Stuffed Pasilla Pepper

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, all you need to do is look outside your window to know that Spring has sprung. The sun is out, the air is crispy, and the cherry blossoms have blossomed.

There is are plenty of things to love about Spring, but a top contender is the return of deliciously seasonal Mexican cuisine – which is exactly what inspired these full-flavored but light-bodied stuffed bell peppers.

These peppers are perfect because 1) they aren’t terribly complicated 2) you can make several components ahead of time, and 3) it only requires a couple spices, despite being totally delicious. Between the spicy pickled veggies, the creamy guacamole, the salty cotija cheese and the crispy black beans it’s impossible to settle on the best part of this dish. And it’s healthy to boot!

Carnivore or vegetarian, you want this on your plate. Stay tuned for the Avocado Margarita recipe pictured below!

Lamb Kofta with Sweet Tahini Sauce

And just like that, the legislative session is over!

As I mentioned in the last few posts, I have been working down in the state capitol since the beginning of the year. But on Thursday the legislature adjourned Sine Die (Latin for “without day”) and finished its work for the year. That means I’m back in Seattle – and catching up on blogging all the iron-chef style dinners that my coworkers and I did over the past few weeks!

I posted the first challenge of the year a few weeks back: a Moroccan eggplant wrap with chorizo and pickled mangoes. This time around the three ingredients were ground lamb, eggs, and sweet condensed milk – which resulted in this delicious fusion dish that incorporates a cuisines from across the Mediterranean.

The kofta is really the star of this recipe. These middle eastern-style meatballs are crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, and packed full of flavor throughout. The slightly gamey lamb is balanced with a rich gravy reduction and accented with Moroccan spices and pine nuts. Meanwhile the rest of the pita is full of earthy garbanzo beans, robust cherry tomatoes and a silky, slightly sweet tahini sauce.

These pitas are wonderfully bite sized, so you can serve them as heavy appetizers or in groups of two or three as an entree. Either way, they’ll impress friends, family, or simply your own stomach.

Look for more culinary challenges from the past few weeks coming soon!