By: Natalie Wiser-Orozco
@ The Devil Wears Parsley
Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Tools Needed
9 inch Cast Iron Skillet or Casserole Dish
Foil or casserole dish lid
Rimmed Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
5 Large Bell Peppers
1 Cup Jasmine Rice
1½ Cups Water
2 Teaspoons Salt, divided
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
16 Ounce Package Vegan Ground Beef
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Coriander
2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
8oz Package Vegan Cream Cheese
½ Cup Cilantro, fresh, roughly chopped + more leaves for garnish
1 24 Ounce Jar Heka Saucery Egyptian Tomato Sauce
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Prepare The Stuffing
Put the rice, 1½ cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt into a small saucepan, cover with a lid. Bring up to a boil (about 3-5 minutes), then turn down to a very low simmer, cooking for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow it to sit while you prepare the spiced meat filling.
Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. The edges of the onions should be slightly browned. Add in the vegan ground beef substitute, remaining salt, cumin, coriander, paprika and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon as the meat cooks. Cook for about 5 minutes. The meat will continue to cook in the peppers, so don’t overcook the meat at this step.
Add in ⅓ cup of Heka Saucery’s Egyptian Tomato Sauce, the package of cream cheese, and chopped cilantro. Mix well until the cream cheese has melted and is mixed in completely with the meat mixture. Add in the rice and mix well again.
To Make The Peppers
Cut off the top of the pepper, but leave enough so that there is enough flesh that attaches to the stem. Set the tops aside. Clean out the seeds, and then gently spoon the stuffing into the pepper. Use the back of the spoon to gently pack in the stuffing.
Place the cast iron skillet or casserole dish onto the rimmed cookie sheet to prevent any spillage. Pour the remaining Signature Tomato Sauce into the cast iron skillet, then place the stuffed peppers gently inside, so the peppers are surrounded by the sauce. Put the tops on the peppers, then using aluminum foil, cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. After the time is up, remove the foil, and continue to cook, until the peppers have slightly browned on top. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, carefully remove the peppers to plates, and spoon some Egyptian Tomato Sauce around the pepper, and garnish with more cilantro leaves.
*Notes:
For the peppers, try to pick those that aren’t too lopsided and stand up well on their own. If the peppers are small, you may need more than 5. You can also cut each pepper in half length-wise for smaller portions. It’s also possible that you’ll have leftover stuffing. It’s a great addition to avocado toast, tacos, or burritos!
You can make these as spicy as you want. If you don’t like spice, omit the red pepper flakes. Alternately, if you love spice, you can use something spicier than red pepper flakes, or your favorite hot sauce.
For the cream cheese, I used Violive brand, but there are others out there that would be equally delicious!