Stuffed peppers have always appealed to me, however, I've never actually gotten sufficiently organised to make them. Whilst flicking through my new Cooking Light Annual, I came across a recipe which stuffs peppers with a mixture of beef and rice. This seemed perfect for dinner tonight as I had a couple of peppers in the fridge (I really can't remember what dish I bought them for!) and some beef mince left over from meatballs at the weekend. Happy days!
I have to admit that I am getting really used to cooking in cups. I never thought that it would catch on with me, but here I am chopping half-cups of onions rather than just a couple of small onions. Measuring amounts of onions does seem quite sensible, especially given that the size of onions sold in our local shops seems to be shrinking. I still think, however, that weighing is by far the best way to go.
The peppers were really easy to prepare and I was able to stuff them in advance. The recipe makes lots of filling so you need to either mound the filling high or find some large peppers. The reviews on cookinglight.com suggested that it was perhaps a little bland, so I added in extra paprika, allspice and about a teaspoon of crushed garlic. The aroma which drifted out of the kitchen, once I eventually popped them in the oven, was wonderful!
Tastewise we both loved the peppers! The pepper shell was just tender and the filling was moist, spicy and cheesy. (Anything but bland....) A definite success! I think I'll do them weekly from now on.
Stuffed Peppers, adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004
Serves 2
WW points: 6
50g basmati rice
2 large peppers (I used one red and one yellow)
168g lean beef mince
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp paprika (I used hot Hungarian)
1 tsp crushed garlic (I used ready-minced garlic as I've run out of the real stuff - shame on me!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 cup bottled tomato-and-basil pasta sauce (I used Sainsbury's BGTYS)
28g fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry red wine
First check and see if your peppers can stand up. If not, you will be making "boats" rather than a whole stuffed pepper. It will still taste great though! As you can see, mine made boats and I had to mound the filling quite high. You may want to choose large-ish peppers!
Preheat oven to Gas Mark 8 (450F).
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set aside.
While rice cooks, cut tops off bell peppers; reserve tops. Discard seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut sides down, in an 8-inch square baking dish; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Cool.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and the next 5 ingredients (beef through allspice); cook 4 minutes or until beef is lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat. Add rice, 1/4 cup pasta sauce, and cheese to beef mixture, stirring to combine.
While beef cooks, combine 3/4 cup pasta sauce and wine in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.
Spoon about 3/4 cup beef mixture into each pepper. Place peppers in a baking dish coated with cooking spray; add wine mixture to pan. Cover with foil.
Bake at Gas Mark 8/450� for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve peppers with sauce. Garnish with pepper tops, unless cut into boats.
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Comments
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These look great! I now know at least one dish I'll be making next week for dinner!
1. Posted by Irene on November 19, 2007
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Hi Anglea! Love the vibrant colours - so healthy and tasty. Cooking Light is one of my favourite food mags too - their recipes consistently turn out good.
2. Posted by Prim on November 19, 2007
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MMM that looks nice i will cook it this instance and eat it yummy! :)
My friends will also like it and enjoy it as they are asking me to cook something for them for once.
3. Posted by Boris on November 19, 2007
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Stuffed peppers are one of my favorites! For an extra kick, try a small amount of cumin in the filling.
4. Posted by Hoot on November 19, 2007