Hey folks! I thought I was running behind on posting this since it is more of a cozy food and didn’t seem so springy…but, today we are having a rainy, cold day so I am popping it up in case any of you need something cozy.

My neighbor Erika is Hungarian and since she arrived here in Bern I have begged her to teach me some of her recipes. When we meet in the yard in the afternoons to watch the kids play I always ask what she’s cooking for dinner. So, one afternoon she popped over and we made stuffed peppers together. They weren’t super hard to do and were so delicious!

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers

(via Erika Woodard)

Ingredients:

4-6 peppers, any color will work! 

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

oil

Saute onion in oil, add garlic as onions get close to being translucent. 

1 1/2 lbs ground pork/beef blend   

1/2 cup raw rice 

1 egg

small spoon of paprika…Hungarian of course! Kidding, any kind will work!

Salt and Pepper to taste

1-2 stalks of celery to place in the pot while you simmer and then can remove before simmering

Mix raw meat, raw rice, egg and paprika and stuff into peppers. Do not stuff too tightly because the rice will expand. 

Mix one small can of tomato paste and 1 tsp sugar with enough water to cover the peppers in a pot on the stove.  Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer on low for 30-45 minutes checking to see when the peppers are tender and the meat inside is done.

If you need to thicken the sauce at the end make a thickener with by cooking 3 T. flour mixed with 3 T. oil. Boil until thick.

Next she has to teach me cabbage rolls!  A few weeks after we made the peppers I had a cabbage and some peppers in the fridge. I ended up basically making a stuffed pepper soup instead and added cabbage for some extra vitamins.  So, if you are intimidated by the stuffing of peppers make a soup! Instead of rice in the soup we served ours over rice. The soup means you don’t have to stress about if the meat in the peppers is cooked!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

via kristen kolb…made up from a combination of recipes

1 lb ground beef (you can use what you have if you have a blend that is fine too)

3 peppers, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 can diced tomatoes

1/2 small cabbage sliced into thin slices

4 cups low sodium beef broth, add or subtract if you like it soupier.  

1/4 cup tomato paste 

1 T paprika

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat with onions and garlic. remove to a bowl. Add small amount of oil and saute the chopped peppers and cabbage. When the peppers are tender and the cabbage is beginning to wilt add back the meat, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, broth and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Allow it to simmer on low for 25-30 mins. Serve over rice or by itself.