Stuffed Peppers

• This dish is best with large fresh red peppers.
• When I was served this in Poland, the peppers were really big and smelt wonderful.
• You can vary the stuffing to suit but I will write up the dish I was served.
• Cooked buckwheat or rice is used.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 large red peppers
• 100g cooked buckwheat or rice
• 1 large onion – chopped and lightly fried
• 2 cloves of garlic – chopped.
• 200g – 250g minced beef 
• *
• Salt & pepper to taste.
• Dried marjoram or mixed herbs
• *
• Vegetable stock – can be from powder or a cube
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée or tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of ground paprika
• 2-3 tablespoons of soured cream

METHOD

• Pre- heat the oven to GM3 – 150°C.
• Cut the tops of the peppers and keep to one side.
• Scoop out the seeds from the peppers.
• Put the peppers into a roasting tray.
• Add some of the vegetable stock to the base.
• Cook for around 10 minutes to soften the peppers.
• Leave to cool slightly.
• Turn up the oven to GM4 – 180°C
• Mix together the cooked buckwheat(or rice) with the minced meat, onion, garlic, marjoram or herbs.
• Season to taste.
• Fill each pepper with the filling and put on the tops.
•  
• *
• Add the rest of the vegetable stock and add the paprika and tomato purée or ketchup and stir.
• Put the peppers to stand in the stock mixture.
• Put back into the oven and cook for around 1 hour.
• You might need longer so the peppers are softish.
• *
• Add the soured cream to the stock mixture to make a sauce.

If you think you will have any left – before adding the soured cream put them into an ovenproof pyrex dish with a lid with some tomato stock liquid – you can reheat them the next day in a microwave and them add some soured cream.

These were so delicious and I am planning to try out some different fillings soon.