Stuffed Peppers

Right out of the bull-pen this is a keeper. We found this recipe in a magazine we picked up at our local health food on their customer appreciation day last month. It is called Veggie Life. It is chocked full of recipes, ideas and what-nots. I love vegetables, and there are very few I refuse to eat. Wouldn't that be an oxymoron, to be a vegetarian and not like vegetables? Anyhow, on to this recipe. I love peppers, and they repeat on me. I deal with it. Red peppers are my favorite to eat raw, and I even freeze green peppers as they go bad, then I thaw them out and saute them as needed. Enjoy these stuffed peppers, for we did.

Skillet Ginger-Stuffed Peppers

1-1/2 cups vegetable protein flakes (TVP)
1/2 inch ginger root, grated
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t garam masala (we did not have this ingredient)
1/4 t tumeric
3 T vegetable oil
1-28 ounce can tomatoes including juices (we used crushed)
1 T chopped cilantro, or to taste
Salt to taste
2 large bell peppers, halved top to bottom, seeds and ribs removed
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In a medium bowl, cover TVP with warm to hot water and allow to plump for about 30 minutes. Drain well.

In a large skillet with a lid, saute ginger, cumin garam masala and tumeric in 1 T of thee oil for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in tomatoes with juice and drained TVP. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro and salt.

Arrange pepper halves on a platter and fill with stuffing packing it tightly and smoothing surface.

Rinse skillet and heat 1 T of the oil over medium heat. Arrange filled peppers in hot pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes. **We opted to use thee oven at this point, for we were on a crunched schedule. They went into the oven for about 15 minutes at 350. they were cooked but not falling apart**

Use a pastry brush to dab filling with remaining oil. Using tings and a spatula, carefully turn peppers over so that the filling is down. (spatula will help keep filling from spilling out.) Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, until peppers are tender.

Remove cover and carefully turn peppers over again, being careful to keep intact with spatula. Heat for a few minutes without cover, until liquid evaporates.

I ate a whole pepper. Mr. Cooking Lady (I like how Wing it calls her man) loved the TVP stuffing and does not like peppers due to the fact that they repeat on him. And going to a massage and having to burp constantly is not a good thing. Enjoy!