Peppers are perfect for stuffing, so try this delightful, healthy stuffed peppers and tomatoes dish, the perfect family or gatherings meal. Packed with healthy, great vegetables which make this dish a truly flavoursome one.
Wash the veggies including the tomatoes, the peppers and the fresh herbs.
Set a deeper frying pan on medium heat, and add the finely chopped onion with 100 ml water or olive oil if you wish. Cook for 5 min with ½ teaspoon salt and one bay leaf.
Add the grated carrot, courgette, and parsnip along with ½ the dry or fresh thyme. If you use the fresh one chop it very finely. Cook all covered for 5 min.
Add the rice and cook for a further 3 min.
Add the chopped tomato can mix it all very well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Turn the heat off and set it aside. This mixture has to be cool when combined with the meat so prepare slightly in advance.
Meanwhile, prepare the peppers by either cutting the tops about ¾ cm (7-8 mm) or just removing the core by carefully pressing down around the woody/green bit and pulling it out. This can be more difficult if you haven't done it before. This is how my mum is doing it and this is how I've always done it but only recently I have tried cutting its top and keep as a cover, it is easier and a lot quicker I have to say. Do the same with the tomatoes and scoop the inside flesh with a help of a spoon. I chop the tomato flesh and use it in the sauce. I will mention this later when needed to be used exactly.
Finely chop the herbs. Keep aside 2-3 springs of parsley, 1 of thyme, the bay leaves, and 1-2 sprigs of dill.
In a larger bowl place the minced meats. Freshly grind some pepper (be generous), and add 1 teaspoon salt, the chopped herbs, and the vegetable mixture when it is totally cooled. If you add it hot, it spoils the meat.
With the help of a nice wooden spoon/fork or your hand, give the meat and veggies a good old mix until all meat lumps dispersed and totally disappeared into the veg mixture.
Fill the peppers with the mixture and place them in the cooking dish by adding their tops once filled. Put their hats on. :-) arrange/ squeeze them all nicely at the bottom of the pot and if needed go for staking them up on a second layer. Put both peppers and tomatoes together. For the oven cooking, I use a nice big cast-iron casserole dish, a 6 liter so it all fits in well. I nowadays use a 6l stainless steel pressure cooker which is absolutely brilliant. It cuts the cooking time to a quarter.
In a larger bowl, put the other chopped tomatoes tin, herbs, bay leaves 1 teaspoon salt pepper and another can of water. Mix and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Cook it for 30 minutes (programmed in the pressure cooker settings) or for about 2.5 hrs in the oven.
Serve hot with a nice dollop of crème fraiche and a few spoons of juice/soup from cooking the dish.
Notes
Cooking TimesI mentioned that cooking time differs from 20 min to 2.5 hrs. Oh, well.... yes, depending on how you will be cooking those stuffed peppers.40 mins will be if you have one of those magic pressure cookers that I do happen to have and, a minimum of 2.5 hrs if you choose the oven.Salt and pepperThe amount in this recipe will do for me but you might find it insufficiently salty, so feel free to add more or less. There is a fair amount of meat, veg, and rice, so feel free to add more salt. You can always season later.