Bell peppers are attractive and good for garnishing food. They make a rainbow of colours when all the varying colours are used up in one recipe. I love the sweet taste of bell papers and their soft and crunchy nature is to die for. Stuffed bell peppers are usually a whole meal and may be eaten with dessert and fruits. Before we learn how to make prime Stuffed Bell Peppers, let’s look at a few tips for selecting good bell peppers.
Tips for Selecting Bell Peppers from the Market
- A good bell pepper should have a smooth and glossy skin. If your bell peppers look wrinkled then it is not fresh.
- Try to pick interest in your suppliers’ suppliers of bell peppers to track if they are using more organic and environmentally friendly methods to grow the bell peppers. Social factors like child labour are also very important if you are critical about the ethics of your service provider.
- Pick bell peppers that are even in size and shape for uniformity and even cooking when preparing salads and cooking.
What can I Stuff in my Bell peppers
Stuffed Bell peppers is a recipe that is most commonly made with whatever left ingredients one has got in the fridge. This recipe has commonly used ingredients for stuffing but does not limit one’s imagination and creativity.
Below are the commonly used ingredients for stuffing bell peppers;
- Red, yellow, orange , green bell peppers
- Minced ground beef
- Mushrooms
- white rice
- blended tomatoes/ tomato sauce
- Corn, celery, garlic
- Cheese
Ingredients for making prime Stuffed Bell Peppers
6 bell peppers of varying colours
½ kg of minced meat/beef
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 finely diced Onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 finely chopped tomatoes
1 cup of long-grain rice
½ a cup of grated cheese
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
How to make Minced prime Stuffed Bell Peppers Step by Step
Cooking the White Rice
Do you know how to cook perfect white rice? Check out my recipe and learn
3 tips you must remember when cooking rice.
- No Peeking, and No mixing; Do not lift the lid covering the saucepan once you have covered the cooking pot or stir the rice while it’s cooking. Lifting the lid will release the steam leading to undercooked / unevenly cooked rice. Stirring on the other hand activates starch making your rice more sticky and gluey.
- Always rest the rice for 10 minutes; when the rice finishes cooking in the residual heat and the water is fully absorbed. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes before serving to achieve perfectly fluffy non-sticky rice.
- Don’t use high levels of heat to boil the rice; high levels of heat will bring your rice water to a rapid boil. The water will boil over and spill under too much heat. It is therefore to let your rice simmer over moderate heat.
Getting the bell peppers ready
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Wash the bell peppers clean over running water. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the seeds and the transparent membrane.
Place the peppers in a baking tin with the cut side up ensuring that they are firmly upright.
Preparing the Minced Meat/Beef
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a sizeable skillet. Add the minced meat/beef to it. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper while mixing until the meat is cooked, and beginning to brown. Remove the beef and place it on a platter.
Place the skillet back on the heat and add the remaining table tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onions wait until they start to become soft, add tomatoes and cover as you mix until they are soft. Add in the garlic, black pepper and season favourably with kosher salt and keep stirring. Add in the minced beef and cooked white rice. Keep stirring and taste the seasoning, adjust it to the desired taste. Then stir in the cheese. Remove this mixture from heat and set it aside after 5 minutes.
Stuffing the Bell Peppers
Fill the bell peppers with rice mixture making sure not to overstuff the bell peppers. Pour a small amount of water to the bottom of the baking tray and sprinkle a little vegetable oil onto the peppers. Cover your baking tray or dish with foil paper loosely. Place in the tray in the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil pepper and place back the tray and bake for 20 more minutes until the cheese has melted and has become lightly browned.
Serve your stuffed green peepers with a healthy glass of juice and dessert.