I am very fond of this stuffed vegetable recipe. A great way to use “not enough for everybody” supplies. Roasted chicken pieces are frequent leftovers in my kitchen. I personally prefer chicken instead of beef as it makes stuffed peppers much lighter. Spinach, provolone, and some handy tomato sauce add an all Italian touch to the whole affair. Best of all it takes 10 minutes to prepare the filling and another 35 minutes baking time. Colorful, delicious, perfect!
Yield: 4 servings as a side dish or appetizer
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 medium yellow peppers
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups (250 g) shredded roasted chicken leftovers
- 2 slices of smoked ham, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1/2 cup (75 g) finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cup (45 g) spinach, raw, well drained, loosely packed
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) homemade tomato marinara sauce
- 1 cup (100 g) chopped provolone cheese
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Line a baking sheet large enough to hold the peppers. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cut peppers lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Gently lower peppers into the water, making sure they are well covered. Parboil peppers for 2 minutes. Place peppers in a colander and run them under cold water to arrest cooking. Drain peppers on paper towels cut side down. Brush peppers skin side with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
In the meantime prepare the filling. Sauté onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the raw spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and most of the moisture is evaporated. Remove from heat. Let it cool a bit then add the cooked chicken, ham, tomato sauce, provolone, and oregano. Mix well. Taste for salt and pepper.
Stuff peppers with the chicken-spinach mixture. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for about 35 minutes.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
