The Greeks have a lot of recipes involving stuffing vegetables with meats, rice, and sauce. One of my favorite Greek \"vegetarian\" dishes is stuffed bell peppers. Under each bell pepper is a treasure trove of surprises and it will definitely add a sense of intrigue in your next meal.
Ingredients:
6 Bell Peppers
1 lb of ground beef
4-6 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 16 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
Oregano
Paprika
1 Red Onion (minced)
Crumbled Feta Cheese
3 jalapenos (minced)
Olive oil
Red Chili Flake
Cooked Rice
Lemon Juice
Method:
Part 1: The Sauce
In a bowl mix the 1 lb of ground beef with a tablespoon of oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper alongside a 2 teaspoons of garlic and onion powder. Mix the meat thoroughly in the bowl and place to the side.
Mince the Onions, garlic and jalapenos into tiny pieces and set aside.
In a large pot, place a healthy portion of olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the pot is warmed up, start by cooking the garlic, onions, and about teaspoon or two of red chili pepper flake for a couple of minutes. After the onions and garlic are about cooked, add the jalapenos and continue to cook all three until fragrant. This is similar to how I make chili. I really want to focus on these early flavors before cooking the meat.
Cook the seasoned meat in the pot on top of the onions. I tend to add a little bit of extra pepper and salt while the meat is cooking. With the spatula or a wooden spoon, split the meat into tiny pieces. I try to reserve a space on the pan for some crispy bits.
Once the beef is browned, lower the pot to medium-low heat and add a can full of crushed tomatoes. I tend to try to crush about half the tomatoes.
Add about a cup of cooked Greek rice into the mixture and stir and let it sit. I can get into cooking Greek rice as I have been taught later or stick with a simple cup of cooked rice.
Let the stuffing stew for about 30 minutes on low-medium heat and stir about every 10-15 minutes. I have let it sit for an hour but it was ready around that 30 minute mark.
Place the \"stuffing\" into a separate container because we are going to be bringing it to the grill with our marinated bell peppers.
Part 2: Preparing the Vessels
Cut the top of the bell peppers off leaving enough of the top to look like a lid (this will be important for later).
Remove the seeds and stems from inside the bell pepper.
On a pan, add a good amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper to combine with the bell peppers and let it sit while finishing the marinade.
On a high heat grill, start by grilling the bell peppers on their sides as well as their tops. Once the peppers are starting to blister and blackened, sit the peppers upright and start slowly adding the \"stuffing\" back in. About half way through filling the pepper, add a small layer of crumbled feta and then continue filling the bell pepper again. Place a layer of crumbled feta and close the grill. It should take a couple minutes minutes to finish cooking the bell peppers or if you have cooked them a little, place them on a side of the grill with indirect heat
Remove once the bell peppers are cooked and a bit charred on a clean dish. Do not forget to top the bell peppers with its lid and serve a couple minutes later.
Combining the basis of an easy meat stew and using grilled vegetable as the vessel gives you a taste of everything. You get a lot of flavor and umami flavors from the cooked meat and a bit of smokiness and char from the grill. It doesn\'t hurt getting cooked rice in advance because it will recook in the stew. When I made this recipe, I had enough leftover \"stuffing\" to eat on it own or topped with a bit of feta.