| Stuffed Peppers | ||||||||
| A few days ago, as I walked up to my front door, I saw a bag full of the most beautiful tomatoes and bell peppers ever picked, left on the front porch. The peppers were deep green and thick walled. The tomatoes were huge, bursting with juice and deep, deep red. When one is blessed with such special inspiration, it’s time to hit the kitchen. Scan forward to dinnertime as I’ve just put the plates on the table. The first bite elicits an ”Ah, Babe” from Ed. The second bite rates a “Holy Cow.” With the third bite, I thought he was going to drop to the floor, roll around and wag his tail. I think what made the peppers so good was the fresh tomato sauce. The homegrown tomatoes this year seem especially flavorful. It’s such a joy to cook when you have ingredients this special. Sue Kleber |
4 to 5 bell peppers, the top sliced off and core removed 1 lb. 80% lean hamburger 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 2 TB olive oil 1 c cooked rice (I like the taste of Calrose) 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes (peeled and de seeded) 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce 1 egg 3 TB Italian parsley, minced 1/2 tsp thyme 1 1/2 tsp oregano (divided) 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes salt and fresh ground pepper Slowly sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 or 3 additional minutes. Put the hamburger into a bowl and one half of the cooked onion and garlic mixture. Leave the second half of the onion mixture in the sauté pan and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, 1 teaspoon of the oregano, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer while you stuff the peppers. To the hamburger and onions, add the rice, egg, thyme, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. ground pepper. This mixture will fill four peppers generously. Stuff the filling into the peppers and place them in a deep, lidded baking dish. Cover the peppers with the tomato sauce, top with a lid and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Allow the dish to set for about five minutes. The excess fat will rise to the top and you can skim it off and discard. Serve each pepper covered with the tomato sauce and alongside a big spoonful of buttered mashed potatoes. Thank you, Bea and Jack for the peppers and tomatoes and the column idea. |
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Real Estate & Living
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www.somocorealestate.com
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