Slow-cooked stuffed bell peppers

Bell peppers, large, tops removed and reserved, seeds and membranes removed	6
Olive oil	2 tablespoons
Onions, medium, chopped	2
Tomatoes, seeded, chopped	4 cups
Mint, fresh, minced	2 tablespoons
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Turkey, ground	1 pound
Rice, cooked	1 ½ cups
Parsley, minced	2 tablespoons

1. Coat the inside of the crock with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Remove and discard the stems from the pepper tops, and chop the tops; set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add half of the onions and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juice, and bring to a boil.
6. Cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened somewhat, 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Stir in half of the mint.
8. Taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour sauce into the crock.
10. Place turkey, chopped peppers, and the remaining onion in the skillet, and cook over medium heat, breaking the meat up with a spatula as it cooks, until the meat is cooked through and the onion has softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
11. Remove the skillet from heat, drain, and stir in cooked rice, parsley, and remaining mint; add salt and pepper as desired.
12. Use a spoon to fill each pepper with the meat mixture, packing it lightly to the top of the pepper.
13. Arrange peppers upright, side by side, in the crock in a single layer.
14. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours (HIGH for 2 ½ to 3 hours).
15. Serve the peppers with some of the tomato sauce spooned over or alongside them.

Recipe from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites.

Pork pie with caramelized apples

Butter	1 tablespoon + pan greasing
Apples, peeled, cored, sliced	2
Honey	2 tablespoons
Pork sausage meat, crumbled	1 pound
Irish bacon, diced	½ pound
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Thyme, rosemary, and sage, minced	3 tablespoons
Puff pastry	½ pound
Egg, beaten	1

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the apples and honey, stirring well, and cook for about 10 minutes to caramelize.
4. Grease a small casserole, and then evenly layer one-third of the sausage, and top with one-third of the bacon.
5. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the herbs on top, and then cover with a layer of caramelized apples.
6. Repeat the process twice, using up all the apples, meat, and herbs.
7. Roll out the pastry to a size big enough to cover the surface of the pie.
8. Cover the pie with the pastry, pressing down lightly, and then prick with a fork several times.
9. Brush with egg.
10. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden brown.

Based on a recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.

Turkey & pinto bean chili

Olive oil, extra-virgin	¼ cup
Turkey, ground	3 pounds
Onion, medium, ½-inch dice	1
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Chile powder	1 ½ tablespoons
Cumin, ground	1 teaspoon
Oregano, dried, ground	1 teaspoon
Chipotle powder	¾ teaspoon
Carrot, large, ¼-inch dice	1
Bell pepper, red, ½-inch dice	1
Tomato puree	28 ounces
Pinto beans, drained	45 ounces
Lager	¾ cup
Chicken stock	1 cup
Cider vinegar	1 tablespoon
Thyme, chopped	1 teaspoon
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Chives, chopped	Garnish

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering.
2. Add half of the turkey, and cook over high heat, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir and cook until no pink remains, about 2 minutes longer.
4. Transfer the cooked turkey to a bowl, and repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the remaining turkey.
5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and the onion to the pot.
6. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
7. Add garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano, and chipotle powder, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
8. Return the turkey to the pot; stir in the carrot, bell pepper, tomato puree, beans, and lager, and bring to a boil.
9. Stir in the stock and vinegar, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
10. Add thyme, season with salt and pepper, and serve, garnished with chives.

Recipe by Art Smith, published in the Feb 2012 Food & Wine.

Chocolate frozen yogurt with caramelized bananas

Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Bananas, ripe, large, cut into 1-inch rounds	2
Sugar, light brown	2 tablespoons
Rum, dark	1 tablespoon
Milk	½ cup + 3 tablespoons
Cocoa powder, unsweetened Dutch-process	2 ½ tablespoons
Sugar, granulated	2/3 cup
Salt	Pinch
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Greek yogurt	1 ¼ cups
Chocolate, bittersweet, finely chopped	1 ounce

1. In a skillet, melt the butter.
2. Add the banana slices in a single layer, and sprinkle with brown sugar.
3. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until caramelized, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add the rum, and swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar.
5. Scrape three-quarters of the bananas into a food processor, add 3 tablespoons of milk, and puree until smooth.
6. Transfer the puree to a small bowl, and freeze until chilled, about 15 minutes.
7. In another bowl, whisk the cocoa with the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, and the remaining ½ cup of milk.
8. Whisk in the yogurt until smooth, and then add the banana puree.
9. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until nearly frozen.
10. Mix in the chopped bananas and chocolate.
11. Scrape the frozen yogurt into an airtight container, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Recipe by Joy Wilson, published in Feb 2012 Food&Wine.

