The vegetables in question are bell peppers and portobello mushrooms, no doubt delicious as they are (although I have at least two children who might question that suggestion with regard to the latter). The two recipes that follow serve to make them even more irresistable however, and are favorites in the Farrar household (well, they at least eat the stuffing out of the mushrooms, even if the receptacle itself is subject to rejection).
The bell pepper recipe comes courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis, and is my favourite stuffed pepper recipe in part because she cooks the peppers surrounded by stock, and for a long time, so unlike with many stuffed pepper dishes, the peppers themselves are softened and fully cooked, whilst still holding their shape. I find that, with recipes that don't do this, the peppers stay pretty raw by the time the stuffing is cooked. The second reason why this is a hit with all five Farrars is that it uses mint, which is unexpected and just completely delicious!
The mushroom recipe comes from Good Food magazine, but all the ingredients are widely available in both the US and UK. There is something about the combination of pesto, lemon and cheese that just makes you feel happy.
Orzo-Stuffed Peppers
(4-6 servings)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino/parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken/vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
6 sweet bell peppers (red/yellow)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together zucchini, mint, tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo will only be partially cooked. Drain through a sieve, reserving the broth, and add orzo to the zucchini mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer the reserved broth to a 3 qt baking dish (I use a large stoneware dish, approx 15" x 8")
4. Slice to tops off the peppers and carefully remove the ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice off the bottom so that they will stand up.
5. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers and place them in the baking dish with the warmed broth.
6. Cover dish loosly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the extra pecorino/parmesan. Continue baking (uncovered) until cheese is golden (about 15 minutes).
7. Remove from oven and gently transfer peppers to serving dish. Garnish with basil.
"We'll eat all of these, but we're not touching the mushrooms!"
Crunchy Pesto and Mozzarella Baked Mushrooms
(Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as part of a larger meal)
2 TBSP olive oil
Olive oil spray
1 onion, chopped
4 large portobello mushrooms, stalks removed and finely chopped
4 oz mascarpone
zest of one small lemon, or half a large lemon
4 TBSP pesto
5 oz ball mozzarella (i.e. not the dry block stuff, but the wet one that comes in liquid), cubed
1 oz dried breadcrumbs
1. Heat olive oil in small pan and cook onions and mushrooms stalks until soft (5-8 mins). Tip into a bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add mascarpone, lemon zest, pesto, mozzarella and seasoning.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. With oil spray, grease a roasting tin large enough to accommodate the mushrooms, upside down, in a single layer. Divide stuffing between mushrooms, spreading out to fill the middle of each one. Top with crumbs and grinding of black pepper.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until mushrooms are tender and topping is crisp.
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