Lamb Stuffed Peppers

Lamb Stuffed Peppers

A request came across my plate for stuffed peppers. I never really liked green peppers, so this dish was not a part of my childhood. I couldn't imagine just stuffing these gorgeous yellow, orange and red peppers with ground beef and long grain rice, so I concocted a new stuffing. It's a blend of ground lamb, grated zucchini, orzo and feta cheese with a hint of cinnamon (went for the 'greek' thing). If you can't find ground lamb, just ask your butcher to grind some for you! And it doesn't have to be the 'fancy butcher' - you can have this done at your local Shop Rite. Make sure and check the dates on your package - old lamb tastes very rancid. But fresh lamb is fantastic. You can vary the ingredients in this dish without too much fuss, so be creative! Try parmesean cheese instead of feta or add mushrooms instead of zucchini. Do what suits your tastebuds. Topped with a light tomato sauce made the peppers yummy. I served this with a simple green salad.

origin - lisa lou
difficulty - easy
health meter - medium

3/4 cup orzo
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup strong chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp oregano
1 handful fresh parsley chopped (I like flat leaf instead of curly - it has a better flavor)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cinammon
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 vidalia onion chopped
1 lb ground lamb
1 small zucchini grated and drained (use paper towel to squeeze excess water out)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 egg
4-5 whole peppers - green, red, yellow or orange

First make the orzo. Melt butter in medium saute pan over medium high heat, add orzo and cook until it begins to brown. Add wine and stir for just 1-2 minutes until alcohol begins to evaporate. Add the chicken broth, oregano, salt/pepper, cover and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed - about 10-12 minutes. In a separate large saute pan, add olive oil and onions and begin cooking over medium high heat until they begin to soften. Add the ground lamb and cook until meat begins to lose the pink color. Add grated zucchini, remaining oregano, onion powder, cinammon, and salt/pepper. Lightly drain grease off and remove from heat. Add the cooked orzo, parsley and feta cheese and stir until combined. Once the mixture is beginning to cool down, add the egg - quickly so it doesn't scramble. To prepare the peppers, rinse thoroughly and starting approximately 1/2 inch down from top edge of pepper make a horizantal cut all the way around the diameter. Remove the top and clean the white pith and seeds out of the peppers. Fill each pepper up with stuffing and place in glass baking dish fitting the peppers snuggly so they don't fall over. Pour approximately 1 cup of water of broth in the bottom of the pan and bake covered with foil at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the peppers are cooked. Serve alone or spoon your favorite tomato sauce over the top.