Sweet and Savory Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are as loaded with flavor as they are with nutrients.  The combination of savory lamb, warming spices, sweet raisins and salty feta cheese is a pleasure for the palette.  The protein-packed quinoa (a whole-grain power house) is a tasty departure from rice and wheat, and keeps the stuffing light and toothsome.  Don't be intimidated by a few unfamiliar items in the list of ingredients.  Everything here is readily available in a well-stocked grocery or easily substituted with good results.  As for the side dish, we've never met a sweet and sour cucumber we didn't like.  And after serving them several times, we can safely say our guests feel the same. 

The pepper recipe calls for a technique commonly used in ethnic cooking-- a brief saute of dried spices in hot oil before the addition of other ingredients.  As you can imagine, the heat of the pan intensifies the flavor of the spices. The true benefit, however, is in the health department.  The combination of fat (in the form of heart-healthy olive oil) with the dried spices makes the phytontutrients in the spices more readily available to the body for absorption.  This is particularly true in the case of turmeric which, like quinoa in the grain world, is a nutritional power house in the spice aisle.  As always, when using oil on the flattop grill, be careful not to burn or overheat. The spices need just half a minute to become fragrant. 

But the peppers...  Yes indeed, 36 bell peppers can be a budget breaker.  If we were limited to a conventional grocery, we probably couldn't pull off this meal, but we purchase the peppers from Stanley's where they often come in around $1/lb.  Beyond that, no one item is very expensive although the number of items called for in the recipe makes savvy shopping a must.  One splurge we have to recommend is the ground lamb.  While it's marginally more expensive than ground beef, the flavor makes the peppers something special.  As with all of our ground meats, we typically shop at Whole Foods or Gepperth's where the meat is ground in house on the day of purchase.

Attempt this meal with a full roster of cooks or give yourself a bit of extra time to prep.  The peppers need their full cooking time to become fork tender.  While they're taking their final turn in the oven, you'll have plenty of time to carve up a watermelon or two for dessert.  This menu takes a bit of TLC in the kitchen, but we promise it will be one of the more memorable in flavor and beneficial in healthfulnes.  Enjoy!



SWEET AND SAVORY STUFFED PEPPERS

Serves 36 (2 halves per person)

• 1 gallon spring water
• 8 cubes salt-free vegetable bouillon (we like Rapunzel brand salt-free herb bouillon available at Whole Foods)
• 8 cups quinoa or Basmati rice (we find quinoa at Costco or in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 TBS ground cinnamon
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS turmeric
• 4 large red onions, finely chopped
• 3 lbs ground lamb or beef (or 1-1/2 lbs of each)
• 90 oz canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained of liquid and crushed by hand
• 4 lbs marinated jarred artichoke hearts, drained of marinade and roughly chopped (we like the XL jar of artichokes available at Costco)
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dried parsley flakes
• 2 cups raisins
• 18 red bell peppers, halved, stemmed and seeded
• 18 green bell peppers, halved, stemmed and seeded
• 2 lbs feta cheese, crumbled and divided (we use sheep's milk feta available at Costco)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Preheat flattop grill to med-high heat.   Place the water and bouillon cubes in a large stockpot over high heat.

In a large mixing bowl, rinse the dry grains of rice or quinoa under several changes of cool water until the water runs clear.  Carefully drain off the water and add grains to the stockpot.  When the water reaches a boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.  Remove grains from heat, keep covered and set aside.

Halve each pepper horizontally, leaving the stems intact, and arrange peppers cut side up on several full size sheet pans.  Transfer pans to hot oven and par-bake peppers for 20 minutes until softened and lightly browned.  Remove from oven and set aside.

While peppers are roasting, drain the plum tomatoes and crush them by hand in a full size hotel pan.  Add the raisins and parsley flakes to the tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper.  Add half the crumbled feta cheese, mix well, and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the flattop grill and heat until just shimmering.  Add the dried spices and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.  Immediately add the onions and and saute until  translucent.  Add the artichoke hearts and saute until lightly browned. Add the ground meat and saute until just lightly cooked, not browned.  Add garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Transfer the sauteed vegetables to the hotel pan with the crushed tomatoes.  Add the cooked grains and mix well to combine.

Divide the grain and vegetable mixture equally among the peppers.  Once again, cover the pans tightly with aluminum foil and bake until filling is heated through and the peppers are very tender, about 15-20 minutes in a commercial convection oven.  (Cooking time will vary greatly depending upon your oven; check the peppers periodically.)

To serve, place 2 bell pepper halves on individual plates and top each pepper with a spoonful of crumbled feta cheese. 



SWEET SOUR CUCUMBER SALAD

Serves 36 generously

• 10 lbs garden cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 6 TBS coarse kosher or sea salt
• 3 cups rice wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup agave syrup OR 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper

Place cucumber slices in colander. Sprinkle with salt; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To prepare dressing, stir vinegar, dill, sugar, and pepper in large bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Drain cucumbers well and pat dry. Add cucumbers to dressing and stir to blend. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.  Serve cold.