The idea of stuffed bell peppers always appealed to me... until I would eat one. The unimaginative white rice and ground beef stuffing is so dull, not to mention practically flavorless. The use of white rice is almost always criminal, as far as I'm concerned.
With very few exceptions, after years of being disappointed by what could be a taste sensation, I dedicated myself to creating a stuffing that would compliment the flavor of the bell pepper and be a feast for the eyes. The idea that the stuffing should look like confetti stayed in my mind throughout the process.
In a large bowl add and mix the following:
1 cup basmati rice (measured raw)
1 cup cooked wild rice (measured raw)
1/2 cup cooked couscous (measured raw)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
28 ounce can diced tomatoes, without juice
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
S&P to taste
Once the above ingredients are blended, add two large, lightly beaten eggs to the bowl. Mix to incorporate the eggs evenly with the other components.
You're now ready to stuff your peppers. Hopefully, you've been adventurous and purchased a combination of green, red, orange and yellow peppers. Cut away an opening from the top of the pepper, reserving the cap. Scoop out any seeds or thick membrane from the interior of the pepper.
This mixture will fill 12-14 bell peppers, depending on their individual size. Go ahead and make this many! Whatever you don't plan to consume immediately can be frozen in pairs or fours for future meals.
To my baking dish I add a couple heaping ladlefuls of marinara sauce, then stand the peppers in the dish and fill them one by one. The filling should be comfortably full, not tightly packed. Once full, add a tad more marinara on top of each pepper and then replace the pepper cap. Cover the baking dish with foil and place into a 375˚ F oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve with marinara on the side. Delicious.
With very few exceptions, after years of being disappointed by what could be a taste sensation, I dedicated myself to creating a stuffing that would compliment the flavor of the bell pepper and be a feast for the eyes. The idea that the stuffing should look like confetti stayed in my mind throughout the process.
In a large bowl add and mix the following:
1 cup basmati rice (measured raw)
1 cup cooked wild rice (measured raw)
1/2 cup cooked couscous (measured raw)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
28 ounce can diced tomatoes, without juice
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
S&P to taste
Once the above ingredients are blended, add two large, lightly beaten eggs to the bowl. Mix to incorporate the eggs evenly with the other components.
You're now ready to stuff your peppers. Hopefully, you've been adventurous and purchased a combination of green, red, orange and yellow peppers. Cut away an opening from the top of the pepper, reserving the cap. Scoop out any seeds or thick membrane from the interior of the pepper.
This mixture will fill 12-14 bell peppers, depending on their individual size. Go ahead and make this many! Whatever you don't plan to consume immediately can be frozen in pairs or fours for future meals.
To my baking dish I add a couple heaping ladlefuls of marinara sauce, then stand the peppers in the dish and fill them one by one. The filling should be comfortably full, not tightly packed. Once full, add a tad more marinara on top of each pepper and then replace the pepper cap. Cover the baking dish with foil and place into a 375˚ F oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve with marinara on the side. Delicious.
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