Stuffed Peppers (Bulgarian Style)

Recently I decided that it is time to get some old recipes tested again and the good ones (of course they are all good :-)  ) published here on the blog.  So here we go with another Bulgarian recipe but with Southwest USA ingredients and flare....

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground pork -- I buy the one from my local HEB grocery store
• 1 medium size white or yellow onion
• 4 carrots
• 20 poblano peppers (I use poblano peppers as they are abundant in Texas)
• 4 cups of rice (I use the same rice as the one for Chinese cooking -- medium grain)
• a bunch of parsley
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• ground pepper -- to taste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 cups of water -- 1 cup to use while preparing the meat+rice mixture; 3 cups for the baking dish

First you have to clean up / prepare the peppers.  With a paring knife cut the tops of the peppers and clean / cut off the seed pods.  What should remain is the top of the pepper which you will use as a lid for the filled with rice and meat mixture pepper.

In a non-stick fryind pan add the ground pork and the oil.  Fry the pork for about 3-5 minutes and make sure the pork is crumbling in small pieces not large clumps (so it can mix well with the rice).

Add the diced onion, the diced carrots and stiff fry until the onion is translucent.

Add the spices (salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper)  and add the washed rice.  Add the 1 cup of water.  Fry for another 3-4 minutes 

In the mean time -- get a deep baking dish - large enough to hold the peppers once they are filled.

Remove the meat and rice mixture from the stove and using a spoon start filling the peppers.  They should not fill too tight -- as the rice will expand as it cooks.

Fill the peppers and arrange them semi-reclined in the baking dish.  Add the 3 cups of water.  Spray the peppers as they are arranged in the baking dish with some cooking oil or Pam, so the peppers do not burn / dry in the oven.

Set the oven to 375F convection cooking or 400F bake.  Place the baking dish in the oven and set a timer for 40minutes.  At 40 minutes - check the dish -- make sure the peppers are not being burnt on the outside.  If they are you should cover them with tin foil.  The whole baking process will take about 1 hour.

Serve the stuffed peppers with a nice tomato and cucumber salad and plain yogurt.

Enjoy!