Life without a lenscap

SO HERE IT IS! My results from the first monthly grill-off! I done made me some stuffed peppers.

The four ingredients, to re-iterate, were Shallots, Peppers, Portobello Mushrooms, and Romaine Lettuce - all of which had to be grilled, and all of which had to be used in the dish.

I've given up meat for lent, so it is completely vegetarian, also.

This was my first time really making my own recipe completely and entirely, so I'm super excited about that. And about how it came out.

That being said, I didn't really write things down as I did them, so forgive the incredible sketchiness of this recipe I have attempted to lay out, and follow your gut more than it:

Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 peppers or so.
• 2 or 3 scallions
• 4 shallots
• 4 or 5 portobello mushrooms
• 1 wedge o' romaine lettuce
• 2.5 tomatoes
• 1/2 a yellow onion
• Half-a-handful of cilantro
• 1 Lime
• 1/2 a can of black beans, or more if you want, I guess
• 2-3 cups of brown rice
• 1 jalapeno
• salt
• a lot of black pepper
• a real lot of cayenne pepper
• a real lot of chili powder
• a little onion powder
• a little garlic powder
• a little bit of oregano
• tons of olive oil
• balsamic vinegar and maybe some other kinds.
• sherry
• syrup
• cheddar jack cheese

Most of this stuff can kinda be grilled at the same time. Or not, your call really. Your barbecue.

Instructions:

1. Start da rice cookin' - if you're me, you have a side burner on your grill, and you'll cook it there. Don't cook it ALL the way done, just most of the way done.
2. Take 'dem shallots, and take off the part of the shell that crumbles off easily. Not the rest, 'kay? Get out that basting brush, coat them shallots with it, and throw 'em on the grill. Rotate them a few times, cook 'em 'til they're clearly done.
3. Take one of them shallots and take the shell off. You can honestly cut one of the ends off, and squeeze it, the insides will just pop out. Now chop them up, and throw them in a bowl with vinegars and a tiny bit of syrup, and the garlic powder, onion powder and a bunch of cayenne and chili powder. Mix that shit up and throw dem portobello mushrooms in for like 15 minutes. Don't leave 'em in too long, mushrooms be like sponges, yo.
4. Let's be honest, you're done with that rice, now, right? OK COOL! Throw it in a giant bowl. One that can hold all the stuffing.
5. Brush that olive oil on 2 of the tomatoes, and also, on the wedge of lettuce. Throw 'em on the grill. Use your eye and inner griller to know when they're done. For example, the tomatoes should be starting to burst really.
6. 'kay, this sounds weird, but take off the skin that's remaining on the grilled tomatoes, and then just squeeze the shit out of them over the rice, kinda tearing them apart, and adding all the edible bits. And then chop the remaining half a tomato [if you want, I'm sure you could put the whole thing in there.] Add that in there.
7. While you're chopping stuff, chop 'dem shallots, and throw them in there. Also, mince the garlic and throw it in there. Keep stirring it all up while you're adding stuff.
8. Oh shit, the mushrooms, yeah, throw them on the grill, they won't take too long to cook.
9. While that's happening, chop up the jalepeno, and throw it in. And the cilantro, yeah, that too.
10. Cut off the leafy parts of the lettuce. I don't remember what the spine part is called, maybe it's spine, but then chop up that part like it was celery and throw it in the stuffing.
11. Chop up dem mushrooms and, yup, add them to the rest.
12. Oh snap, add about half the can of black beans to the mixture - but totally get rid of the gunk when you add them. Just the beans, y'hear?
13. To the stuffing, add some salt. Black pepper, and a LOT of cayenne pepper and Chili Powder. Like. A lot. I guess maybe the best way to say this is "to taste" so, add that stuff to taste, bitches.
14. Okay, so now probably is a bad time to point out that at some point while stuff was grilling, you should have cut the tops off the peppers, and cleaned out the inside, but honestly, I'm too lazy to reorganize all the numbers.
15. Shove the stuffing in the peppers! Throw some cheese in the middle, if you're feeling kooky. I was, and it was tasty.  If not, put some sour cream and/or cheese on afterwards.
16. Now that you're jam packed full o' stuffing, lather the sides of the peppers with olive oil and throw them on the grill.
17. Cook them, rotating so each side gets grilled until they're kinda bubbly. Then, take them off the grill, and eat the shit out of them. YEAH.

That's it, I think. Throw some sour cream and cheddar jack on that shit.  More photos!







( some more, now, including prep shots )