Stuffed Peppers With Moroccan Rice Pilaf Food

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut side up, in a microwave-safe 13x9-inch baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish. Lightly cover with parchment paper. Microwave until peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.*
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion; cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in cooked rice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add ½ cup of cheddar and ½ cup of Monterey Jack or mozzarella. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Season the inside of each pepper with salt and pepper. Stuff peppers with beef mixture and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with foil.
• Bake until tender and heated through, about 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheddar and remaining ½ cup of Monterey Jack or mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, until cheese melts, about 10 more minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH MOROCCAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• To make Rice PIlaf: In a saucepan, heat the stock almost to boiling. Keep hot over low heat while vegetables and rice are cooking. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add seasonings, onions, garlic, chopped peppers, carrots, and corn. Cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until it begins to color, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cilantro, cinnamon stick, saffron, and peas. Pour in the hot stock and stir only once. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer undisturbed for about 25 minutes (or according to package directions), or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and leave untouched for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove cover, fluff the rice with a fork and serve. If using as a stuffing, set aside to cool slightly. To prepare Peppers: Cut about 1/3 off top of peppers, discard seeds, and reserve top. Remove seeds and white membranes from bottom portions of peppers. Stand peppers upright and trim bottoms slightly as needed so they sit fairly level. In a large Dutch oven, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Set peppers in water and cook covered for 4 to 5 minutes to soften slightly. Using tongs, carefully remove peppers and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, fill with rice pilaf, mounding top slightly. Place in a 9-inch-square baking pan. May be made up to 1 day ahead to this point. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Store pepper tops separately. Return to room temperature before continuing. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle stuffed peppers with cheese if desired. Add a little water to the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until hot all the way through and peppers are tender. Serve with tops set on an angle on top of stuffing.

MOROCCAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut off the tops of the peppers, and remove the seeds and membranes. Cook the peppers in boiling water to cover in a Dutch oven for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tender.
• Add the ground beef, and cook until the meat is browned, stirring until meat crumbles. Drain.
• Combine the meat mixture, apple, and the next 7 ingredients. Mix well.
• Stuff the reserved peppers with the meat mixture; place in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH PILAF

Steps:

• Cut around the stems of the peppers (reserving the stem caps), remove the seeds, wash and drain the peppers. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan, add the onions and pine nuts and saute until onions are soft and golden, 10 to 15 minutes, seasoning with salt to taste. Add the rice, and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook a minute longer, then add the currants, mint, sugar and nutmeg. Add the hot water and lemon juice, adjust seasonings, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand for 5 to 10 minutes to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stuff the peppers loosely with the rice mixture, and close them with the reserved caps. Place stuffed peppers side by side in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add a little water to the baking dish, cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until peppers are tender and rice is fully cooked, adding more water to dish if needed. Squeeze lemon juice over the peppers and serve warm or room temperature with remaining lemon wedges.

SHRIMP AND RICE STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut tops off peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.
• Cook brown and white rices. Set aside. While rice is cooking, drizzle olive oil in a pan and sautee shrimp over medium heat.
• When shrimp are pink, remove shrimp from the pan. Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces.
• Combine rices and the spices in pan and let simmer. Add shrimp to pan. Also add tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat.
• Add bread crumbs and 1/2 the parmesan cheese.
• Stuff peppers graciously and top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
• Cook in casserole dish for 15-20 minutes, until the parmesan cheese is melted and bubbling.

CLASSIC RICE & BEEF STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon salt and bell peppers.
• Cook until peppers just begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, remove peppers from pot, drain off excess water and place peppers cut side up on paper towels.
• Return water to boil; add rice and boil until tender, about 13 minutes.
• Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, heat 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes; add oil and swirl to coat.
• Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground beef and cook, breaking beef into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
• Transfer mixture to bowl with rice; stir in tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir together ketchup and reserved tomato juice in small bowl.
• Place peppers cut side up in 9 inch square baking dish.
• Using soup spoon, divide filling evenly among peppers.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons ketchup mixture over each filled pepper and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of remaining cheese.
• Bake until cheese is browned and filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

BEEF AND RICE STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Slice the top 1/2 inch from the tops of peppers and cut out the stems from the tops. Cut the core from the inside of the peppers and strip away any seeds. Cut away a very thin slice of pepper from the bottoms so the peppers can stand upright. Poke about 4 tiny holes in the bottoms to let juices drain out.
• Pour 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add onion, beef broth, and red pepper flakes; spread out mixture evenly over the bottom. Set prepared bell peppers upright in the dish.
• Combine ground beef, cooked rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/4 cup parsley, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• Lightly stuff peppers with meat mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon remaining tomato sauce on top of each portion of stuffing; place reserved tops onto peppers. Lay a piece of parchment paper loosely on top of peppers and cover dish tightly with foil. Lay dish on a baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Peppers should be starting to soften. Remove foil and parchment paper. Continue to bake until meat filling is cooked through and the peppers are tender, 20 to 30 more minutes. Sprinkle each pepper with 1/2 teaspoon parsley and drizzle with a spoonful of pan juices.

MOROCCAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter on medium-low heat in a small ovenproof pot.
• Fold in onions and stir well.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent but are not browned.
• Add cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and rice.
• Stir well so that the rice is evenly coated with butter.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Stir in stock and raisins.
• Bring to a boil on high heat.
• Once the stock comes to a boil, cover the pot and let the pilaf cook in the oven for 18 minutes.
• Fold in salt, pepper and almonds before fluffing with a fork and serving.
• Enjoy!