I hate to admit it, but…
When I’m browsing the web, it’s way easier for me to pass up a stuffed pepper recipe so that I may linger a little longer at some decadent cake or cookie post. I have such a sweet tooth, it begs me to bake these sweet creations. And I am not being dramatic. You can ask my dentist.
This edition of Martha Monday brings you Stuffed Peppers by Mrs Kostyra, Martha Stewart’s mother. Picked by the sweet Ana from Sweet Almond Tree, I was very pleased to try it.
This stuffed pepper recipe is a little different from the kind I have seen before. It has raisins, orange juice, and pine nuts as some of it’s ingredients, and that got my attention!
This one was a sweet, savory recipe, and right up my alley. I did make a few minor changes.
1. I used green peppers because I couldn’t bring myself to pay $2.99 for a yellow or orange one. But when those colors are plentiful and and in season, I’ll be stuffing me some more peppers. So needless to say, I didn’t add any pepper to my stuffing.
2. I used a tangerine flavored olive oil with just a tablespoon of butter instead of the full 4 Tablespoons of butter.
3. And I added just a pinch of saffron.
I LOVED this dish, and it was a hit with the hubby. It was great stuffed in the pepper, but this rice can stand on it’s own as a side dish. The orange juice and fresh herbs brighten it up and the raisins give it an undeniable sweetness in every bite. I can imagine it in a roasted sweet yellow pepper, but I’ll be making it more as a rice side dish with a little pepper sauteed in with the onion. That way I can get it to the dinner table much quicker.
| Stuffed Pepper Recipe |
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 4 small tomatoes, cored, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- 6 medium yellow bell peppers, plus 1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white rice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems reserved
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pine nuts in single layer on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to toast evenly.
- Line a baking pan large enough to hold the peppers with the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine raisins and orange juice in a small bowl. Let stand until raisins are plumped, about 15 minutes.
- Cut around the stems of six of the peppers. Core and seed the peppers, reserving the stems. Set aside.
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rice, and simmer, covered, until rice is just a little undercooked, about 15 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and shallots, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the finely chopped pepper and the plumped raisins. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme leaves, basil, chervil, and pine nuts, stirring to combine. Stir in the cooked rice.
- Fill each pepper with one sixth of the rice mixture. Place reserved pepper stems on top of each pepper. Top the tomatoes with the reserved thyme stems. Fit the peppers into the baking dish, and place the chervil sprigs between them. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil, and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake until peppers are tender and rice is heated through, about 10 minutes.
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What great additions and flavors to these, a healthy wonderful stuffed pepper is welcome in my home anytime!
these look amazing, i love stuffed peppers!
You’ve made me so happy with this recipe, Megan. Some people collect jewelry or art; I collect stuffed pepper recipes and can think of few main course dishes that are more comforting to me personally. The addition of pine nuts and orange juice here is a new idea for me and sound so very intriguing. Can’t wait to try this one.
I love seeing different recipes for stuffed peppers. These look really yummy, thanks for sharing.
The filling sounds terrific, I like your additions of tangerine flavored olive oil and saffron.
These look so good!
I love stuffed peppers! Great filling!
The stuffed peppers look great! I love that filling with raisins and pine nuts…definitely more exciting than the filling I use!
I love stuffed peppers and the husband is just so-s0 with them, but these flavors would entice even him! Nice!
You know I always pass up stuffed pepper dishes too but have liked the ones I’ve had. I do have to admit though I cannot stand green so I’m willing to pay the extra for red or yellow.
I love stuffed peppers! And I’m usually willing to try different takes on them, so this one goes on my list. Love the unusual flavors in these!
I haven’t used my saffron yet. I’m sure it was a great addition to this dish. I don’t love stuffed peppers, so I love your idea of serving the stuffing as a side dish.
I am so glad you liked this recipe, Megan! The rice stuffing was really good, and I agree that it will go nicely on its own. It’s similar to a rice pilaf recipe I have posted. I loved picking this recipe (it wasn’t Lindsey), and I enjoyed making it. And yes, I wound up paying way too much for peppers. I wasn’t ready for that one.
Stuffed peppers is one of my all time favorite. I almost never make them, and no idea why. But after seeing this i think i have to change that.
I’m not usually a stuffed pepper fan either, but these look so good!
Haven’t had a stuffed pepper in years. You did a nice job here.
I think we all tend to be drawn in more by the sweet stuff, especially in pictures. But these do look really great and I like the sweet savoury combo!
What an unusual filling! I am partial to dried fruit in savory dishes, so I am sure I would love this.
I love stuffed peppers! This is really different than my stuffed peper recipe (http://sherrilynnpuz.blogspot.com/2011/04/stuffed-peppers.html) , so I will have to give yours a try!