Bryce's Pick: Stuffed Peppers

When my January issue of Food Network Magazine arrived, Stuffed Peppers made the cover.  Bryce, who is 8, is my 'spicy boy'.  He eats peppers raw, raw onion...any type, loves salsa and all sorts of dips, NEEDS to have pepper on his eggs, loves peppered bacon and is a fan of the virgin Bloody Mary.  So when he saw the magazine cover, he begged for me to make these stuffed peppers.

I did.  And they are GOOD.

This recipe {full below} starts with chopping, green onion, parsley and dill.  I love dill....the smell, the taste and the look of it.

Whisk 3 cups of water, tomato puree, brown sugar, olive oil and a cinnamon stick in a wide, deep sauce pan.

Make up the brown rice with the raisins.  Set aside.

After the rice has cooled a bit, mix it with ground beef, the cheese, the herbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.

Mix with your hands.

Stuff the mixture in to the peppers and place them in the sauce within the deep saucepan.  Cover and reduce heat to med-low and cook for 50-60 minutes.

Remove lid, add a bit more cheese and herb mixture to the top and broil for 2 minutes.

Healthy, flavorful, and filling!

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 short grain brown rice
1/4 cup raisins
Kosher salt
1/2 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh parsley
4 scallions {green onions}
6 medium bell peppers
8 oz of lean ground beef {or turkey or chicken}
2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
freshly ground pepper

Sauce:
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 T plus 1 tsp packed brown sugar
1 T olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:
*Combine 2 1/2 cups water, the rice and the raisins, 1/4 tsp salt in  a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.  Let stand, covered, 10 minutes.  Fluff with fork and transfer to large bowl to cool.

*Chop the dill, parsley and scallions.  Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and reserve.  Discard seeds and white membranes.  Put the ground beef in a large bowl and add 1 cup mozzarella, the rice mixture and all but 2 T of the chopped herbs, the garlic, lemon juice and zest, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Gently mix with your hands.  Stuff each pepper evenly with the mixture and cover with the pepper tops.

*Sauce:  Whisk 3 cups water, the tomato puree, brown sugar, olive oil and cinnamon stick in a wide, deep saucepan.  Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the sauce.  Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Cover and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until the peppers are soft and the filling is cooked through, 50-60 minutes.

*Preheat broiler. Remove tops of peppers, toss the remaining chopped herbs with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle over the peppers.  Broil until melted, 2 minutes.  Replace tops.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the peppers in shallow bowls with the sauce.

Enjoy!  They're great the next day as leftovers, chopped up as a salad topping!