Use two yellow or red sweet peppers for this recipe.

Nobody likes to waste food. The challenge is how to use leftover products. Here I am with extra rice, a fillet of cooked salmon, and two fat yellow peppers.

It’s 5 p.m., I’m just in from weeding the garden and I’m hungry. Those peppers stare at me, forlornly, indicate that they too have a purpose in life. I quickly oblige.

Salmon stuffed peppers

Ingredients

• Two yellow or red sweet peppers

• 6 ounces cooked salmon (smoked salmon is even better)

• 2 cups cooked cold rice

• One-half minced onion

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1/2 cup grated hard white cheese, like manchego

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the peppers in half and deseed. Crumble the salmon, chop the onion finely, mince the garlic and ginger and chop the cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the rice and minced ingredients. Add the chili pepper flakes and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully ladle the rice mixture into the peppers. Sprinkle generously with manchego cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the rice is hot at 165 degrees.

Steam off some broccolini for about five minutes and strain for the rest of the meal. While hot, throw in a pat of butter and 1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce. Serve immediately with the stuffed peppers.

I decided to finish the dinner with vegetarian pot stickers. These I extract from the freezer and boil until the pastry is al dente, about five minutes. I strain and hold. Of course, one may prepare the pot stickers from scratch. That is the cat’s meow.

Now, saute one-half onion in safflower oil and toss in the pot stickers. Then deglaze with 3 tablespoons of white wine. Add 4 tablespoons of garlic sauce. Yoshitas will work in a pinch and so will hoisin sauce. Toss and plate with stuffed peppers and broccolini.

This is a refreshing meal, quick to prepare and delicious after an afternoon in the garden or pursuing one of the many events that swirl around our lives in our Northwest paradise.