Ina Garten Stuffed Peppers Food

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add about 2 inches of water to a large pot fitted with a steamer insert, and bring to a high simmer. Arrange the peppers in the steamer, cover the pot and cook, rotating the peppers as needed, until they are very tender and pliable, about 25 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon, and drain upside-down on paper towels.
• Put the oil, onions and a pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the beef, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring and breaking the beef up, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Let cool in the skillet for at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the rice, parsley, 1 cup of the mozzarella, breadcrumbs, eggs and Worcestershire and mix to combine.
• Stand the peppers up in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. If they fall over, cut away a little of the bottoms (without cutting through the pepper) to make a flat surface.
• Generously fill and pack the peppers with the meat-rice mixture. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add just enough water to the pan to cover the bottom to help steam the peppers. Loosely cover with foil, and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake for 10 minutes more.

THE BEST STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• If your peppers don't sit upright on your cutting board, trim about 1/8-inch off the bottoms to even them out so they can stand without falling over. Cut the top off each pepper about 1/2-inch down. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can. Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Carefully uncover and let them sit until ready to assemble.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the beef in an even layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pan until the meat is lightly browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the reserved chopped peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until falling apart and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until brick red colored, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced, very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Transfer to the bowl with the beef. Stir in the rice until completely combined. (The mixture will be wet.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Place the peppers cut-side up in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon the filling into the peppers, gently pressing it in with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overstuff and split the sides of the peppers. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the cheese and continue baking until the filling is heated through and the cheese is browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.

HEALTHY VEGETABLE AND COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the very tops of the peppers. Remove and discard the ribs and seeds and set the peppers aside.
• Drain the tomatoes in a colander set over a medium bowl. Reserve the juice and set the tomatoes aside over a plate to catch any residual juices. Stir the couscous, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper into the tomato juice and set aside while preparing the filling.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, zucchini, half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, stir in the couscous mixture and simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, until the couscous is just al dente and the liquid is beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the leaves are bright green and just beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds. Set the filling aside to cool slightly.
• To make the sauce, combine the remaining garlic and olive oil in a Dutch oven, add the chile flakes if using and stir to combine. Place the pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally at first then more frequently as the oil starts to sizzle to prevent the garlic from burning, until the garlic starts to stick to the edge of the spoon and is just beginning to turn a very pale straw color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved drained tomatoes plus any accumulated juices, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture just begins to come together and thicken, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Fold the feta and basil into the couscous filling. Fill a pepper with about 3/4 cup of the filling, scooping it in loosely and shaking the pepper to level the filling rather than packing it down. Nestle the filled pepper in the sauce in the pot, then repeat with the remaining peppers, propping them up against each other and the sides of the pot for stability during baking.
• Cover the pot and bake until the peppers are tender but not mushy and the sauce is bubbling, 45 to 60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes to see if the peppers are tender but not soft or they will be overcooked and mushy. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of the tomato sauce.

STUFFED ROASTED YELLOW PEPPERS OR RED PEPPERS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Roast the peppers over a flame, under a broiler or on a grill until uniformly charred. Place in a plastic bag or a tightly covered bowl and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove all of the charred skin, rinse briefly and pat dry.
• Carefully cut away the stem from the peppers. Cut a slit down the side of each pepper, from the stem end to the bottom. Gently open out and remove the seeds and membranes; tip out the juice. Try to keep the peppers in one piece. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and quinoa and mix together until the quinoa is coated with oil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of the peppers. One at a time, lay a pepper in the dish and fill with the quinoa mixture. I do this by gently opening up the pepper, mounding the filling onto one half, and folding the other half back over the filling, overlapping the edges slightly. Lay the peppers in the dish. Cover the baking dish with foil or a lid and bake the peppers for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the tomato sauce.
• Ladle the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Top with the stuffed peppers and serve.