Ground meat and rice are traditional yet barley, lentils, quinoa and pine nuts are great pepper stuffings too!
Stuffed Peppers
Traditionally, rice was the grain of choice to stuff things: peppers, squash, eggplant, grape leaves, cabbage and other stuff-able things.
But the modern twist on traditional food says, “the sky is the limit.” Here are just a few interchangeable ideas to the traditional rice and meat filling.
- Multi colored rice medley
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Farro
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Ground meats of your choice, or not…
- Chili
- Veggie medley
Mini Peppers
I don’t remember seeing these adorable, sweet, mini peppers growing up. They taste more gentle than bell peppers and the color is not lost when cooking.
These mini peppers have little inside to clean out, so prepping them to stuff is fast and easy; simply cut the tops (save to cover), pull out the string that has a few seeds and you are ready to stuff.
Make sure to cook the stuffing you will use, beans, lentils, rice, barley or meat, because once these delicate peppers are stuffed, they only take about ten-minutes in the oven to soften them, and warm the filling.
Stuffed Peppers From Leftovers
Coming from a large family, I never learned how to cook for just two people! I inevitably have leftovers.
Since I often cook lamb, I like to save a small amount to chop into bits, mix with a lovely barley I simmer in some of the meat drippings, lots of garlic and water, and stuff peppers with this mix. A meal in itself
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Zucchini and yellow squash are my favorite go-to veggies for so many dishes I make. They are so colorful (which I like in my food), and when grated, they disappear in sauces, yet amp up the flavor and nutrients.
Grandma’s Sneaky Meatballs with ground meat (or ground lentils), was something I created for my picky eater grandkids when they were little. I would grate zucchini and squash and mix it into the ground meat or lentils for a healthy meatball-ish!
Shaving zucchini and yellow squash, slightly sauté them in olive oil, garlic and lemon, just enough to soften but not overcook, then stuffing them into a roasted bell pepper, makes for a delicious stuffed vegan pepper!
Ingredients Needed
- Peppers
- Cooked Grain – barley, rice or quinoa
- Ground meat Or Lentils
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice Onion
- Fresh marjoram or oregano
- Cinnamon
Equipment Needed
- Cooking pot with a lid
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Saute pan
- Cooking spoon
- Small spoon
- Baking dish
- Foil
- Oven
Traditional & Meatless Stuffed Peppers
Course: Appetizers u0026amp; TapasCuisine: Mediterranean6
servingsGround meat or lentils with grain, nuts and herb stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
Peppers – 1 lb bag of mini peppers, or 6 bell peppers
Cooked grain – 3 cups of seasoned cooked grain.
Ground meat or lentils – 1 lb. of ground meat or 2 cups cooked lentils
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon juice – 1 lemon, juice extracted
Onion – 1 cup chopped onions
Marjoram – 1 tablespoon, fresh or dried
Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the seeds. Save the tops to cover once peppers are stuffed.
- Cook the grains, as directed, that you will use.
- Cook the ground meat or lentils you will use.
- Chop the onion and saute in a pan with olive oil. Toss the onions in for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add lemon juice, spices, and salt to taste.
- Stir in the sautéed meat or lentils and cooked grain. Stir until blended.
- Place peppers in a baking dish, open side up. Spoon filling into the peppers, replace tops, cover loosely, (to create a little steam) and bake. This point can be done a day, or so in advance.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
