Stir Fry Stuffed Peppers Food

STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove core, seeds and ribs using a paring knife. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch pan or other baking dish in which they fit snugly.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 minutes, until no longer pink.
• Add 1/2 cup wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid in the pan is reduced by about half.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, Parmesan and parsley, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Divide the mixture among the peppers. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the bottom of the dish, wrap tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the peppers. Remove the foil and spoon any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan onto the peppers. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly onto the peppers and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and beginning to brown.
• Allow the peppers to cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.

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.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS (VEGETARIAN OR BEEF)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (375°F).
• Slice your peppers in half, cutting straight down through the stem. In other words, the peppers will then lay on their sides, not on their bottoms. Scoop out the seeds and any white bits inside the pepper so that you have a nice open dish to add the filling.
• Before starting the filling, it's a good time to start boiling water and let the rice cook while you are doing the next step.
• In a deep frying pan, sauté the pine nuts, onion and garlic on medium heat until semi-soft (the pine nuts should brown slightly).
• While they are sautéing, you can toast your cumin seeds. This is not a strictly necessary step but it adds a warm smoky taste to the dish that is unbeatable and it's very simple to do. Place a small saucepan or frying pan on a very hot burner. Pour the seeds in and shake the pan around as they toast. This needs less than a minute if your burner is hot. They will quickly darken and pop. As soon as this starts to happen, remove them from the heat.
• Now add the chopped mushrooms and tofu (if using) along with your spices, including the cumin seeds. If you're using ground beef, you might cook it separately and add it to the sauce at the end. Once the mushrooms are fairly soft (about 5 minutes), add in the tomatoes, corn, cooked rice, cumin seeds, and other spices. Stir this mixture together until well combined and let it cook a few minutes more.
• Pour a small coating of water into the bottom of your baking dish (a dish large enough to hold 6 pepper halves). Place the peppers inside the dish and pour the filling into each of them, rounding it off a bit at the top. Cover the dish with foil and place it in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the foil, raise the heat slightly, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the tops start to brown and the peppers start to wither. You can place shredded cheese on in the last 5 minutes.

ZESTY STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a large kettle, cook peppers in boiling salted water over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside. , In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Loosely stuff into peppers. , Place in a 9-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°.