New Recipe Night.. Moroccan-Styled Stuffed Peppers

OUT OF THE BOX!  Stuffed peppers...me cooking stuffed peppers...This must be some kind of Superman Bizarre-O world if I'm making stuffed peppers.  But it's not and I did!

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Peppers

1 8 to 10 oz bag microwavable brown rice

4 medium bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded

1 lb lean ground beef

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup currants (I left out)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable juice, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 tsp grated orange zest

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Heat rice accordin and g to directions.

2. Place pepper upside-down in a microwavable safe casserole dish just large enough to fit them.  Add 1/2 inch water to the dish and cover with a lid or inverted dinner plate.  Microwave on high until the pepper re tender but still hold their shape, 3 to 6 minutes.  Drain the water and turn the pepper right side up.

3. Meanwhile, cook beef and garlic in a large skillet, breaking up until no longer pink inside.  Stir in currants, cumin and cinnamon, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 30 secs more.  Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup vegetable juice, mint, orange zest, salt pepper.

4.  Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers.  Pour the remaining 2 cups of vegetable juice into the dish and cover.  Microwave on high until the juice and filling are hot, 2-3 minutes.  Serve the peppers with the sauce and garnish with mint.

We thought these were good, but not great.  The filling needed a little more spice and the sauce just tasted like vegetable juice.  I think we'll certainly have stuffed peppers again, but I might look for a spicer, taster filling.