Printer Friendly Version - This Was Easy

I welcome the hubbub of the holiday season. The best part is getting to see friends and family and all of the celebrations. The frustrating part is trying to cram all of this happiness into too few weeks.

Also, the high cost of everything. The price of onions remains so high while my paycheck is getting smaller!

Also, is it just me or does it seem like we are all–our workplaces, our schools, our healthcare system, everything–still recovering from everything that was broken during the pandemic?

I mean, yes, of course, things are so, so much better. I remind myself to be grateful for that. And I know they will continue to get better.

But somehow, I’ve not yet entirely settled into a new normal. I dunno. Maybe it’s just me. But there are some weeks when I am just grumpy when everything just feels like a lot. I’ve decided to just be OK with that and then head to the kitchen and start chopping stuff with my very sharp knives.

So, when my daughter suggested recently that we make stuffed peppers for dinner, I agreed. Stuffed peppers sounded old fashioned and easy and delicious and required chopping stuff. Making them was fun, and they were delicious.

We made one batch riffing off of a recipe from Jenn Segal of Once Upon A Chef. Hers is a traditional recipe that calls for ground beef. You can use rice, which also is traditional, but she also gives you the option to use quinoa or any other grain. I’m sure rice would be delicious; I’m sure there are some who might prefer it with that, but we opted for quinoa, and it worked out really well.

It’s well worth checking out her original recipe (www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/stuffed-peppers.html), which provides a tip on how to tenderize the beef. It does improve the texture of the beef, but you can skip it if you don’t have time or don’t have baking soda on hand.

After making the first batch, in the mood to experiment further, we made a second batch the following week, subbing in a vegetarian mix of portobello mushrooms (four big ones, minced) and chopped walnuts (about a half cup). To the mushrooms and the meat, I added in a tube of tomato paste (browning it in the pan) and a splash of balsamic vinegar to boost the umami. It was equally delicious and had the added advantage of lasting an extra day or two in the fridge. If you prefer a vegetarian option, you could also use Beyond Beef, soy crumbles, or tofu.

1 pound lean ground beef
3 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (cut in half from the stem to the bottom and cored)
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Spices: 2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 ounces tomato sauce
2 - 3 cups cooked quinoa (or 1 - 2 cups of rice)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Line a 9x13-inch baking dish (lined with with aluminum foil for an easier easy clean-up, if you’d like).
Place the peppers, cut side up, in the baking dish; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt.
Roast the peppers for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned and tender-crisp.
Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic with the olive oil. Add the ground beef, or ground beef substitute, and spices. Cook until meat is cooked through and (if using ground beef) no pink remains. Add tomato sauce and cooked quinoa. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, stir until just melted.
Remove peppers from the oven (it is OK if they have some olive oil and juices in the peppers) and spoon meat mixture into peppers. Top with remaining cheese, put back into the oven and cook for about 15 minutes more until the meat is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Note: If you have leftover meat mixture, you can store it separately in the fridge and use it on your toast, with some more melty cheese, with your morning coffee.