This recipe utilizes fall in-season local produce from the Pacific Northwest to create a twist on a traditional Lebanese dish. In the PNW peppers are available well into the fall, and so instead of creating this meal with the traditional grape leaves, we have substituted them for bell peppers!
We partnered with Pacific Coast Harvest (PCH), a local produce delivery service, to bring you this recipe! We love PCH because they not only make it easy to get fresh produce to your home here in the greater Seattle area, but they work closely with farmers across the Pacific Coast which allows us to support our local agriculture. If you’re looking to eat more micronutrient dense and in-season local produce, we highly recommend giving Pacific Coast Harvest a try!
This recipe is a fun take on a traditional dish eaten in the Lebanese culture. Typically it is made using grape leaves rather than bell peppers, but not only are peppers in season but they’re a bit more kid-friendly. I’ve found that grape leaves are more of an acquired taste (even I didn’t like them as a kid and I grew up eating them!) Hopefully you find this take on the dish a bit easier and more appealing! Just about every item used to make this meal came from Pacific Coast Harvest. This includes items even down to the olive oil and salt! You can find details about those items below after the recipe.
Ingredients for Bell Peppers
3 Bell Peppers
1 lb ground beef or lamb
1 cup of rice
1 tbs pine nuts
1/2 an onion
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
Ingredients for Tabouleh
1/2 cup of farro (you can substitute for quinoa if desired)
1 bunch of parsley (about 2 cups)
1 bunch of mint (about 1/3 cup)
1 Roma tomato
1 green onion (with the white portion as well)
1/3 cup cucumber
1 tbs olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions for Stuffed Bell Peppers
Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and then slice each pepper in half.
Place each pepper cut side down in a baking dish or casserole dish that has been sprayed with olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and once at temp, place the dish with the bell peppers inside to bake for 15 minutes.
While the peppers are pre-cooking, cook the rice like normal and then set aside to cool.
While the rice is cooking and peppers are pre-baking, chop half of the onion and toss into a large pan on the stove with some olive oil. Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent.
Once the onions have become soft, add in the pine nuts to toast. You may want to turn the heat down a bit as you toast them so they don’t burn.
Once the pine nuts are toasted, add in the ground beef or lamb, as well as the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Cook the meat thoroughly until browned.
Once the peppers have cooked for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool so that they can be handled.
Once the meat has cooked, pour it into a large mixing bowl, and add in the rice. Mix until well combined.
Once the peppers have cooled, place the peppers cut side up in the pan, and fill each with some of the meat and rice mixture. You may have some leftover (which makes great leftovers!)
Place the baking dish with the stuffed bell peppers into the oven at 350 and let them bake for 30 minutes.
Optional: while the peppers are cooking, you can make the tabouleh.
Instructions for Tabouleh
Cook the farro according to the instructions on the bag, and set aside to cool. Do not add to the tabouleh until it has cooled entirely.
Roughly chop the parsley and set aside in a large bowl.
Roughly chop the mint and add to the bowl of parsley.
If making ahead, stop here. If making right before serving, continue.
Chop the tomato into small cubes and toss into the bowl of parsley/mint.
Chop the cucumber into cubes and add to the tabouleh mixture.
Chop the green onion, including the white of the onion, and toss into the tabouleh.
Gently pour the olive oil over the tabouleh, squeeze the juice of the lemon over top, add the pinch of salt and pepper, and toss the salad together.
I like to serve these two dishes together to make a meal. It’s filled with plenty of micronutrients, fiber, and has a nice balance of protein, carbs, and dietary fats. I chose to make this dish with ground beef, but it would be delicious (and in my opinion better) with ground lamb, however not everyone appreciates lamb so beef is a great alternative.
In this recipe, I chose to use an olive oil from PCH that is infused with Meyer Lemons! It’s a lovely olive oil by 11Olives that you can add to your produce box delivery via PCH. I also used sea salt from San Juan Island Sea Salt, which I also received in my weekly produce box. This is a super special salt because it is made by only sea water and sun. The entire process is eco friendly and so fascinating! You can read more about how they make their sea salt on their website, and can add a few of their unique salt blends even to your box. (Plus being big fans of the San Juan Islands here in the PNW this salt is a treat!)
The vast majority of this meal was made from items I received in my weekly produce box. The only items used outside of those were the beef, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pine nuts. Beyond fresh fruits and vegetables, Pacific Coast Harvest also offers pantry items like the above olive oil and sea salt, as well as the farro I used in the tabouleh, and items such as chocolates, dried beans, and cold brew to name a few. We love being able to try unique items even outside of the local produce!
Be sure to tag us if you try out this recipe, and let us know if you give Pacific Coast Harvest a try!
Commentaires