Author: jadwiga49hjk

• Everyone liked my stuffed peppers so much I decided to try out a variation.
• This time I used rice as one of the fillings instead of buckwheat.
• I went to Leeds market and found that the red pepper season seemed to be over.
• There were lots of orange peppers but they were more a medium size.
• If you can get peppers with a flat bottom rather than a pointed one.
• Of course, you might not have any choice – you might have to use a knife in the baking try to hold the peppers up.
• The method is as before – but written up again for ease.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 orange or red large peppers
• 250-300g of minced or finely chopped chicken breast
• 1 large onion – finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
• 150 – 200g of mushrooms
• 200g of cooked rice
• Butter for frying mushrooms and onions
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 300ml of vegetable stock – I used marigold powder
• 1 -2 tablespoons of tomato purée or ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of dried paprika.
• *
• 1 tablespoon of soured cream or yoghurt – optional

METHOD

• Fry the onions in butter until they are golden.
• Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and add them to the onions.
• Fry them both together.
• Add the garlic and fry the mixture together.
• 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 15 minutes to soften the peppers.
• Leave to cool slightly.
• Turn up the oven to GM4 – 180°C
• Mix together the cooked rice with the minced chicken and the mushroom mix, add the marjoram.
• Season to taste.
• Fill each pepper with the filling and put on the tops.
•  
• *
• Add the rest of the vegetable stock to the baking tin and the paprika and tomato purée or ketchup and stir.
• Put the peppers to stand in the stock mixture.
• You might need a knife laid down to help keep the peppers vertical.
• Put back into the oven and cook for around 1 hour.
• You might need longer so the peppers are softish.
• Keep looking at the progress and pour some of the stock mixture over the peppers to keep them from drying out.
• *
• Add the soured cream to the stock mixture to make a sauce.

NOTE – 1

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.

NOTE – 2

You can use cooked pearl barley instead of rice – NOT tested.