Lamb and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are pretty versatile, beacuse you can stuff them with anything you want. Spiced lamb and rice mixture make a tasty, Mediterranean style starter.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. lean ground lamb
• 5 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3/4 C basmati or other white rice
• 1/4 C pignola (pine) nuts
• 2 Tbl. yellow raisins
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped coarsely
• 2 tsp. dried mint
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice, salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Water, lemon wedges for garnish
• 7 or 8 medium sweet peppers, any color or mixed

Method

1. Sauté onions in 3 Tblsp oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add rice and pine nuts. Cook and stir 5 minutes over low heat.
2. Add ingredients raisins thru black pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Add 1 1/4 C water and bring to boil.
3. Cook 12 minutes covered over low heat or until liquid are absorbed.
4. Meanwhile, brown lamb, drain and set aside.
5. Cut tops off stem end of each pepper, reserving the tops with stem on. Remove core and seeds. Mix rice and lamb.
6. Spoon this mixture into peppers and cover with reserved tops. Stand them in a baking dish in which they just fit.
7. Add 1 1/2 C hot water. Sprinkle peppers with remaining oil. Bake, covered at 350 F about 1 hour.
8. Serve hot or cold with lemon wedges

(Source:beekmanwine.com)