Turkey and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers
Turkey and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers
I know that I have put a recipe on my blog for stuffed bell peppers (with turkey), but this is a completely different recipe, and in my opinion, much better than the first recipe I have posted. If I am making a dish that I have already made, I try to use a recipe that I haven't used before. Then, when I find a recipe I like, I will stick with it. For example, I have a favorite lasagna recipe that I use whenever I make lasagna. I did not have a favorite stuffed bell pepper recipe, and I wanted to try something different. This recipe is found from the Jan/Feb issue of Food Network Magazine.
When you are buying the ingredients, you may think that you are getting too much, but the dill and parsley really take this dish to the next level, without being in your face the way parsley and dill can be sometimes.
I made a rookie mistake when I omitted water for the sauce that the peppers cook in. Riley and I were thinking that it would be more flavorful by keeping the tomato sauce pure and not diluted, but it ends up that the water was crucial in the cooking process for the bell pepper. So, a lesson learned, try to remember which ingredients you can add or omit for flavor purposes, and the same for cooking purposes. Does that make sense?
For this recipe, I left out the raisins and walnuts because frankly, I hate raisins. And I'm pretty indifferent about walnuts, although it could have added some crunch. Other changes I made were exchanging cotija cheese instead of feta, and omitting brown sugar for the sauce. I also think that adding a whole stick of cinnamon was a little intense. You could definitely taste the cinnamon in the mix, and for me it was a little strong. I would suggest using a tablespoon cinnamon instead.
Ingredients:
For the peppers:
1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh parsley
4 scallions, roughly chopped
6 medium bell peppers (any color)
8 ounces lean ground turkey
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (the original recipe calls for feta)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 15-ounce can tomato puree
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar (I left this out)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. Make the peppers: Combine 2 1/2 cups water, the rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a large bowl to cool, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pile the dill, parsley and scallions on a cutting board and finely chop.
3. Cut off the top of each bell pepper and reserve the tops; discard the seeds and white membranes.
4. Put the turkey in a large bowl; add 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup cotija, the rice mixture, all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands.
5. Stuff each bell pepper evenly with the turkey-rice mixture; cover with the pepper tops.
6. Make the sauce: Whisk 3 cups water, the tomato puree, olive oil and cinnamon stick in a wide, deep saucepan.
7. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until the peppers are soft and the filling is cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.
9. Replace the pepper tops. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the peppers with the sauce.
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