Grilled Bell Peppers With Cheese

Yield: about 4 servings

Peppers and cheese?  Umm.....yum!  This is such an easy, quick recipe that's nearly impossible to mess up.  They are tangy with the cheese, and the tart lemon pepper with the charred grilled pepper is to die for. Don't let the simplicity of this recipe scare you.  And do not skimp out on the lemon pepper!  My dad says he hates lemon pepper, but he absolutely LOVED this dish!  The flavors pair so incredibly well together.  I served this as a side to turkey brautworst and chicken sausage.  Mmm...such a good pairing!

Ingredients:

• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, feta cheese, and/or blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:

1. Core and seed the bell peppers. Cut each into six wedges, and place into a resealable plastic bag. Add the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Toss, seal, and set aside to marinate at least 20 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Stir the cheese and lemon pepper seasoning together in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Cook the peppers, skin-side-up on the preheated grill until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Flip the peppers over, and carefully spoon the cheese onto each pepper. Close the lid of the barbecue, and continue cooking until the bottoms are lightly charred and the cheese is warm, 2 to 3 minutes.

Balsamic Cucumber-Tomato-Feta Salad

My cross country/track coach sent me this recipe this past weekend, so I decided to try it.  It seemed way too simple and easy to throw together. And I was really skeptical before making it because of the mint...I'm not really a big fan of mint because it reminds me of toothpaste. I haven't had mint in many dishes either.  However, this salad turned out incredible!! The mint is very subtle and not overpowering at all.  It gives the salad an amazingly refreshing flavor.  I highly recommend using cucumbers and tomatoes that are in season for best flavor.  Refrigerating the dish brings all the flavors together and marinates the ingredients wonderfully.  My favorite ingredient that makes this salad different than other cucumber tomato salad recipes is the feta cheese.  It adds a little oomph of flavor, and pairs so well with the other ingredients. Another thing I love about this salad is that it goes well with almost every main dish.  I served it with my Cheesy Garlic Chicken, found here.  My parents and I love this salad and is now a favorite in our family.  So Coach Collins, if you're reading this, thank you!!!


Ingredients:
3 cucumbers, skinned and sliced

2 tomatoes, diced,

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

1/4 cup of chopped mint

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients with a blend of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (good quality for each).  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, stirring after 1 hour.