Halloumi, a big thick slab of it, along with harissa (a hot chili paste used in North African cuisine), lemon zest, oregano and black pepper.

I’ve blogged about halloumi before. It’s a Cypriot cheese that can stand high heat without melting, making it perfect for grilling and frying. In the past, we’ve just topped salads with the warm, salty cheese. But this week we gave it a ruby embellishment, inspired by a recipe from the BBC’s Olive magazine. We wrapped the halloumi in red peppers and gave them a quick grill.

For the job, I bought four beautiful, colossal red bell peppers and tossed them in the fridge. Or so I thought. Really, I had dumped them in the freezer. And had I needed these peppers for a salad or raw dish, it would have been a disaster—but not so for halloumi-stuffed peppers.

Apparently, when you freeze peppers, the water in their cell walls expands, causing the tiny structures to burst. As the peppers defrost, they ooze water and lose their crunch. The peppers’ flavor, however, stays pretty much intact.

For this quick dinner, freezing took the place of pre-cooking the peppers to get them pliable. The fruit was soft enough to fold and lay flat on the grill. I’m not so fussy that I needed to remove the peppers’ thin, charred skins. But if skins aren’t for you, you may want to pre-cook the peppers for a few minutes on the grill instead of freezing them. That way, you can slip off the skins before the real grill action gets started.

As for the extras I layered onto the cheese, any flavorful combination will work. You could use a tapenade, maybe anchovy paste, capers, pesto … whatever you have on hand. And don’t worry if your cheese pokes its head out of the peppers. Halloumi is well behaved and won’t make mess of your grill.

As pictured, I plopped the stuffed peppers onto a bed of arugula, dressed in a vinaigrette of lemon, olive oil and more harissa. William and I adored this. If only halloumi were a smidge less expensive (nearly the price of grass-fed steaks for two), this would certainly make into our regular rotation. But for the love cheese and salt and the flavors of summer, add this dish to your next cookout or intimate weeknight meal for two.

Red Pepper-Wrapped Halloumi
4 large red bell peppers
2 8-ounce packages halloumi
Harissa (or another flavorful spread/paste, such as tapendade)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or other herb)
Black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
Trim the tops and bottoms of the peppers, and reserve for another use. Pull out the seeds and ribs, and discard. Put peppers in a large plastic freezer bag, and freeze overnight. The next morning, put the frozen peppers into the refrigerator to defrost.

As you prep the peppers, heat a grill pan or grill on medium heat.

Split each block of halloumi into two thin sheets. Spread harissa (or other paste) onto the cheese. Top with lemon zest, oregano (or other herb), and black pepper.

Insert the halloumi into the pepper, trimming excess cheese, if desired. Brush the peppers with olive oil, and grill 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

Serves 4

Since we moved to Miami three years ago, jambalaya has become our little Mardis Gras dinner tradition. Easy and fast enough to prepare on a weeknight, you get a big pot of cajun flavor without having to fuss over a roux. This year I added bits of smokey tasso ham to my regular combination of venison sausage (thanks Dad!) and shrimp. Plus, a good portion of my veggies—celery, bell peppers, thyme, and scallions—hailed from our CSA box and the Coral Gables Farmers Market.

Although I had un petit meltdown because we ran out of long-grain white rice, the stubby arborio I used worked just fine. Next time, I’ll kick back another beer and choose not to worry.

On the side, I served silky savoy cabbage, braised with butter, onions and heavy cream. Even vegetables have a sinful side on Mardis Gras. But with full work days ahead of us, we lived vicariously through our naughty cabbage. Other than dinner, we were far from spirited. Lights out at 11. Sober. And on to Ash Wednesday.

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or bacon grease!)
3/4 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 medium onions, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 fat stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup diced tasso ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/3 cups long-grain white rice
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add smoked sausage, and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Add onions, peppers, and celery to the pot, and cook until soft—about 8 minutes.  Add tasso ham, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in rice, and toast for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, cayenne, salt, pepper to taste, and smoked sausage. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in shrimp and scallions, cover, and allow the rice to rest and shrimp to gently cook for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

I made this Red Rice (an approximation of my Mom’s recipe) to accompany the last few links of my Dad’s venison sausage. It’s a humble, Cajun-inspired combination and one-pot wonder. I used my trusty cast iron frying pan to cook the bacon that flavored the dish; saute onion, bell pepper and garlic; and finish cooking the tomato-based rice.

