Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Peppers from the garden, what a treat.  Bell peppers are one of  my favorite things to grow each year.  As we live in the Texas heat,  peppers always do really well for us.  In fact, last year our pepper plants lasted from May all the way through November.  Good thing we love them.

There are many different ways to stuff peppers, but this is our favorite recipe.  Classic meat and ketchup, DT would have it no other way, ha ha.  Well, I did sneak some quinoa in them and he never even noticed.

Ingredients:4-6 bell peppers, any color, 5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped, 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped, 1 lb of lean ground beef, 1 1/2 cup cooked rice or quinoa, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (if using canned, drain excess liquid first), 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce, dash of Tabasco sauce

This recipe initially called for rice, but I had the perfect amount of leftover quinoa (and beans) from the night before.  So I used that and skipped the extra step of making rice.  Quinoa, pronounced (Keen-Wah), is a small quick cooking grain, has a slight crunch when eating and is very light and fluffy, and I just love it.

First off start a large pot of water to boil, add a few pinches of salt to the water and set to boil.

Cut the tops off of the bells about 1/2 inch down.

Remove the seeds and membranes and set aside.

Chop the onion and garlic.

In a medium sauce pan add a little oil and then add the onions to soften, cook about 5 minutes.

Then add the garlic and cook another minute or so.

Once the large pot of water is boiling, add the bells.

Cook them about 2-3 minutes until they turn brilliant green.  Then remove them from the water and set aside.

Next up chop the tomatoes.

Add to a large mixing bowl, tomatoes, onions/garlic mix.

Then add ground meat, rice or quinoa, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Mix all together, it’s easiest if you get in there with your clean hands.

Once mixed well, stuff the peppers until full.

Mix up the ketchup, Worcestershire, Tabasco and water.

Spoon on top of the peppers.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the cooking dish.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes, and enjoy!

 

 

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

4-6 bell peppers, any color
Salt
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 1/2 cup of cooked rice or quinoa
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (if using can, drain of excess liquid first)
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well. (You may find it easier to put the ingredients at this point into a large bowl and mix together with your hands.)

Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside the peppers. Arrange the cut side of the peppers up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing), until the internal temperature of the stuffed peppers is 150-160°F.

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