Story: for N's birthday dinner, he asked me to make him stuffed mushrooms and stuffed peppers (after seeing the cover of the January/February 2013 Food Network Magazine). I had decided I wasn't going to do my usual recipe (which has Italian sausage and cream cheese as the main ingredients) but that I'd thin the meat with oatmeal and grains. I choose quinoa and kamut (because they had the same cooking time) to do as a risotto. I knew I didn't have any cream cheese which adds the creamy texture and some moisture. I wanted to have something with that added moisture as the baking can dry it out a little.
For some reason, I never looked at the recipe in the magazine; just assuming I'd make it up, I guess. Well, on Saturday, Bill began reading the recipe to me and I was like, SHIT! This isn't what I was thinking about at all...but it kind of sounded good. So I began tweaking the recipe to work with what I planned and what it suggested and what I had on hand. I still hadn't read the recipe all the way through and all of a sudden, with my peppers stuffed and ready to go, I look for the temp for the baking and realize that they were supposed to be cooked on the stove top! Another shit. Why the heck wasn't I reading the recipe all the way through? I guess it's because I was trying to manage G & W, who were helping with other things and I was making the pulled pork for the party the next day. There was a lot going on in that little kitchen! So I decide that we'll just have to guess at the temps and times in the oven.
I had already pre-heated the oven to 350 because that's what I do the mushrooms at, usually. Then I look at see that you are supposed to be cooking them in a red sauce. I just glance at the ingredients and see that I don't have tomato puree so I just decide to wing this part, too! So I grab a can of the cheap tomato sauce that I always doctor up and toss that in with some diced tomatoes and herbs and balsamic; pretty much making my typical tomato sauce. We throw that in the bottom of the pan balance the peppers in there, throw some tin foil over the top and toss it in the oven for an hour (that's how long they suggested to cook it on the stove-top). An hour later, it's nowhere near where it should be - which sucks because it's currently 8:30p and we're all hungry (I got a late start on dinner because while I was at a baby shower, Bill was going to run the the grocery store and finish the shopping. He wasn't feeling well so he took a nap and then left a little before I got home. He doesn't do the grocery shopping for a reason and he and the girls really struggled to complete the list. The peppers and mushrooms were on that list so I was stalled until they got home with them - which should have given me the opportunity to read the recipe!) So, I take the foil off and continue to cook them for another 30 minutes. Finally, around 9p we're eating dinner. They were delicious (although at that hour I ate just 1/3 of one - splitting it with the girls).
The original recipe is here. I've tweaked it and my version is below:
Stuffed Peppers & Mushrooms
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| I don't know how to fix this image and have it horizontal. My apologizes! They still look delicious!!! |
Ingredients:
Risotto
- 1 C Kamut
- 1 C Quinoa
- 8 C Broth or Milk
Stuffing / Filling
- Risotto
- 1/4 C Craisins or Raisins
- 1/2 C Chopped Walnuts
- 1 T Dill
- 1 T Thyme
- 2 T Garlic Powder
- 1/4 C Dried, Diced Onions (I can't use real onions so if you can, I'd add at least 1/2 of an onion)
- 16 oz. shredded white chunk cheese (I used Pepper Jack and Munster) - reserving 1/2 of mixture
- 1 lb. ground Italian Sausage, cooked
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- Mushroom Stems from 8 Baby Bella's
- 8 Baby Bella's
- 6 Red or Yellow Bell Peppers (Red peppers are more healthy because of the increased Vitamin A)
Sauce
- 26 oz. Tomato Sauce
- 15 oz. Diced Tomatoes
- 2 T Garlic Powder
- 2 T Italian Seasoning Mix
- 1 T Thyme
- 1/4 C Dried, Diced Onions
- Black Pepper to taste
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees - prepare to use both racks.
Make a risotto (or pilaf) - if you need directions, check out my old post. Allow it to cool by folding it on itself every 3 or 4 minutes. It needs to be around room temperature so you can incorporate all the ingredients together.
Cut tops off of peppers (reserve); clean out membrane and seeds.
I had to cut my red peppers long ways because there was no way they would stand upright on their
own - it was a little tricky but totally do-able!
Remove stems from the baby bella's and chop.
Add craisins/raisins, walnuts, dill, thyme, garlic powder, dried onions, 1/2 of cheese, italian sausage, lemon juice and mushroom stems to risotto. Incorporate throughout using hands.
Using hands, gently pack the peppers and mushrooms with mixture. Cover peppers with tops.
Place mushrooms on stoneware or lightly oiled pan.
Place peppers in a 9x13 pan.
Make sauce; combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and herbs. Heat through. Pour sauce into pan with peppers. Cover with foil.
Cook peppers, covered and mushrooms (uncovered) for 60 minutes (Peppers on top rack, mushrooms on bottom rack).
Remove peppers and mushrooms from oven; remove foil from peppers and place over mushrooms to keep hot.
Remove pepper tops and add reserved cheese to tops of peppers - return to oven for 10 minutes or until browned. Replace the pepper tops and cook for another 10 minutes until they, too brown.
Serve peppers with sauce.
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| Now these look delicious, right?!? |
