat skillet to medium high heat.

Lower heat to medium, add oil.

Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink on both sides 3 - 4 min. on both sides.

Remove shrimp and place on a clean plate.

Add vegetables and cook for 5 - 10 min. 

Add shrimp back to pan. 

In a clean cup combine water, cornstarch.

Stir with a fork to mix.

Push vegetables and meat to the side of pan, pour water mixture in center of skillet. 

Stir to coat and let cook for a few minutes more.

Serves 4.