Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

 (pictured with spicy greens sauteed with onions & bacon fat...)

Not sure why, but I really enjoy stuffing vegetables.  Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash...it's a good time!  Today I stuffed peppers (and one lonely tomato).   The filling has a bit of a Greek flare to it (lamb, oregano, feta...).   A lot of stuffed pepper recipes call for cooking the rice inside of the peppers for longer at a lower temp.  I'd rather know my rice is done and have peppers that look like peppers still, so I make my stuffing in a pan, which allows for a quicker bake time.

I picked up the ground lamb from my friends over at Mirror Lake Organic Farms. Their lambs are free-range & organic.   It's important to me to buy local, fresh foods and to know that my food is coming from a clean, healthy and humane environment.  Needless to say, I'm very happy to have found a local source for tasty lamb!  Bonus:  they also make awesome organic soaps and lotions!

On to the stuffed peppers....



Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (shop for ones with even bottoms -  they'll stand up nicely)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef...but everything's better with lamb, IMO)
1/2 c dry wild rice
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 oz (1/2 a typical package) feta, crumbled
1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste, whatever you have on hand
2-3 tbsp fresh oregano
Handful fresh chopped parsley (1/3 c)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for more of a kick!)
1/2 tsp cumin
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package's directions. You'll end up with 1 1/2 c of cooked rice.   Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  As your rice cooks, prep all veggies as stated above.  In a large saute pan, brown your lamb for 7-8 min (until no longer pink).  Now, add your tomato, onion, garlic, herbs and spices (everything except the cheese).  Let cook for another 8 min or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are close to translucent.  Take the stuffing off the heat and sprinkle your feta over the mixture, stirring to combine.  Carefully slice the tops off of your peppers (and/or core your tomatoes).  Get rid of the seeds and pith, but reserve the tops.  Place the peppers in a glass baking pan and spoon the stuffing into your vegetables. Put a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Place the pepper's tops back on and bake for 25-30 min .

Nutrition (per pepper):

367 calories
22 g fat
23 g carb
19 g protein