Overly Complicated Stuffed Peppers
I was about 7 years old the first time I had stuffed peppers. We were visiting family in the UK and the Greek husband of a family friend invited us around for a specially prepared dinner. I remember being thrilled at the sight of them coming out of the oven, red and yellow and green, brimming with rice and ground lamb. There’s something about food that is served inside other food that I still find delightful for some reason. Like the licorice straw in a sherbet fountain. It’s efficient but nonsense at the same time! What could be better?
There’s not much efficiency in my version of stuffed peppers. This is one of the few recipes I cobbled together more or less myself, and I suspect my innate lack of common sense about sensory tasks will show through in just how many pots and cooking methods are on display. The result, though, is pretty dang delicious. If anyone who actually knows how to cook would like to throw some suggestions on how to streamline the process in the comment section, I would be glad to hear them.
Ingredients:
5 or 6 capacious bell peppers, any color, tops removed and cored
1 package of ground turkey
1 red onion, chopped
2 or 3 large handfuls of baby spinach (heck, go for the whole bag, it’s good for you.)
about 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
Plenty of really good feta (not that dry awful stuff you get on salads at fast food restaurants— you want the kind that is floating in a milky brine. Pastures of Eden sheep’s milk feta is one of my favorites and is sold at Trader Joe’s here in the States.)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
oregano
thyme
salt and pepper
lemon
Step 1: Make Spanish-ish rice
I use a rice cooker. I combine one cup of washed brown rice with one can of diced tomatoes, a couple cloves of minced or crushed garlic, salt and pepper and one cup of water or chicken broth. If you’re making this on the stovetop, you can combine the above and bring the water to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, wishing you had let yourself get talked into a rice cooker.
Step 2: Blanch the peppers
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Using tongs and working in batches, fill peppers with water and boil for about three minutes each. (Technically you’re supposed to put them in an ice bath after this to stop them cooking, but I never do and my peppers aren’t slimy, so you do you.) Place peppers in a 9 X 13 baking dish and allow them to cool while you prepare the stuffing. Put the caps back on if you’re feeling whimsical, though they won’t be the same color as the bodies anymore, and you will find that inexplicably irritating.
Step 3: Make the stuffing
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan. Sautee turkey meat on medium till well cooked, then drain and set aside. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Sautee red onion till translucent, about five minutes. Add as much crushed garlic as you like, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add seasoning to taste. Any Greek blend will do. I like generous oregano, thyme and dried basil. Add meat back in and then add spinach by handfuls, cooking it just till it wilts. Remove from heat. Add the Spanish rice. You may not need the full pot of rice, it should be about equal in volume to your meat mixture. Add fresh parsley and crumbled feta (be generous) and mix with a spatula. Taste and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Eat a few more spoonfuls of the stuffing. You’re looking a bit piqued.
Step 4: Stuff and bake
Fill the peppers, packing tightly. Crumble feta over the top. Add about 3/4 a cup of water to the bottom of the pan and bake it for 30 minutes, or until feta is nice and toasty brown on top.
Oh, did I forget to tell you to preheat your oven to 350 degrees? Welcome to my world. Now you’ve got ten to fifteen minutes till your oven heats up. Don’t worry, there are plenty of dishes to do while you wait.