Since Matt is battling the sinus infection, I decided to cook a meal tonight that will give him an immunity boost and heat up his sinuses to encourage good drainage. (And if that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will.)
Grilled Pork and Pepper Skewers
From, "Eating for Life," by Better Homes & Gardens
12 oz. boneless pork top loin roast
2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 8 oz. (1 cup) carton plain, low-fat yogurt
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (if you can't find those, use fresh jalapenos)
1 tb. grated fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Place meat, sweet peppers and red onion in a medium bowl.
2. For marinade, in a small bowl stir together yogurt, green onions, chipotle peppers, ginger, garlic, sugar, coriander, salt & black pepper. Pour over meat mixture, stirring to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
3. When assembling the kabobs, wear plastic or rubber gloves to protect your hands from the oils in the hot peppers. (Or wash your hands immediately afterwards.) On eight 6- to 8-inch metal skewers, alternately thread meat, sweet peppers and onion, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces.
4. Grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling. If desired, serve with brown rice. Makes 4 servings.
Cheese Straws
From the latest Penzey's Spices catalog
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tb. butter
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. kosher salt
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine cheese, flour and butter which has been cut into small chunks. Rub together with your fingers until crumbly. Add the red pepper (use the smaller amount for starters--you can always make the next batch hotter if desired). Using a wooden spoon, mix in as much milk as needed to get the dough to stick together. Lighly flour a table or cutting board and roll the dough out as you would for cookies--between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Slice into pretzel rod shapes, about 1/4 inch wide and 4 to 6 inches long and carefully place on cookie sheets coated with vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until golden brown. (Mine took longer, but I may have a weird oven.) Remove from pans right away. Serve warm or at room temperature.