Not your mother's stuffed bell peppers. This recipe used lemon, thyme to flavor the rice and with raisins and olives, this is a delicious Mediterranean version.
2orange or yellow bell pepperstops sliced off and insides cleaned
1cupbasmati ricerinsed
1/2sweet onionchopped
2clovesfresh garlicminced
1/2red or green pepperchopped
1/2cupgreen olivesquartered
2 -3T. olive oil
1can chopped tomatoes
1/2cupgolden raisins
2Tdried thyme
1Tablespoonfresh herbscombo of fresh thyme, basil or oregano
2Cup vegetable broth.
1/4 -1/2Cupfresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2cuptoasted pine nuts( optional)
1/2cupCastelvetrano olivespitted and quartered
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a saucepan, heat olive oil until hot. Add rice, onion, chopped bell pepper and sautee for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, raisins, thyme, lemon juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add broth, salt and cracked pepper and the fresh herbs. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and continue to cook on low until rice is soft .
When you turn off the heat, leave the lid on to steam for about 15 more minutes . Uncover and toss in toasted pine nuts ( optional) Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture.
Bake the peppers for 20 minutes. I used a tall pyrex dish, sprayed with PAM so the peppers wouldn't tip over. I had plenty of rice left over which on it's own was delicious for a side dish the next day.