The Imperfect Community

[Petulant Pixie]

Does anyone have a good recipe for stuffed green peppers?

My mom makes them and I hate them. I hate green peppers--hence the problem. Her recipe calls for making the "stuffing"--ground beef, onions, rice, tomatoes and who knows what else and then just cutting up green peppers and stewing the mess and then serving it over mashed potatoes.

But....when I was a teen, I had a friend whose mother made stuffed green peppers in the oven. The actual peppers were stuffed with the mixture--same stuff as my mom's I think. But, she also stuffed TOMATOES with the mixture and baked them in the oven on the pan next to the nasty green peppers and they were incredible. So, I'm really looking for a stuffed tomato recipe, I guess. I've thought about just using my mom's recipe and stuffing tomatoes and putting them in the oven, but I thought I'd check here first to see if anyone had a recipe they love.

[Anthromomma]

The stuffed peppers I make are kind of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean in flavor- stuffed with either lamb or lentils (I don't know if that is something you'd want- I can type up my recipe if you'd like). I never use green peppers, by the way- either red bells or those pale yellow gypsy peppers.

I do have a recipe for stuffed tomatoes that is freaking fantastic, though:

Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes

4 firm, medium-sized tomatoes
5 oz lean, mild Italian sausage, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 packed tablespoons)
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry vermouth (can sub. the juices from the tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water, heated to simmering
1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. Remove stems from tomatoes and cut of the top third of each. Set the tops aside to make lids after stuffing the tomatoes. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the inner pulp without puncturing the walls. Drain the pulp in a sieve placed over a bowl. If desired, reserve the juice and substitute for some of the liquids used in cooking the Arborio. Arrange the scooped tomatoes in a medium baking dish so that they support one another. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, sauté the sausage in olive oil over med. heat until it begins to turn brown. Stir in the garlic, lower the heat, and continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant and half of the sausage is brown.

Stir in rice and vermouth (or tomato juices), stirring the rice away from the bottom and sides of the pan, until the liquid is nearly absorbed. Add the hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition, until the liquid is nearly absorbed. Taste after 15-17 min. to determine if the rice is firm to the bite. Remove from heat, stir in basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using kitchen shears or a knife, snip or chop the reserved tomato pulp in the sieve, letting the juices drain. Stir 1/3-1/2 cup of pulp into the risotto and discard the rest or save for some other use.

Spoon mixture into the prepared tomatoes (there may be some left over), and place the reserved tomato tops on the stuffed tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes. Bake until tomatoes are soft and the rice is swollen, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool in the cooking liquid for about 10 min. Carefully remove and serve warm or at room temp.

Notes: (1) Mine never take an hour. In fact, if I cook them for an hour, the split and fall apart. (2) 5 oz isn't but about 1 link of sausage. I just freeze the remaining links to use when I make this again.

[Petulant Pixie]

Wow. That does sound good. I'll try that, thanks!

I'd also be interested in the pepper recipe. My friend was Greek (like her parents immigrated from Greece). So, there may very well have been lamb in her stuffed peppers. Don't remember any lentils though. But, I'd still be interested in your recipe!

[julymom]

I absolutely hate green peppers with the heat of a thousand suns. Blech! I do however make awesome stuffed red, yellow or orange peppers. I prefer red, but will use whatever looks the best. My recipe is so simple.

Brown 1pkg ground turkey (you could use beef, but I don't eat it), then throw in some chopped veggies and cook to soften (I add onions, carrots, celery, chopped grape tomatoes), and spices to taste (basil, oregano, garlic, salt, etc.). Cook 1 pkg boil in bag rice. Mix rice, meat/veggies and 1 jar of pasta sauce together and stuff into large peppers (take a small slice off the bottom to steady them) and bake 20-30 minutes on 375. Top with a slice of provolone or swiss cheese and broil 2-5 minutes to melt the cheese. It is soooooooo good. I have sone the more complicated version where I make the pasta sauce, but really, I just don't have the time and no one seems to notice if I use jarred. There are only 3 of us, so I always have leftover mix, which I freeze and use for this same meal later or I roll up in cooked cabbage leaves, top with more sauce and cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375. YUM!

[prescott]

I second (third?) the suggestion about simply using red/orange/yellow instead of green.

You guys are giving me a craving for stuffed peppers and/or grape leaves, but having a somewhat picky eater wife and even more picky 8 year old, plus a 3 year old with sensory issues, I don't get to be even that adventuresome with my cooking...

[Scout]

Prescott, you could just buy some dolmatas. All the convenience stores around us are also Middle Eastern-ish delis that sell all that stuff. Yummy! I don't like the dolmatas much though. But I love the hummus and falafal and gyros.

That stuffed tomato recipe sounds so good! I'm going to have to try that. My mom never made stuffed peppers because she hates green peppers too, but I love them. I've never met a pepper of any kind that I didn't like.

[Petulant Pixie]

I just don't like bell peppers at all. I don't like the red ones or the orange ones or the yellow ones. It's true, they aren't as gross as the green ones, but I just do not like bell pepper flavor. Mike and Katie love bell peppers, so I plan to do the stuffed peppers for them (red, yellow, orange--they like the green the least, too) and stuff the tomatoes for Alex and me. Not sure if Liz likes the bell peppers or not. I think she's all right with them, she's had pieces of them. But, she's a tomato fiend.

I am going to try that stuffed tomato recipe on its own though, it does look soooooo good.

[Petulant Pixie]

I made the stuffed tomatoes tonight. They were a huge hit, they were soooooo fucking good! Thank you, thank you for the recipe, it will definately be put in our rotation!

[Anthromomma]

Yay! I'm glad you liked the tomatoes. I lust after those things in the summer when the tomatoes are ripe.

Here's my stuffed pepper recipe. Sometimes I omit the lamb and substitute cooked lentils (two cans or roughly four cups).

Stuffed Peppers
From The African and Middle Eastern Cookbook

Of all the dolmeh, or stuffed vegetables, this is perhaps the most colourful, especially when mixed colours are used. Try to fine peppers that are the same size.

Serves Six

Ingredients:

6 mixed bell peppers: red, yellow, and green
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-4 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
9 oz minced lamb
2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
2 oz (1/4 cup) yellow split peas
3 oz (1/2 cup) cooked rice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Juice of two lemons
2 tbsp tomato paste
14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
Knob of butter
Salt and ground black pepper
Natural (plain) yogurt and pita or naan bread, to serve

1. Cut off the mixed pepper tops and set aside. Remove the seeds and cores and trim the bases so they stand squarely. Cook in salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan or flameproof casserole and fry the onion and spring onions for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Add the minced lamb and fry over a medium heat until well browned, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic if using.
3. Meanwhile, place the split peas in a small pan with enough water to cover, bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until soft. Drain.
4. Stir the split peas, cooked rice, chopped herbs, cinnamon, juice of one of the lemons, and tomato paste into the meat. Season and stir until combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and place the reserved lids on top.
6. Pour the chopped tomatoes into a large pan or flameproof casserole and add the remaining lemon juice and butter. Arrange the peppers neatly in the pan with the stems upwards. Bring to the boil and then cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 40- 45 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
7. Serve the peppers with the tomato sauce accompanies by yogurt and warm pita bread or naan bread.

Cook’s tip: Make sure that the pan or casserole that you choose is just large enough so that the peppers fit quite snugly.