LACTOSE FREE STUFFED PEPPERS!

So you're out of dinner options. Don't worry! This is one maybe you haven't thought of. Stuffed peppers. This is a classic dish. It's best to make in the summer when peppers are in season. It's a little harder to make in the winter (and more expensive) but it can be done.

 

RECIPE:

6 green peppers washed, dried with the tops cut off and the seeds removed (I prefer to use green peppers, but of course, you can use any color you'd like including red, orange and yellow. You can also use squash and zucchini.) To prepare, wash, cut in half and remove the center seeds.

1 batch rice (make by adding 1 cup dried white rice to 2 cups water and boil until rice is soft).

Stuffing (to make this, open 2 cans crushed tomatoes, set aside. Saute freshly chopped white onions (about 1/4 cup chopped) and chopped green peppers (about 1/2-1 cup chopped). Next, add your 2 cans crushed tomatoes along with 2 cans of water. Also add 1 beef bouillon (this is the secret that really gives it the flavor!) Boil all ingredients until vegetables are soft. You may want to add some salt and pepper as well!

Next, remove this from the stove and add your rice mixture. You may not want to add all the rice. Just add it slowly and check to see that it's a good consistency. You may have some rice left over. Now, blanch your peppers on the stove (the whole green ones). To blanch the peppers, boil water and dunk each pepper in for about 2-3 minutes until they start to get soft (but not too soft). Remove each pepper with tongs and set in shallow baking dish. Now ladle about 1-2 ladlefuls of pepper stuffing into each pepper (until the filling gets to the top-not running over). You can also ladle some of the tomato juice in the bottom of the baking dish to make them softer!
Next, bake your peppers in a 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

 

This is a great lactose free dinner that you can serve at parties or just have on a weeknight.