Bolognese Risotto Stuffed Peppers!

Mama mia!  More red peppers!  Well, I'm finished roasting and freezing peppers for the moment and just ready to prepare something for us to enjoy in the here and now.  Stuffed peppers just sounded really good right now, and I just made these with what I had on hand, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that (and writing it down as I went along).

Living way out in the countryside, I've got to keep a well stocked pantry and 2 freezers-full of frozen foods.  This way I'm always fairly prepared and don't have to resort to wasting expensive gas driving to the nearest town for one or two items!  We learned very quickly when we moved to the Carolina's that things are REALLY spread out from each other.  Plus when I come home from my hour and a half long commute from work, I am in no mood to shop for groceries!

For this recipe, I used my family's Bolognese sauce recipe.  Mr. M. and P. will not eat anything without meat, so a good Bolognese makes his tummy happy every time!  Vegetarians can use marinara sauce instead, but it will taste different.  The best flavored Bolognese is part beef, part pork, and part veal.  At least that's the way we make ours.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add what you like and delete what you don't like.  I think these would also be great with some sauteed, chopped porcini mushrooms added, or some diced prosciutto too!  Change the cheese varieties around, add some basil, etc!

Bill came home and dipped a spoon in some of the extra stuffing and said, "This is really, really good!"  Now that's a super comment coming from this quiet-natured man.

Before and after baking the stuffed peppers

Bolognese and Risotto Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers (red, yellow or a mix), halved lengthwise, tops and seeds removed
4 cups Bolognese sauce (I use my homemade sauce)
1/4 cup risotto
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, cut fresh from the garden if possible
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Shredded Asiago cheese and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish.

Heat up the Bolognese sauce in a large sauce pan.
Fill a large pot half-way with water.
Bring the water to a boil; add risotto and cook for half of the time indicated on the package directions (it will continue to cook in the sauce and peppers).
Add the cheese to the sauce.
Add the Italian parsley.
Add the red pepper flakes.
Add salt and pepper and taste, taste, taste.
Add more of whatever you prefer for your own taste.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the pepper halves in a bread loaf (keeps them in place when snug in this pan).
Fill each pepper half with the stuffing.
Sprinkle more grated cheese on top of each stuffed pepper.
Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley (or after they're finished baking if you prefer).
Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 30 minutes.

Such rich colors of summer!

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Mediterranean Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini!

As peppers continue to ripen in the garden and the heat of August lingers on, it seemed wise to simply make another sandwich.  The only heat involved when making sandwiches the Italian way is inside a panini grill.  There's no heat from a stove or oven and there's no outdoor 90+ degree heat to swelter in next to a grill!  I am truly a whimp when it comes to high heat without a swimming pool!

Last week I was inspired by the open-faced Ratatouille Sandwich prepared by Jessica of Kitchen Belleicious.  We're both firm believers of recommending that you adjust recipes to make them more to your preferences.

Isn't that part of the fun of cooking?  And that's exactly what I did with this sandwich.

First of all, I am a very strange Italian in that I don't care for eggplant.  It's just all moosh to me!  Mr. M. and P. won't touch eggplant either, so we were in synchronized culinary unison on that ingredient to substitute.  But similar to Jessica's sammie, I stayed true to using Mediterranean flavors:  homemade pesto, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and Italian Fontina cheese.  I also added sliced pepperoncini to give the sandwiches an extra kick!  I had a marvelous Tomato Focaccia bread on hand which made the sandwiches irresistible!  After layering everything, I sprinkled the top with freshly minced oregano picked from the herb garden.

In a previous post, I roasted red peppers and yet in another post I marinated red peppers in a balsamic-olive oil-caper mixture.  Since the peppers stay fresh in the frig for a week or two, I had a few left over to use in this sandwich.  Bill and I always look for ways to use up everything that we've previously made so nothing is wasted.

As the sandwich sizzled inside the panini grill, the aroma from the melting cheese, pesto and balsamic vinegar was intoxicating!  We couldn't wait to bite in and savor.  The flavors are once again powerful and wonderful.  This is not your ordinary bland sandwich.

Above:  Pesto on the top left, beautiful fresh prosciutto on the right.  

Marinating roasted red peppers on the lower left and the sandwich grilling in the panini press on the lower right.  

Just before grilling and pressing, the sandwich looks huge!

Prosciutto, Red Pepper, and Pesto Panini
.
Pre-heat a panini grill to high.
Focaccia bread - use your favorite flavor combination; cut into sandwich sizes and then slice each horizontally in half.
Layer the bottom half with basil pesto.
Layer next with thinly sliced red onions.
Layer next with the roasted red peppers.
At this point, add some capers if you don't have the original marinade.
Layer next with the Fontina cheese (grated or sliced).
Layer next, sliced Italian pepperoncini.
Pile on 3 to 4 thin slices of prosciutto.
Sprinkle with minced oregano.
Cover with the top half of the foccacia.
Place the sandwich on a hot panini grill.
Slowly press down the top of the panini grill.
Grill on high for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

After grilling on the panini press, everything blends together for a toasty treat!

Our beautiful "Mowee" checking out the peppers from the garden.

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Roasting Red Peppers (and Green, Yellow, or Orange)!

Roasted red bell peppers are great to add a layer of extra flavor in sandwiches, panini, pasta recipes, salads, and the traditional Italian antipasto platter.  With the intent to continue to grow my own (you can't get any more local than your own backyard or patio/balcony), I've enjoyed roasting my own and freezing them in small quantities.  This way they are only an arm's length away to use throughout the colder months.

The actual roasting is a simple task, not hard at all, but there is a bit of work involved once they are finished roasting and cooling.  But it's so worth it!  Here's what you do:

Roasting Peppers:

Wash the peppers and if they are store-bought, remove the sticker labels.
If using a gas range, turn the burners on high and place the peppers directly onto the grates.
Using tongs, turn the peppers for an even char.
The peppers will hiss and bubble while the peppers' moisture evaporates.
If using a grill, the method is the same.
However, if you're like me and roast a lot of peppers at a time, then use the oven broiler setting.
In all options, make sure that you continually turn the peppers over to ensure even charring.

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven on "Broil".  

Arrange the peppers evenly on a baking sheet.

Place in the hot oven on the highest rack position.

Roast, while keeping a constant eye on them, turning them whenever necessary to prevent burning/complete blackening.

Once nicely roasted and charred all over, put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean paper bag.  

Do not open or the steam will come out.

Keep the peppers in the covered bowl or bag for 30 minutes to allow the steam to help loosen their peels which makes peeling them easier.

Once the peppers have cooled, cut off the tops of the peppers.
Cut into half and then into half again (quarters) . . . actually I simply pull them apart in sections where they 'naturally' separate into sections.
Remove the seeds.
Carefully peel or scrape off the charred skin with either your fingers or a sharp paring knife.
Discard all peels, tops, and seeds or put in your compost pile.

Do not rinse the peppers as the water diminishes the smoky flavor.
When the skins and seeds have been removed, cover the peppers with olive oil, adding garlic slices, herbs or capers if desired, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
To freeze, I don't put them in any oil.

Below, for freezing, use zip-lock freezer bags, indicate contents and date, insert the peppers only (no oil), press lightly to remove extra air, and seal.  Freeze.

A simply gorgeous bounty . . . and this is just one of about 5 harvests thus far!

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