Fennel Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers Recipes

ROASTED RED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Slice each pepper in half lengthways, cutting right through the green stalk end and leaving it intact; though it won't be eaten, it adds much to the look of the thing. Remove all the seeds. Place the pepper halves on the baking sheet, then drain the tomatoes (you don't need the juice), and divide them into eight equal portions, placing each portion inside a pepper half. You can watch how to prepare peppers by clicking on the Cookery School Video on this page. Now pare off any brownish bits of fennel with your sharpest knife and cut the bulbs first into quarters and then again into eighths, carefully keeping the layers attached to the root ends. Now put them in a saucepan with a little salt, pour boiling water on them and blanch them for 5 minutes. Then drain them in a colander and, as soon as they're cool enough to handle, arrange two slices in each pepper half. Sprinkle 1 dessertspoon of olive oil over each one, using a brush to brush the oil round the edges and sides of the peppers. Next, lightly crush the pepper berries, coriander and fennel seeds with a pestle and mortar or rolling pin and bowl, sprinkle these evenly all over the fennel and peppers, and finish off with a grinding of sea salt. Then bake the peppers for about 1 hour on a high shelf in the oven until they are soft and the skin wrinkled and nicely tinged with brown. After removing them from the oven, sprinkle the lemon juice all over, cool and serve garnished with a little finely chopped spring onion or as they are.

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER AND FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Char bell peppers over open flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose peppers in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers, then cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, and dried crushed pepper in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Peppers and dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring dressing to room temperature and rewhisk before using.)
• Toss sliced fennel bulb with half of dressing in medium bowl. Toss red peppers with remaining dressing in another medium bowl.
• Divide greens among 4 plates. Arrange fennel and red peppers over. Sprinkle reserved fennel fronds, olives, and Parmesan shavings over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove core, seeds and ribs using a paring knife. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch pan or other baking dish in which they fit snugly.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 minutes, until no longer pink.
• Add 1/2 cup wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid in the pan is reduced by about half.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, Parmesan and parsley, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Divide the mixture among the peppers. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the bottom of the dish, wrap tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the peppers. Remove the foil and spoon any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan onto the peppers. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly onto the peppers and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and beginning to brown.
• Allow the peppers to cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.

BREAKFAST STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Set sausage aside.
• While sausage is frying, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off of the green peppers and trim the insides. Parboil the peppers in the pot, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to cold water, dry, and lightly salt the insides.
• Heat oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes and onion in the hot oil, breaking up and turning periodically, until potatoes are golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sausage, 1/2 of the cheese blend, eggs, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat, mix gently but thoroughly, and let sit for 5 minutes. The eggs will not be fully cooked at this point, but will finish while baking.
• Give the potatoes, eggs, and sausage blend one final mix and then gently stuff into the green peppers about 90% full, leaving space for reserved cheese blend. Do not pack tightly. Place in a baking dish and cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until eggs are set and peppers are tender, about 10 minutes. Top with reserved cheese blend and turn on the oven's broiler. Broil until cheese is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

ROASTED FENNEL AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Place the fennel, peppers, onion and garlic in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper and rubbed sage. Toss to coat., Bake, uncovered, at 425° until tender, 20-25 minutes, stirring twice. Garnish with fresh sage if desired.

ROASTED STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil shallow baking pan or cookie sheet with sides with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Cut each bell pepper in half; remove membranes and seeds but leave stalk intact. (The stalks are not edible, but they will help the peppers keep their shape while roasting.) Placed pepper halves hollow side up in pan.
• Score an "x" into bottom of each tomato; place in heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over tomatoes. Let stand 1 minute. Drain tomatoes; use fingers to slide skins from tomatoes. Cut each tomato into quarters. Place tomato quarters evenly into pepper halves.
• Place garlic slices evenly in pepper halves; sprinkle with herbs. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over pepper halves; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer cooked pepper halves to serving dish. Pour any juices left in pan over peppers. Crumble cheese into each pepper half. Serve with French bread.

CHEF JOHN'S STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.
• Cook onion and olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer half of cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.
• Stir marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into bowl with reserved onions; mix well. Stir in cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff green bell peppers with beef and sausage mixture.
• Place stuffed green bell pepper halves in the baking dish over tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove aluminum foil and bake until the meat is no longer pink, the green peppers are tender and the cheese is browned on top, an addition 20 to 25 minutes.

FRENCH STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS WITH FENNEL AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 120C/240F/Gas 1.
• Cut the peppers in half, discard the core & seeds and also trim away the white membrane too.
• Grease a Le Creuset roasting or ovenproof dish.
• Cut the onion & fennel bulb into 6 wedges each. (Keep the the delicate green fronds from the fennel bulb & put to one side.).
• Put the onion wedges, fennel wedges & cushed garlic into a mixing bowl & add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & black pepper - mix well.
• Divide the onion & fennel wedges between the 6 pepper halves, arranging them neatly within the peppers & season well.Pour the remaining oil & vinegar dressing over the top of them.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft & just tinged brown.
• Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven & increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
• Slice the goats cheese & arrange over the top of the stuffed peppers; return them the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbling.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and serve them warm or at room temperature with the cooked dressing drizzled over the top of them.
• Garnish with the green fronds kept from the fennel bulbs.
• Serve as a starter, 1 pepper half per person with a side salad or as a main course - 2 pepper halves per person with bread & salad.
• These can also be served as a very colourful & elegant vegetable accompaniment!

BROWN RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the top 1/3 inch of each pepper, remove and discard the seeds. If needed, cut a small amount of the bottom off each pepper so that they sit flat. Season the insides evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Nestle the peppers inside an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat another minute. Add the plant-based meat and use the back of a wooden spoon to break apart the meat into small pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, fennel, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt and cook another 4 minutes or until fragrant and the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the rice, tomatoes, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilts and the cheese is melted. Divide the mixture among the peppers. Top with the Provolone piccante. Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake the peppers for 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and peppers are soft but not falling apart. Serve hot.

GARDEN SLAW WITH FENNEL AND BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Whisk the yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, garlic powder and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the cabbage, fennel and fronds, cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley and chives, then toss to combine.
• Cover the slaw and refrigerate until the vegetables have softened, 1 to 2 hours. Toss again and season with salt and pepper.

ROASTED BELL PEPPER HALVES STUFFED WITH BULGUR AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut large red and yellow bell peppers in half through stem end. Remove seeds and cut out ribs, leaving stems intact. Finely chop small red bell pepper; set aside. Spread 1 tablespoon oil over rimmed baking sheet. Place pepper halves, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Turn over; roast until slightly softened, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven.
• Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan; add bulgur and 1 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand until bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped red pepper; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add currants and pine nuts; sauté 2 minutes. Add cumin; stir 20 seconds. Mix in spinach; stir until beginning to wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in bulgur, mint, and dill. Stir in half of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Divide bulgur mixture among pepper halves. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake stuffed peppers until heated through, about 25 minutes (or 30 minutes if chilled); serve.
• *Also called cracked wheat; available at natural foods stores and supermarkets.

ROASTED FENNEL, CHICKPEAS, PEPPERS, AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice garlic. Halve and thinly slice fennel, leaving the core intact. Stem and seed bell peppers, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Divide vegetables, grapes, and chickpeas, rinsed and drained, between two rimmed baking sheets.
• Drizzle each sheet with oil and toss with oregano, salt, and pepper, to taste.
• Place in oven and roast, rotating sheets once, until vegetables are golden brown and grapes are beginning to burst, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove vegetables and any pan juices; transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm.