How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

I have a funny feeling that I'm going to be suffering from green pepper overload this summer.  I'm not complaining.  Green peppers, in my opinion, are one of the best vegetables on the face of this planet.  I love them on pizza, in salads, stir fry and even raw straight out of the garden.

So when I went out to the garden this morning, I was tickled pink to see that the pepper plants were loaded and that some of them were even ready to pick.  YUM.  I immediately thought about stuffed peppers because it has been years since I've had any and I kinda like them.

This recipe is my own creation.  While it does have a few ingredients like whole grain brown rice that are a staple in a stuffed pepper recipe, the rest was made up from what I had on hand today from the garden and my fridge.  You can of corse make substitutions.  For example, if you do not have any or like kale you can always use spinach.  Shallots would be a great substitution for the onions and any of the herbs can be left out or you could even add more.  Let your imagination out.  After all, cooking is a form of art and you, as the cook, are the artist so it doesn't have to be exactly the same every time.

Anyway, I hope you love this cheesy, vegetarian stuffed green bell pepper recipe.



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size green peppers
• 2 cups of cooked whole grain brown rice
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clover of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped kale
• 2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 Tablespoons chopped genovese basil
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozarella cheese
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

How to Put it Together:

Wash the green peppers, cut the tops off and clean out the insides.  Chop all of the herbs and vegetables and grate the cheeses.  Be sure to save the tops to the peppers.

Break out your skillet and hope that it looks better than mine does.  :)  Before anyone says anything, I know how bad teflon is for you and I do realize that the pan is pretty scratched up.

Anyway...

Put the olive oil in the skillet and turn it on to medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Turn the heat down to medium/low and let this cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrot softens up a bit.

Add the kale, basil and flat leaf parsley.  Stir it around and allow it to cook until you can smell the herbs.  Turn the heat down to low.

Add the cheeses.  Gently stir until the cheeses begin to melt.

Find a baking dish for your peppers and stand them up in the dish.

Using a small spoon, stuff the peppers with the mixture that is in the skillet.  I packed them tightly.  Put them back into the baking dish.

Put the tops on the peppers and put the dish into the oven.  Bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how mushy you want your peppers.  I like my peppers to retain a bit of their snap so I always go with 30 minutes.

Once they are done, allow them to cool for a few minutes before plating.

I serve them with sour cream because it tastes fantastic with the filling.

There's a whole lot of yum right there!  Hopefully you'll like these as much as I do.

How to Make Sweet Picked Jalapeno and Serrano Peppers

Sweet and heat are a beautiful and flavorful combination and that is exactly what you get when you make a batch of sweet pickled jalapeno and serrano peppers. When you break open a jar and the first pepper slice hits your tongue, the first thing that you will notice is the sweetness from the sugar and vinegar combination in the pickling liquid. Next comes that pleasant, not too over the top heat that a jalapeno brings and then finally when you least expect it, you'll get the kick of heat from that little guy, the serrano. If you like the combination of sweet and heat, you'll like this recipe.

Once you have made your first batch of pickled jalapenos and serrano peppers, you'll find so many enjoyable uses for them. They are great eaten just as they are for a snack. Add a few slices onto a cracker that has been covered in cream cheese and be ready for a really great tasting surprise. Use them in salsa or to top a few scrambled eggs in the morning. The possibilities are endless and the flavor combinations can be simply amazing.

I have included instructions for making these with or without finishing them in a water bath canner. After the first batch, you may find that you don't need to finish them by canning because if your house is anything like mine, they won't last long enough to require longer storage.

What You Will Need

• 2 pounds jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 pound serrano chilies
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 4 1/2 cups white vinegar, 5% acidity
• 5 1/2 Tablespoons of white sugar
• 12 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons of peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped

How Long Does it Take?

Prep time: about 45 minutes     Cook time: about 20 minutes     Yields: 6, 1/2 pints or 3 quarts

How to Put it Together

Slice your jalapenos and serrano peppers. You can slice them any thickness that you want, even diced or just cutting them in half will work. Discard the top piece that has the stem attached because no one will want to eat that piece!

Wash your jars and check them for any chips or cracks. Have the lids and rings out and ready to go. If you are water bath canning your batch, you will want to have the canner out, filled and heating on the stove with your jars inside. If you are not water bath canning the batch, you will want to make sure that your jars are hot before adding the pickling liquid. Pouring hot liquid into cold jars can cause them to break. You can warm up the jars by keeping them in the sink that is filled with water as hot as you can make it.

Peel and slice the garlic cloves and roughly chop your onion.

I used a 5quart pan for heating my pickling liquid mixture. Add the water, vinegar, salt and sugar to the pan and heat until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.

Add the peppercorns, garlic and onion. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes.

Remove your jars from the sink or the canner and fill them with the sliced jalapenos and serrano peppers leaving about 3/4" headspace at the top of the jar. Your pickling liquid has sliced garlic and onion so you will want to leave enough room for those in the jar.

Using a ladle, start filling the jars with the pickling liquid leaving a headspace of approximately 1/2". You want all of the pepper slices to be submerged in the pickling liquid.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon (never use metal inside of a glass canning jar), remove any of the air bubbles that may be inside the jars.

Taking a clean, wet paper towel or clean cloth, wipe around the edges of the jar to remove any liquid that may have gotten onto the lip of the jar. This helps ensure a good seal when you put the lid on.

Put the lid on the top of the jar and screw on the outer ring of the lid.

If you are not water bath canning your jars, you will want to allow them to cool to room temperature before putting them into the fridge and you are done. The peppers will be infused with the pickling liquid flavors and ready to eat in 7 days.

If you are water bath canning your jars, you will want to gently place them into your canner of boiling water, making sure that the water level is at least 1 inch above the top of the jars, and allow them to process for 15 minutes.

After the processing time, carefully remove them from the canner and set them on a towel on your counter or another area where they will not be disturbed while they are cooling and sealing. You will start to hear the "pinging" noise of the lids sealing. Once the jars have cooled, check the seals and refrigerate any that aren't sealed. Remove the rings, wash the jars and store them for future use.

Sweet and heat.  You can't beat that with a stick!