Bulgur Stuffed Peppers Recipes

STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS WITH TUNA, BULGUR AND HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss peppers with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast, stirring once or twice, until peppers are tender, 15 to 22 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add bulgur and toast, stirring, until it smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté until tomato paste darkens, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until bulgur is soft all the way through, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid and set aside to cool.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Add celery and sauté until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic and anchovies (if using). Sauté until vegetables are just tender but not soft (a little texture is welcome), 4 to 6 minutes. If mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon or two of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
• Put tuna in a large bowl and use a fork to break into chunks. Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, mayonnaise (or yogurt) and lemon juice and mash until tuna is broken into small flakes. Mix in onion-celery mixture, bulgur, herbs and capers and stir well. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice as needed.
• Make a slit lengthwise down each pepper to open it up. Stuff the bulgur mixture into the open peppers, then pinch the peppers so that the stuffing holds the two sides together. (It's O.K. if the peppers aren't completely closed.) Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with herbs. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

PORK & BULGUR-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Put the peppers, cut-side down, on a plate and microwave on High for 4 mins until cooked through (but not so soft they collapse). If they need longer, microwave for 1 min more and repeat until done.
• Put the pork in a cold frying pan and turn on the heat. Fry, breaking up any lumps, until it starts to brown. Stir in the garlic and spices for 1 min, then add the bulgur and stock. Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the bulgur is soft.
• Heat the grill. Stir half the parsley into the bulgur, then stuff into the peppers on a baking tray. Grill to crisp, sprinkle over most of the parsley, then serve with the yogurt mixed with remaining parsley.

BULGUR-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°. Cut each bell pepper lengthwise in half; remove seeds and membranes. Heat 2 inches water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan. Add pepper halves. Cook uncovered 1 minute; drain.
• Melt margarine in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook celery and 3 tablespoons of the onions in margarine about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
• Stir in bulgur, 1 1/2 cups of the broth and the seasoning salt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 6 to 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
• Fill bell pepper halves with bulgur mixture. Place peppers, filled sides up, in ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches. Pour remaining broth into pan. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1 tablespoon onion.

BULGUR-STUFFED SUMMER VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bulgur in a heatproof bowl. In a sauce pan, bring the chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. When the liquid has come to a boil, pour over the bulgur. Let sit until the bulgur absorbs the liquid, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prep the vegetables: Cut off the top third of the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and ribs leaving a 'cup' for the stuffing. Dice the flesh from the top 1/3 and reserve. Cut a 1/3 of the zucchini lengthwise to reveal the seeds. Scoop out the seeds to create a boat. Dice the remaining 1/3 pieces. Slice the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds to create a cup.
• In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sweat until translucent. Add the reserved chopped peppers, squash, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cooked vegetables, if necessary, and add to the cooked bulgur.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside of the vegetable 'cups.' Stuff the vegetables with the bulgur mixture, place in a shallow baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and melted.

SWEET AND SOUR PEPPERS STUFFED WITH RICE OR BULGUR AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Simmer the peppers. Combine the water, sugar, vinegar, sliced onion, sliced garlic, salt, bay leaf and thyme in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the peppers, turn the heat to medium and boil gently for 15 minutes, checking and spooning liquid over the peppers from time to time if they are not submerged. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until cold.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the fennel is tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant, then stir in the rice or bulgur and mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the herbs.
• Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the peppers. Blot them dry with paper towels and arrange on a platter or on plates if serving cold. Arrange in a lightly oiled baking dish if serving hot, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill with the rice mixture and spoon 2 teaspoons of the marinade over the filling of each serving. Sprinkle on the feta. Serve or chill if serving cold. If serving warm place in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese softens.