Stuffed bell peppers!

So, this is my mother’s recipe, which according to my father is perfect, but to my tastes my recipe is better!! Haha!

I used green bell peppers as they are available throughout the year, and they taste somewhat bitterer than the yellow and red ones. Moreover, I added carrots in my stuffing which makes them sweeter, because I thought the combination of bitter and sweet might be interesting.

Ingredients: 10 green bell peppers, 10 tbsp of rice, 2 big grated carrots, 4 grated zucchinis, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 2 tbsp of chopped mint, 1 big onion grated, ½ tsp of dry oregano, 1 cup of vegetables broth, ½ ltr of homemade tomato juice, 1tbsp of ketchup, 1 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar (optional)

I cut the cup of the bell peppers (but trying to keep them linked to the body of the bell pepper) and subtract the seeds. In each one I sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar (optional). Place them on your tray and put them on the side.

In a deep pan, I sauté half the olive oil and the onion in medium fire. Add the carrots, the zucchinis and stir. Add the tomato (keep ½ cup of tomato juice for the end) and the ketchup. Then, add the rice and keep stirring. Add the parsley, the mint and the oregano. You are almost ready to fill in the bell peppers. Add salt and pepper. Your mixture should be juicy. If not add some broth or water.

You fill in every bell pepper; fill in up to 4/5 as the rice will expand. If you have leftover filling, you can spread it on your tray, outside the bell peppers. You pour the remaining olive oil and tomato juice over the bell peppers, along with a bit of salt and pepper.

You bake in 180C in pre heated oven for 1.5hr. The initial ¾ hr the tray should be covered with aluminium foil. Once you uncover, check for juices. If the food is dry, add some warm water. The food is ready once the rice is ready and the bell peppers have a light or dark (according to you tastes) brown color.