Stuffed Peppers and Noodles

Last week, I made a wonderful Stuffed Pepper recipe from my mom that just screams to be shared.  Not only was it easy to make but was so comforting and delicious! Nowadays, the less time it takes me to do something, the better. 

Before I kick-off Super Bowl recipes this week, let’s start with the Stuffed Peppers. My mouth is watering as I write about them!  Take it from my husband, you do not have to be a fan of peppers to enjoy this dish.  The pepper can just act like a vessel for the meat.  All you need to do is add egg noodles and tomatoes and you have yourself a chunky tomato soup.  Two for the price of one! Yum! 

You will notice that I add a seasoning called Vegeta to this recipe. It is my mom’s secret (and now my secret) to great tasting food.  It consists of salt, dehydrated carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, parsley, black pepper, nutmeg, and garlic.  I add Vegeta to soup, meatloaf, lasagna, and just about anything that calls for salt.  If used properly, it can elevate food to the next level.  I say “if used properly” because it is strong so a little bit goes a long way.  If you can’t find it at a local grocery store or an international specialty shop, you can buy it online, or simply just use salt instead.

I call my mom’s Stuffed Peppers “Stuffed Peppers Alla Jozefa”.  I am sure you can figure out who Jozefa is!

Stuffed Peppers Alla Jozefa

You will need:

• 4 medium peppers
• 1 lb. of ground turkey or ground beef
• 1/2 Italian seasoned bread crumbs with Romano cheese (you can use plain bread crumbs and add seasoning and grated cheese if you wish)
• 1 egg
• 2 big tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 of a small onion, finely diced
• Small pat of butter or butter substitute
• 2 Tbsp Vegeta seasoning (If don't have it, use but I wouldn't use an entire tablespoon.)
• About 2 Tbsp of heavy cream
• Enough water to cover peppers
• Salt and pepper to season
• Medium bowl
• Small frying pan
• Large soup pot 

Healthy substitutions:

• Ground turkey instead of ground beef
• Homemade bread crumbs using whole wheat bread and adding Italian seasoning
• Butter substitute instead of butter
• Sea salt instead of regular salt

Directions:

• Mix ground turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, 1 Tbsp of Vegeta or 1/2 Tbsp of salt, and a pinch of pepper together in a medium bowl.

• Cut tops off of green peppers, cut a little bit off the bottoms so that they can stand upright, and clean out the insides.

• Split meat mixture in four quadrants and roll them into balls.

• Stuff each pepper with the meat “ball”, replace the lid and place them into the large pot.

• Pour enough water to cover the peppers and once boiling, boil for 20 minutes.

• In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and heat up the frying pan.

• Add butter and saute the tomatoes. When they turn orange, they're done.

• Add the tomatoes, egg noodles, and Tbsp of Vegeta (or 1/2 Tbsp of salt; add more or less according to your taste buds).

• Continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring at times.  The lids to the peppers will fall off but that’s ok.

• Pour in enough heavy cream to turn the soup a creamy orange color (add more if soup appears clear) and cook for another 5 minutes.

I think I found the perfect crispy barbeque chicken wing recipe which I am going to attempt tomorrow.  Check back on Friday to see how they came out and for an incredible easy crowd-pleasing appetizer!