Brown-butter layer cake

Butter, unsalted	12 ounces + greasing pans
Flour, all-purpose	2 ¼ cups + dusting pans
Baking powder	2 ¼ teaspoons
Salt	1 teaspoon
Sugar	1 2/3 cups
Vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped	1
Eggs	3 yolks + 2 large
Milk, whole, room temperature	1 ¼ cups

1. Start with the filling as it takes the most time to set; recipe follows.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper, butter the paper, and then dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the 3 sticks of butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until foamy, about 5 minutes.
4. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn brown, and the butter smells nutty, about 4 minutes longer.
5. Scrape the melted butter and browned bits into a large heatproof bowl.
6. Set the bowl in an ice water bath until the butter begins to set around the edges, about 8 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.
8. Remove the bowl from the ice water, and scrape up the hardened butter.
9. Transfer the butter to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, and beat until creamy.
10. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds, and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
11. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the whole eggs.
12. Beat in the dry ingredients and milk in three alternating additions, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
13. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, and bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes (rotating the pans halfway through baking, if you lack a nice convection oven), until the cakes are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
14. Cool in pans on a rack for 20 minutes, and then invert them onto a rack to cool completely.
15. Peel off the parchment paper!

Loving my new Wolf double ovens! These are the best looking fresh-from-the-oven cakes I've ever made (and, yes, they taste great: crusty outside, with a perfect spongy, moist center).

Dark chocolate mousse filling

Gelatin, unflavored	½ teaspoon
Water	½ tablespoon
Cream, heavy, chilled	½ cup
Coffee (or hazelnut) liqueur	2 tablespoons
Eggs	2 yolks
Sugar	2 tablespoons
Salt	Pinch
Chocolate, bittersweet, melted, cooled	4 ounces

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water, and let stand until softened.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the cream until softly whipped.
3. Refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, heat the liqueur until hot, about 45 seconds.
5. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved.
6. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt at high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes.
7. While beating the yolks, beat in the liqueur-gelatin mix; scrape the side and bottom of the bowl.
8. Beat in the melted chocolate.
9. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream in two additions.
10. Scrape the mousse into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Variations:

• Milk chocolate mousse: Substitute milk chocolate for the bittersweet.
• White chocolate mousse: Substitute white chocolate for the bittersweet, and substitute orange liqueur for the coffee.

Chocolate buttercream frosting

Sugar	1 cup
Eggs	3 whites
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, cut into tablespoon chunks	1 cup + 2 tablespoons
Chocolate, extra bittersweet, melted, cooled	4 ounces

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the sugar until powdery.
2. Transfer the sugar to a medium heatproof bowl, and whisk in the egg whites and salt.
3. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and whisk gently until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the warm egg mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk.
5. Add the vanilla, and beat at medium-high until stiff and glossy, about 8 minutes.
6. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, ensuring it's fully incorporated before adding more.
   The buttercream should be light and fluffy; if it appears runny at any time, transfer the bowl to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, and then return it to the mixer and continue.
7. Beat in the melted chocolate until fully incorporated, scrapping down the side and bottom of the bowl.
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and beat with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.

Variations:

• Hazelnut buttercream: Substitute 2 tablespoons hazelnut-praline paste for the extra-bittersweet chocolate.
• White chocolate buttercream: Substitute white chocolate for the extra bittersweet.

Second attempt on May 29, 2012, which came out even better than the first. Tried the hazelnut-praline buttercream this time.

Recipe by Tom Douglas, published in the Feb. 2012 Food & Wine.