Easy Stuffed Peppers

I've been looking for easy recipes for meals here now that the Prophets' (or Advent) Fast has begun and this fits the bill nicely. It works for me as a meal (a couple of them, actually) when I'm dining on my own, but it could easily work as a side dish for a larger meal as well. I may experiment with a tomato sauce of some sort the next time I make this, but it's perfectly lovely served as is.



Easy Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
4 large bell peppers
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion (diced)
1 carrot (shredded)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)
1 tomato (diced)
2/3 cup of white rice
1 1/4 cups of water
Bouillon (to taste)
Basil (to taste)
Ginger (to taste)
Parsley (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Directions
1) Lord, bless!
2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3) Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out their insides before brushing or gently rubbing them (inside and out) with some olive oil. Bake the peppers on a sheet for 25 minutes until tender (and possibly a little blistered too).
4) Saute the onion and carrot in the olive oil until tender, then add the garlic and saute for another minute or two until fragrant.
5) Add the diced tomato to the pan and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
6) Add the water and stir in the rice, bouillon, and seasonings and bring to a boil before simmering for about 25 minutes. (Once the rice is soft and all of the liquid has been absorbed you're good to go.)
7) Spoon the finished filling into the bell peppers, packing it down firmly. (You may have a little rice leftover depending on the size of the peppers you used - it makes a lovely snack while you're waiting for your final product. Pair with a nice glass of wine. Or beer. Or vodka. Or whatever! It's your kitchen, you're the chef! Pick something!) Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for another 5 or 10 minutes.
8) Remove the peppers from the oven, cool, and serve! A sprinkle of parmesan would, of course, be divine, but if you're being pious and have your church face on (we all know that face - it's the stoic, sad one seen on every Orthodox face at every Orthodox wedding there's ever been), then a little tomato sauce or some sweet red chili sauce would be a good substitute. (If only!) Whatever you do - church face or no - enjoy!