Croatian Stuffed Peppers In Tomato Sauce Food

HOMESTYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Cook the peppers in boiling water until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove peppers from boiling water and rinse with cold water; set peppers aside to drain.
• Mix together ground beef, cooked white rice, lightly beaten egg, finely chopped onion, Italian-style bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Divide beef and rice mixture among peppers; stuff each pepper with beef and rice mixture.
• Place peppers open side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish or shallow roasting pan.
• Combine tomato sauce and white vinegar in a bowl.
• Pour tomato mixture over stuffed peppers.
• Top with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, basting the peppers two or three times while baking, about 80 minutes.

CROATIAN STUFFED PEPPERS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix ground beef, egg, rice, bread crumbs, and onion powder together in a large bowl.
• Pack the ground beef mixture into the green bell peppers, eliminating all air pockets. Form the remaining beef mixture into large balls.
• Combine water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Carefully lower peppers and meatballs into the sauce with a slotted spoon. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until beef is cooked through and rice is tender, about 1 hour.
• Mix sour cream and flour together in a small bowl. Slowly stir in some of the sauce. Pour into the Dutch oven and mix well. Simmer until flavors combine, 3 to 4 minutes more.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the Chicken Filling. When cool, stir in cooked rice. Reserve. Prepare the Tomato Sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wash the peppers under cold water. Wipe dry. Cut the top 1-inch of the peppers off, keeping the stem intact. Reserve. Remove the core and seeds. Brush inside and outside with olive oil. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Divide the filling into 6 portions and fill each pepper to the top. Place the lids back on top. In a roasting pan, place the stuffed peppers and the hot Tomato Sauce. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until done. Serve in heated plates garnished with minced parsley.
• Coarsely grind the chicken and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve.
• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until all the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Cool.
• Stir the onion and mushroom mixture into the ground chicken. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. To test for taste, saute a small amount in a little oil and adjust seasoning.
• Reserve as stuffing for Green Peppers with Tomato Sauce.
• Yield: about 4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen" Random House, 1991
• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
• Strain into a clean saucepan. Whisk in butter, piece by piece. Add basil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Use as needed.
• Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups
• Place the chicken bones in a 6 or 7-quart pot, pour cold water over to cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Skim off the foam and fat that collects on the top.
• Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, skimming as necessary. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days, discarding the hardened layer of fat before using or freezing.
• Yield: Makes about 2 quarts
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!" Random House, 2000

CROATIAN STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS ("PUNJENA PAPRIKA")

Steps:

• Wash green peppers and cut the stem part to open a hole and to remove seeds part.
• Sauté finely minced onion on lard. When transparent remove from heat and add grounded beef and pork.
• Cook rice until half done and add into meat. Also add 1 whole egg, salt and pepper. Mix well into a compact stuffing.
• Stuff each green pepper with stuffing until full (Surplus of stuffing use as meat balls to cook with peppers).
• In a pot melt lard and sauté flour until brownish. Add tomato strained juice, salt and sugar. Add water if needed.
• Roast each green pepper in a frying pan on some oil making sure they don't over burn. Put each peppers into a sauce and cook 60 minutes. At the end you can add sour cream.

SAUCY STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Wash the peppers thoroughly. Make a circular incision around the stem to remove it. Once stem has been removed, remove seeds, and rinse the inside of the pepper. Discard seeds and stems and set peppers aside.
• In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute onion until translucent.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion and butter mixture with the ground beef and mix well by hand. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Slowly pour in the rice, while mixing by hand. Mix thoroughly.
• Stuff the meat and rice mixture into the peppers. Coat the bottom of 1 or 2 large pots with oil. Place the stuffed peppers into the pot(s) leaving a 2 inch space at the top of the pot. Pour in tomato juice until peppers are covered. If there is leftover meat mixture, form into balls and add to the tomato juice.
• Heat on low for 2 to 3 hours. Stir every 20 to 45 minutes. Juice will reduce to a thick sauce. You can tell that the peppers are done when they are splitting at the sides.