Stuffed peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant are all part of our summer menus. The stuffing in this recipe goes with any of these vegetables. I always bring home the leftover plain rice from the Chinese restaurant we go to, which I use for this stuffing, or to make rice pudding. If you don’t have leftover rice, combine ⅓ cup regular long-grain rice and ⅔ cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and cook for 20 minutes. You can also use cubed bread or leftover pasta instead of the rice.
I use regular green bell peppers, but poblano or long Italian peppers can be substituted. Although I like baby kale here, spinach—or even leftover salad—works just as well. The stuffing is made with ground beef, but turkey, pork, veal, or any combination of these is fine. The stuffed peppers can be assembled ahead and cooked at the last minute.
Serves 4
For the stuffing: Place the kale in a microwavable bowl and microwave it for 1 minute to wilt it. Let cool to lukewarm, then combine with the rest of the stuffing ingredients, mixing well with your fingers. Set aside.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Halve the bell peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and ribs. Arrange the pepper halves hollow side up and side by side in a gratin dish, then sprinkle with the salt. Divide the stuffing among them. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese on each stuffed pepper and drizzle the oil on top. Pour the stock around the peppers.
Bake the peppers for 1 hour, or until soft and tender. Serve with the pan juices.