Rice Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppersturkey Recipes

Steps:

• Make the peppers: Combine 2 1/2 cups water, the rice, currants and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a large bowl to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool, then finely chop. Pile the dill, parsley and scallions on a cutting board and finely chop.
• Cut off the top of each bell pepper and reserve the tops; discard the seeds and white membranes. Put the turkey in a large bowl; add 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup feta, the rice mixture, walnuts, all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands. Stuff each bell pepper evenly with the turkey-rice mixture; cover with the pepper tops.
• Make the sauce: Whisk 3 cups water, the tomato puree, brown sugar, olive oil and cinnamon stick in a wide, deep saucepan. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until the peppers are soft and the filling is cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler. Carefully remove the peppers from the sauce and transfer to a flameproof baking dish; remove the tops and set them aside in the baking dish. Toss the reserved 2 tablespoons chopped herbs with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup feta in a small bowl and sprinkle over the filling. Broil until melted, about 2 minutes. Replace the pepper tops. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the peppers in shallow bowls with the sauce.

Steps:

• First, prepare the filling. Put the onion in a medium frying pan, and without adding the oil, "sweat" it over medium heat, stirring often, just until slightly softened. Add the oil and when it is heated up, add the tomato paste and pepper paste. Stir to mix. Toss in the rice and sugar, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 10-15 minutes. To check for doneness of the filling - take a bite on a rice grain: if it is soft on the outside and only slightly grainy inside, the filling is ready. Take care not to overcook. The rice will cook further inside the peppers. Remove the filling from the heat. Add the mint. Season with salt. Stir to mix and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, wash the peppers and pat dry. Cut a circle around the pepper stalk, leaving the circle attached. It will serve as a lid later. With your fingers, push the core of the peppers to the sides (because their core is tiny and the seeds are minimal, there is no need to remove them). Rub the inside of the shells with some salt.
• Fill the peppers with the rice filling half full (do not overfill - the rice will expand while cooking). Put the pepper "lids" on. If you like, you could place a small grape tomato under each lid. Arrange the peppers in a saute pan (large enough to fit all the peppers) in a slightly overlapping manner. Pour in the water.
• Cover and cook over medium heat, until liquid is reduced to oil and the rice is fully cooked, about 1 hour. Note that the cooked peppers should not be mushy and should hold their shape nicely. Remove from the heat. If you wish, drizzle some olive oil on top of the peppers. Cover and allow to cool completely (yes, covered). Serve cold. This dolma stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Bring water and brown rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and parsley; cook for 2 minutes. Add ground turkey, salt, and garlic power. Cook and stir using a wooden spoon until meat is no longer pink and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir stuffing well.
• Fill each bell pepper half with stuffing and arrange neatly in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover each pepper with a handful of shredded Cheddar cheese. Pour remaining chicken broth into the bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is browned, about 5 minutes more. Serve right away.