an afternoon lunch

  Do you entertain very often?

I really haven’t done much in the way of entertaining for the last four to five years.  But this year, my sister and I decided to give my 91-year old mother the “gift of lunches” for a Christmas present.  She really doesn’t want or need anything, and the gift of time and company means more to an elderly person than any present you can buy.

When I woke up that morning, I realized how nervous I was. I had even dreamt about the lunch . . .  and it wasn’t a good dream.  At first, I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous since it was just my Mom and sister.  And as much as I hate to admit it, I realized I was making the lunch about me and my preparations, and not about serving them.  Once I switched my focus, I settled down and enjoyed it all immensely.

I decided to make “Philly Stuffed Peppers”, a healthy version of Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, using all the usual ingredients.

To make, you start by sautéing onions, mushrooms, and garlic in hot oil, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Then add sliced roast beef that has been cut into strips.

Cut the peppers in halves and place in a baking dish.

Place a slice of Mozzarella cheese in the bottom of each half, and then each pepper with the sautéed mixture of onions, garlic, mushrooms and beef.

Top with another layer of cheese. I used two slices since they were thin, and then bake.

While the peppers were cooking, I finished up a fruit salad and laid the bread out for serving.

The table was preset earlier in the day for convenience sake.

And for the centerpiece I used a pot of white Hellebore flowers I found at Trader Joe’s.  The great thing about the Hellebores is that once the weather warms, I can plant them out in my shade garden, and they will come back every spring.

After 25-30 minutes of baking, the Philly peppers were ready to serve and everyone was ready to eat.

I’ve been making this recipe for several years and unfortunately I can’t remember where I originally found the recipe to give the person credit. But I do hope you might enjoy it too.