Stuffed bell peppers can be a comfort food, which I seem to be into lately. However, I feel tugged between traditional heavier comfort foods I associate with the fall and winter (meatloaf, shepherd's pie, etc) and recipes that make me excited for spring and summer. Color and ingredients can be the main difference, and this recipe for stuffed peppers uses both to present a more seasonal version of this classic. My main strategy was to replace the traditional green peppers and ground beef with a yellow, orange or red bell pepper and chicken. Another change I made was to use a vodka sauce in the stuffing. Most recipes call for diced tomatoes or ketchup. I thought the vodka sauce would make a nicer pairing with the ground chicken I used. The choice of herbs can also go different directions, such as using tarragon with chicken. I myself am not a big fan of tarragon, so I stayed with traditional thyme and parsley. Some also add oregano. Similarly, you can choose between the filler of bread crumbs, rice or even orzo pasta. For this recipe, I chose cooked rice. Experiment on your own and have fun. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked
4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or 1 tbsp dried
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup vodka or tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt/pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Start the rice cooking. Cut off the tops of the peppers and cut out the inside pulp. Bring a pot of water to boil and steam the peppers for 10 minutes. Remove to an oven proof dish. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium heat, soften the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in a bowl with the chicken, herbs, sauce and 1/3 cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon the mixture into the peppers. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Serve.
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