Daring Cooks April 2011 Challenge: Edible Containers (savory)

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

Mandatory Items: To make a SAVORY edible container and fill it with something appropriate.

TWSF decided to make stuffed peppers and tomatoes for this challenge. Although we were not crazy with the results, we were pressed for time and couldn’t come up with a better dish. See below for recipe details, and we’ll try to include directions for what we would use next time... jump to the second recipe for an even better dish!

Stuffed Peppers/Tomatoes (whichever you prefer)

Ingredients
3 large red peppers or 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dried bread crumbs (I think next time we’ll substitute this with cooked orzo)
⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese (we should have added more)
¼ pound smoked sausage
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut the tops off the peppers/tomatoes and scoop out the insides.

3. In a skillet, cook the sausage breaking it into small pieces. Once cooked, set aside.

4. Using the same skillet, saute garlic and onions until onions are translucent in olive oil over medium heat.

5. Mix sauteed onions and garlic, sausage, ½ cup cheese, oregano, and bread crumbs in a bowl. Fill peppers/tomatoes with mixture. Top with leftover cheese.

6. Lightly grease a small baking dish with olive oil. Set stuffed peppers/tomatoes in the pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

UPDATE:
Upon seeing the distress in my introductory paragraph, my good friends KK and Julie provided me with a tried and true stuffed peppers recipe. I trust their cooking, so give this recipe a whirl:

Ingredients
3 huge red peppers
1 cup quinoa
½ onion, diced
2 cups baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 cup Parmesan, grated
¼ bread crumbs (optional)

Directions
1. Bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Saute onions, baby spinach, and garlic in a pan over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Mixed the quinoa with the onions, spinach and garlic. Sprinkle with Parmesan (save a little for later) and stir. Feel free to throw in any spices/herbs you like at this point (recommendations: oregano, basil, salt, pepper, etc.).

4. Cut stems off the peppers and scoop out insides.

5. Stuff peppers with quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and a little bit of bread crumbs.

6. Bake in a baking dish at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.