Stuffed Bell Peppers, Oriental Style Recipe
Stuffed Bell Peppers don’t always have to have tomato sauce and cheese on them.
Choose whatever color pepper you like. Try to get 4-sided peppers, they are easier to stuff and will lie flat.
You could substitute Basmati or regular rice for the brown.
Stuffed Bell Peppers, Oriental Style
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5oz (150gr) ground beef/turkey/sausage
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 rib celery optional
- 1 tbs chopped fresh ginger substitute 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 1/2 (12oz, 360ml) cups chicken stock
- 2 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, maizena)
- Rice:
- 1/3 cup (2.2oz, 65gr) quick cooking brown rice
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) beef stock -or stock and water mixed, check your package for correct quantity
Instructions:
Cook rice in stock according to package directions, until done.
Cut peppers in half the long way (try to find the best flat sides before cutting so that they will lay nicely) and remove stem end and seeds. Set aside (do not blanch).
Peel and chop onion and garlic.
Chop celery.
Sauté onion, celery and garlic over medium heat in large skillet. Skillet must be large enough to hold all pepper halves, when they are stuffed, in one layer.
When onions start to become translucent add ginger, water chestnuts and meat.
Break meat up as it cooks.
When meat is cooked add 1 tbs soy sauce and 1/4 cup chicken stock to skillet.
Dissolve 1 tbs cornstarch in 1/4 cup chicken stock.
Add to the skillet and stir well, cooking until it thickens.
Add rice when rice is done, mix well.
Fill peppers with meat and rice (set on a plate while you work).
Once all peppers are filled using all of the beef and rice, put the peppers back into the same pan (filled side up, in one layer).
Pour remaining 1 cup of chicken stock around peppers in skillet, cover, return to heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until peppers are tender.
Remove peppers.
Dissolve remaining 1 tbs cornstarch in remaining 1 tbs soy sauce (add 1 tbs water to make it easier).
Bring stock left in pan to a boil.
Add cornstarch mixture and stir, cooking until thick. You have a sauce!
Serve peppers with sauce on the side.
Note: If you have any of the beef and rice left after filling peppers (as always, depends on size of peppers) just remove from skillet, keep it warm and serve on the side also.
A few more thoughts….
The hand sanitizer section in the supermarkets is huge. I have never seen hand sanitizers in any of the supermarkets I go to in France. I have never used a hand sanitizer. I use soap. I’m (apparently) lucky to be alive.
I was cooking last night, a simple stir fry. I went to the supermarket to buy Basmati rice. I found one small bag. There were lots and lots of prepared rices: Rice and Beans,Rice and Mushrooms, Chicken Rice, Whatever Rice, all cooking in under 10 minutes. There was Minute Rice.There was one small bag of Basmati.
In my supermarkets there are several brands and several size bags of Basmati, Jasmine, Thai, Arborio, long and short grain brown and white rices as well as rices from Spain for paella, and rices from Japan for sushi….
On the other hand, Trader Joe’s has the some of the same wines I can buy at home for the same prices….. which is truly amazing. At most liquor stores the wines are at least double in price.
I have to stop shopping….. please, make me stop!
Last update on September 7, 2014