Serves     8-10

Ingredients

1 tbsp. oil
½ cup each, diced carrot, celery, and onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, or lamb)
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped (optional)
1 ¼ cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed by hand, with juices
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
½ cup amaranth seeds
4 large or 5 small bell peppers, red or green, cut in half vertically, with seeds and membranes removed
1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté the diced vegetables for 5 minutes, until they begin to soften and take on a little color.

Add the ground meat and chop with a wooden spoon to break up until it is finely crumbled. If there is too much fat left in the pan go ahead and spoon some of it off.

Add the poblano chile, if using, and the crushed tomatoes, salt, and chili powder. Simmer for a couple of minutes to break down the tomatoes and reduce just a bit.

Next add the amaranth seeds and ½ cup of water. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. If the meat looks too soupy at this point, simmer for another couple of minutes with the lid off to reduce. Remove from heat and taste for any additional seasoning that it may need.

Place the pepper halves in an oiled baking dish large enough to accommodate all of them, and fill the shells with the meat mixture. Pour about ¼ cup water into the bottom of the dish, and drizzle the peppers with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil, top with the grated cheese. Turn up the oven to 400 degrees and place the peppers back into the oven for another 15 minutes.

Serve with the juices that have accumulated in the baking dish. Steamed rice and black beans would be a good accompaniment.

 

Country:
Mexico


Notes and Instructions

Recipe credit: Linda McElroy

Photo credit: alanagPkelley – originally posted to Flickr titled Orzo Stuffed Peppers. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.