Chef Ed's 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Yield: 6 

Ingredients  

6 large bell peppers (any color)

3 tablespoon of olive oil, divided

2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cup of chopped white mushrooms (I use shitake)

6 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 cups cooked white rice (I use Jasmine) 

1 tablespoon Sweet Hungarian paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and marjoram

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 1/2 cups (homemade) or store bought tomato sauce with basil

1 1/4 pound ground beef

2 large egg

 

Chef Ed's Note: (For a little more healthier recipe, use 1 1/4 pound of Ground Turkey (99 percent fat free) and 2/3 cup of Brown Rice)

 

- Cut the tops off the peppers, and side aside. Remove the seeds from the peppers; remove the stem from the tops of the pepper and  dice the peppers; set aside.

 

 

 

 - Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat, add the onions, diced mushrooms and garlic; saute until the onions and mushrooms become soft than transfer to a large bowl.  In the same saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil saute the diced peppers, until they start to soften; add to the onions mixture;  than add the cooked rice, paprika, salt, black pepper, allspice, basil, oregano and marjoram. Set aside to cool. Add the chopped beef (or turkey) and the egg. Mix to combine.

In a large saucepan with a cover add the 2 cups of tomato sauce, bring to a simmer.  Meanwhile stuff each pepper with stuffing and place in the saucepan.

 

Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer and cover the pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, remove the cover, and divide the remaining 1/2 cup of sauce onto of each pepper; cover and continue cooking

for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the pepper are easily piece with a knife and the beef, shows no pink. Remove from the heat and cool on a wire rack.

 

 

 

Chef Ed's Note

 

Depending on the size of the peppers, you will have enough stuffing left to make a mini meatloaf.  All you need to do is add, some bread crumbs to bind and make a small loaf; and pour some Chili Ketchup on top of the loaf- bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 30 minutes and a  meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.