The rice starts on the stovetop but finishes baking, covered, in a hot oven. And instead of baking the sausage on a separate pan, I just popped four links atop the tin foil that covered the rice. This pleased our resident dish washer.

To add some green to the meal and counteract the bacon grease, I made a pan of garlicy spinach, as well. And although it would have fed a normal family of four, William ate half of the rice and sausage. I took care of the spinach.

Red Rice
5 strips bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (or 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed into 3/4 cup water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large cast iron frying pan on medium heat. Add bacon strips, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. (There shouldn’t be tons of bacon grease left in the pan, but if you’d like, you can remove all but one tablespoon of the fat).When bacon is cool, break it into 1/4-inch pieces.

Add onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf to the pan, and cook until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10  minutes. Add garlic and oregano, and cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in rice, and toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Top top the rice-tomato mixture with crumbled bacon. Cover the pan (tin foil works just fine for the cast iron) and place into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until rice is tender.

Serves 4

I began making this roasted eggplant spread for William when we first started dating. It’s simple, satisfying—just as good atop a slab of bread (as it’s used here) as it is a side dish or salad. 

I made this a day in advance for the ultimate weeknight supper in minutes. Here it’s topped with a good sprinkle of Parmesan, but I’d also enjoy it with a melted piece of provolone or mozzarella.  

Simple Roasted Eggplant Spread 
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained finely chopped
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano 
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, toss eggplants, bell pepper, onion, and garlic with olive oil and salt and pepper (you can add more after it cooks). Spread eggplant mixture onto a large baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until eggplant is tender. 

Spoon eggplant mixture back into bowl, and squeeze garlic cloves from their skins. Lightly mash the vegetables. You want the mixture the be spreadable, but retain some sense of chunk.  

Stir in vinegar, capers, basil, oregano, and additional salt and pepper, if needed. 

Use the spread for sandwiches or as a dip, side or salad. 

Serves 6 as a sandwich filling

This recipe was born out of William’s love of pies and a link of smoked sausage in our freezer. Why not combine the flavors of Cajun country into a gooey casserole and top them with a buttery pie crust? My sentiments, exactly. 

The recipe relies on sausage, the trinity (onion, peppers, and celery) and a dash of Tobasco to anchor its Louisiana flavors. Shrimp stock provides a subtle seafood background, and whole shrimp (which I feared would overcook but didn’t) brought in a solid reminder of the Gulf. Just because I felt like being excessive, I used heavy cream. This is not a recipe for the  cholesterol-fearing dieter. 

But if you’re looking for a lively but comforting dinner to enjoy as a family or with guests, dig right in.

Cajun Pot Pie
1 recipe pastry dough (I used this galette dough)

Filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced smoked sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 small carrots, chopped
2 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/3 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined, reserving shells for shrimp stock

Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup concentrated shrimp or seafood stock (recipe follows)
3/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half, if you must) 
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of Tobasco

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.

For filling: Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add sausage and render some of its fat, cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes more. Toss in potatoes, and cook until they barely begin to soften, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 

For sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir roux constantly so it doesn’t burn. Pour in shrimp stock, whisking and breaking up any clumps of flour. As soon as the mixture thickens, pour in cream, and add tomato paste. Continuing to stir, bring mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in cayenne, Tobasco, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Remove the sauce from the stove, and combine with pot pie filling. Pour mixture into a deep, 9-inch pie pan. Allow this mixture to cool as much as possible. Stir in shrimp.

Roll out pastry dough into a 10-inch circle. Cover pie dish with pastry. Crimp the edges, and cut slits in the top of the pie. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden. 

Remove from oven, and allow the pie to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Serves 4

The simple pleasure of making something beautiful from waste—that’s the essence of shrimp stock!

Concentrated Shrimp Stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 carrot, roughly chopped
1/2 small stalk celery, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped leeks or 1/2 onion, roughly chopped 
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Shells from 2/3 to 1 pound shrimp (I store them in my freezer until I need them)
1/3 cup dry white wine

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add vegetables and herbs, cooking just a few minutes, until fragrant. Stir in shrimp shells (or fish bones if you have them), and cook until they are slightly golden and fragrant.

Pour in wine, and cook until most of it has evaporated. Add two cups of water or just a bit more to cover shells and vegetables. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove stock from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse out sauce pan.

Return stock to sauce pan, and reduce liquid to 1 cup.