COMMENT:
Almost everyone I know in South Louisiana has a vegetable garden
and by the middle of summer we all have an abundance of fresh bell
peppers, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. Instead of canning or
giving away your extras, make dinner! Nothing tastes better than
vegetables at their peak of ripeness.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 eggplants, diced
- 3 whole green bell peppers
- 3 whole yellow bell peppers
- 3 whole red bell peppers
- 3 whole orange bell peppers
- 1 pound ground ground pork
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 tbsps diced garlic
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup claw crab
- 1 cup (90-110) shrimp
- 4 cups cooked rice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tops from the bell peppers
and clean the pulp from inside. In a large pot, place bell peppers
and top by 2 inches with lightly salted water. Bring to a low boil
and cook 5-8 minutes. Remove peppers from pot and cool under cold
tap water. In the same pot, boil diced eggplant until tender, approximately
10-15 minutes. Strain and reserve stock for later use. In a 5-quart
cast iron dutch oven, cook ground pork over medium-high heat. Continue
to stir and chop until meat begins to brown and render juices. Once
meat is golden brown, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic.
Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add stock
as needed to retain moisture. Add boiled eggplant, blend well into
the meat mixture and cook 15-20 additional minutes. Add shrimp and
cook until they just turn pink. Gently fold in crab meat and green
onions. Season to taste using salt and pepper. Stuff the mixture
into the bell peppers, place on a large baking sheet. Bake 15-20
minutes or until peppers are heated thoroughly. You may wish to
cook the stuffed peppers in a casserole dish, topped with your favorite
tomato or marinara sauce. |
