Red Peppers Stuffed With Aubergine Puree Recipes

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce eggplants all over with fork. Transfer, cut side down, to baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove peel and discard. Cut eggplants into large pieces. Rinse eggplant pieces under running water. Drain well. Set aside.
• Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop peppers.
• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and leek and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in eggplant, peppers, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme. Cool slightly.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter and lemon juice; stir over low heat until soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Transfer to large bowl; garnish with Parmesan.

STUFFED RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring brown rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover on the saucepan, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break ground beef into small pieces and place in the skillet. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir until the beef is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix beef mixture into brown rice.
• Stir tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning into the rice mixture and season filling with salt and black pepper.
• Arrange bell peppers in a baking dish. Spoon filling into bell peppers.
• Bake in preheated oven until the peppers are tender, about 1 hour. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the stuffed peppers to serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant in pieces a half an inch thick. If using the large purple variety, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for one hour. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, make the red pepper sauce. Soften the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and herb bouquet. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook slowly for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. Remove the herb bouquet and puree the peppers in a food processor until smooth. Cool to room temperature and correct seasoning.
• Preheat coals. Brush the eggplant slices with remaining olive oil and grill until charred. Arrange on a long serving dish in one or two rows, season with pepper to taste and pour the sauce along the middle of the slices. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

ROASTED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CHICK-PEA AND EGGPLANT PURéE AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Trim and quarter mushrooms. Halve tomatoes lengthwise. In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté shallot, stirring, until softened. Reduce heat to moderate and cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Halve bell peppers lengthwise through stems and discard seeds and ribs. Season pepper shells with salt and pepper and in a large baking pan bake in upper third of oven 10 minutes.
• Spoon chick-pea and eggplant purée evenly into shells, smoothing tops. Mound mushroom mixture onto center of purée and sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake stuffed peppers in upper third of oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, grill pepper shells, skin sides up, on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 7 to 10 minutes, or until slightly charred. Transfer shells to a work surface and stuff them as above. Grill stuffed peppers, covered, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)

VEGETABLE & BEEF STUFFED RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut and discard tops from red peppers; remove seeds. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook peppers in boiling water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes; drain and rinse in cold water., In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; pour off drippings., In same pan, heat oil over medium heat; saute zucchini, yellow squash, onion and green pepper until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and garlic; cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in cooked beef, rice, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and salt., Place red peppers in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Fill with meat mixture. Bake, covered, until peppers are tender, 35-40 minutes. Top with provolone cheese; bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER AND RICOTTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree ricotta, roasted red peppers, oil, Parmesan, and garlic in a food processor.
• Stir in parsley and oregano. Toss with hot pasta and serve.