Giving the Butter a Night Off

If you knew the amount of candy and beer my husband consumes on a weekly basis you might be surprised to know that he does not weigh  28 stone, or 400 lbs, depending which continent you are on! He may not be a strict health nut, but he does work hard to stay fit and sometimes my cooking makes that difficult for him. He was taking the piss out of me (Irish phrase) last week after I used the crummy weather here in Ireland as an excuse to cook comfort food, as seen in this post.  

In truth I don't actually need an excuse. I am not ashamed to admit that I love to cook with butter, indulge in potatoes and creamy sauces, and the thought of becoming a vegetarian has never EVER crossed my mind.  Nothing wrong with the vegetarian lifestyle whatsoever, simply a personal choice.


So even though I admit to being a bit heavy-handed with the butter,  you should know that it is not an everyday occurrence. I do try and create balanced menus throughout the week, and veggies are always a part of our meals.  From time to time they are even the star of the show, as was the case with last night's stuffed peppers.


I typically make stuffed peppers with ground beef, rice, and a rich tomato sauce, but I came across a recipe on epicurious.com for couscous and feta stuffed peppers and thought I would give it a whirl, and give the butter a night off.

I made a few changes by omitting the squash, and fennel, and upping the spice quotient.  I added lots more oregano, some cumin, and a healthy does of minced garlic as well. Chickpeas, couscous, and feta, bulked up the filling and added a creamy salty zing!  Served up with a simple salad and some tasty naan bread and Adam and I didn't even miss the beef.  

And now believe it or not I'm off to the gym, because I'm not giving up the butter anytime soon, especially the Irish Butter!  Have I told you how good it is?  And I am not just saying that to keep my husband in business, but really you should try it! :)