Showtime for Stuffed Peppers
Summer is the time to show off the garden — and no dish does that better than stuffed peppers cacciatore. It’s the creation of chef/owner/gardner Dan Megna of the Twisted Lemon Restaurant in Cayuga, Ontario.
Stuffed Peppers Cacciatore with Roasted Veggies
Ingredients (serves 4):
½ medium Spanish onion diced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh oregano chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 pound lean ground turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium yellow bell pepper
2 medium red bell peppers, 1 whole, 1 diced
½ medium Spanish onion julienned
1 medium can crushed tomatoes
½ cup red wine
½ cup capers
2 medium green zucchini, large diced
1 medium can artichoke hearts strained/halved
6 cups baby kale, stems removed
½ cup prosciutto julienned
½ cup shaved parmesan
½ cup olive oil
½ lemon
1. In a saucepan on medium heat, sweat diced onions with 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil until soft and translucent. Stir in half of the chopped garlic and all the red pepper flakes to combine without browning. Turn off the heat and add half of the fresh oregano and the cooked rice and cool. Once rice mixture is cooled add the ground turkey and season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cut 1 red and 1 yellow pepper in half from top to bottom and remove the seeds and stem. Lightly season the peppers with salt and pepper and rub with a little olive oil. Stuff the cavity of the peppers with the turkey mixture. Roast the stuffed peppers, turkey side up, in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 min or until cooked throughout.
2. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, sweat julienne onions, and diced red pepper with 2 cloves of chopped garlic in remaining butter and 3 tbsp olive oil until soft and just starting to brown. Deglaze onions and peppers with red wine. Add canned tomatoes and capers and stew for 10 min stirring occasionally. Add remaining fresh oregano and season with salt and pepper TT.
3. Toss the zucchini, artichokes, kale, prosciutto and remaining chopped garlic in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. On a baking sheet lined with parchments paper, roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until zucchini is tender.
4. For each portion spoon equal amounts of cacciatore sauce on the base of the plate. Set the stuffed peppers in the sauce. Add the roasted vegetables to the plate alongside the stuffed peppers and sprits the vegetables with fresh lemon juice from the half lemon. Garnish the peppers with the shaved parmesan.
Ingredients (serves 4):
½ medium Spanish onion diced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh oregano chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 pound lean ground turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium yellow bell pepper
2 medium red bell peppers, 1 whole, 1 diced
½ medium Spanish onion julienned
1 medium can crushed tomatoes
½ cup red wine
½ cup capers
2 medium green zucchini, large diced
1 medium can artichoke hearts strained/halved
6 cups baby kale, stems removed
½ cup prosciutto julienned
½ cup shaved parmesan
½ cup olive oil
½ lemon
1. In a saucepan on medium heat, sweat diced onions with 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil until soft and translucent. Stir in half of the chopped garlic and all the red pepper flakes to combine without browning. Turn off the heat and add half of the fresh oregano and the cooked rice and cool. Once rice mixture is cooled add the ground turkey and season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cut 1 red and 1 yellow pepper in half from top to bottom and remove the seeds and stem. Lightly season the peppers with salt and pepper and rub with a little olive oil. Stuff the cavity of the peppers with the turkey mixture. Roast the stuffed peppers, turkey side up, in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 min or until cooked throughout.
2. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, sweat julienne onions, and diced red pepper with 2 cloves of chopped garlic in remaining butter and 3 tbsp olive oil until soft and just starting to brown. Deglaze onions and peppers with red wine. Add canned tomatoes and capers and stew for 10 min stirring occasionally. Add remaining fresh oregano and season with salt and pepper TT.
3. Toss the zucchini, artichokes, kale, prosciutto and remaining chopped garlic in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. On a baking sheet lined with parchments paper, roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until zucchini is tender.
4. For each portion spoon equal amounts of cacciatore sauce on the base of the plate. Set the stuffed peppers in the sauce. Add the roasted vegetables to the plate alongside the stuffed peppers and sprits the vegetables with fresh lemon juice from the half lemon. Garnish the peppers with the shaved parmesan.
Story:
Colleen Smitek
2021 July/August