For the past two days, the weather has been absolutely perfect! Finally, maybe Spring is here, but I don’t want to jinx it! I enjoyed the sunny days by taking my dogs for a walk and going for a run on a local trail. When the weather is this superb, I must get myself outside to enjoy it.
I took a break from soaking in the nice weather and tended to some errands. I was at my local supermarket and saw these big, beautiful bell peppers. Their vibrant color made me think of Spring and I started to daydream about how delicious they might be if I stuffed them. I adapted this recipe from one I saw on Vegetariantimes.com. I changed the vegetarian broth to a chicken broth, but feel free to use whichever you would like. I also simplified the way they baked them!
This is a uniquely versatile recipe because you can use any grain you have in your pantry. You don’t have barley? Try substituting couscous, farro, oats, quinoa or rice. You can also add any kind of vegetable. Just dice them and throw them in the mix after you cook the garlic. In my opinion, red bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant or carrots would add another depth of flavor that would be scrumptious.
Don’t be fooled, this dish really cooks up fast, even though it may look like a lot of steps. It is so delicious and makes a bold and beautiful presentation. I had some extra filling, so you could easily stuff four or five peppers with it.
This recipe will serve 3 people who will relish this delicious twist on roasted peppers!
Ingredients for Stuffed Red Peppers
3 large red bell peppers
1 cup toasted barley (I use Manischewitz)
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, loosely cut
1/2 cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, finely grated and divided
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring chicken broth to a boil and add barley.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook 2 minutes less than instructions.
Slice tops off of the red peppers.
Remove seeds and inner membranes.
Reserve tops for later use.
Set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-heat until hot.
Add onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add barley and any remaining cooking liquid.
Stir until grains are incorporated.
Add mushrooms and remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth and cook until mushrooms soften and liquid is absorbed.
Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, parsley, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Stand peppers upright and spoon barley mixture into them.
Place peppers in a casserole dish. cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue to cook until heated through, 15 minutes.
Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Place pepper tops back on top for full presentation.
It’s that simple!
