Chef Joe's Comment: This vegetarian recipe provides several twists on a familiar theme. The stuffed peppers take on an almost exotic taste with the addition of the mint and lemon juice, and serving them cold puts them on the borderline between vegetable side dishes and salads. Use them as a side dish as I have here, or plan them for a main course on a hot summer day; they're perfect for the picnic basket.
Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 cups (500 ml) chopped onions
1 cup (250 ml) uncooked rice
1/4 cup (60 ml) pine nuts (pignoli)
2 1/4 cups (550 ml) water
1 Tbs (15 ml) tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) allspice
1/2 tsp (2 ml) cinnamon
2 Tbs (30 ml) finely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs (45 ml) lemon juice
6 to 8 (depending on size) green bell peppers, tops removed, seeded, but kept whole
1 cup water
Lemon wedges for garnish
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the onions, stirring frequently, until light brown. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook an additional minute (no longer). Add the water, tomato paste,salt, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Lower
the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add the mint and lemon juice and toss gently with a fork to mix and fluff the rice.Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture and place them in a large casserole. Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish and bake covered in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 45 minutes,until the peppers are tender. Allow to cool and remove the remaining water from the bottom of the baking dish. Chill the
peppers in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with lemon wedges. Serves 6 to 8.
My comments: the spices and mint really do make this dish exotic, but really yummy! This makes a great make and take lunch!
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