Using Peppers in Cooking

Since the days of Christopher Columbus and his 1492 journey to America, the bell pepper has been used in European cooking to the great delight of connoisseurs and critics alike. Bell peppers are a great vegetable to use in cooking, because they are colorful, sweet, and have a variety of ways to cook them successfully.

One of the most popular ways to use peppers in cooking is creating some variation of stuffed peppers. Two of my favorite recipes for stuffed peppers include:

· Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

· Lamb stuffed Green Peppers

I chose these two recipes specifically so that there are a vegetarian option, rich in protein, and one meat dish, because in today's world, there are many diets to accommodate.

To make Black Bean Stuffed Peppers you need as many green bell peppers as people you are serving, as each person gets their own pepper. You will also need chicken broth, either homemade or store-bought, orange juice concentrate, half an onion, long grain rice, chili powder, one can of black beans, whole kernel corn, Monterey Jack cheese, and orange wedges. You may ask yourself why you need such a variety of ingredients, but this dish is a winner. Using a Dutch oven, halve the peppers, removing the inside, and place them in the boiling water. Let them simmer for 5 minutes or until they are tender. In another saucepan melt the orange juice, onions, rice, and chili powder. When cooked, add the beans and corn, cheese, and stuff each pepper with a liberal amount of stuffing and bake for 25 minutes.

To makes the Lamb Stuffed Green Peppers Recipes you need, again, as many green peppers as people, onions, tomatoes, basil, cooked lamb, rice, sugar, and lard. The process of cooking this dish is similar to the Black Bean Stuffed Peppers dish; however, you need to be a little more careful in cooking the meat and in the baking time. To prevent any unwanted bacteria, make sure the lamb is pre-cooked, and then baked the stuffing and peppers for at least 35 minutes, or until you know that everything has been cooked properly.