Stuffed bell peppers are my idea of a Sunday supper. Add braised spring Vidalia onions that are smothered in cream and well…………I just want Sundays to come more often than once a week. Having finally made my way to the Charleston Farmer’s Market this season, I had to come home with an armful of bright green Vidalia onion bulbs that were grown locally.

I knew instantly how I wanted to prepare the spring onions and set out to fix a good Southern dinner. Weight loss has had precedent in my home, so except for an occasional dessert; Southern cooking has had to take a back seat in favor of high protein low-calorie bland choices.

Please know that I have missed eating my Southern food, but have certainly welcomed the considerable weight loss that I have attained this winter. Now my challenge is to cook Southern again while maintaining my trim figure that I use to manage so easily while in my 40’s. Trimming calories without compromise is foremost in my mind as I set out to cook Southern again.

I have had plenty of stuffed peppers, but this dish is set apart from the rest. No surprises here, as the author is none other than Scott Peacock & Miss Edna Lewis. The peppers were light and full of subtle flavors, with mint being the big surprise. I was left regretting that I did not make a double batch to have cold for lunch the next day.

 

Braised spring Vidalia onions were well………let’s just say light, clean, full of flavor with the cream just barely coating each onion, glistening on the dish. Mouth watering, I find myself drooling just thinking about them. If you don’t like stuffed peppers, do make the braised onions. Most importantly, don’t skimp buying spring onions from the grocery market. Nothing less than freshly picked local will do for this dish, and if you can’t find them locally you must do yourself a favor and find them while in season. This is not to be missed.

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

 Adapted- Scott Peacock & Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

¼ cup olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 medium sweet onions, chopped (2 ½ cups)

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped (2 cups)

2 large carrots, chopped (2 cups)

28 oz cans chopped tomatoes, drain & reserve juice

6 bell peppers, green, red, yellow or a mix

1 lb ground beef

½ cup torn mint leaves

 

Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan, pour in the rice, and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, until the grains are coated and glistening, about 2 minutes.
Add ½ teaspoon of the salt and water, cover tightly, and cook over low heat till done, about 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool some.

Meanwhile, heat all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining salt, a generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper, the chopped onions, bay leaves and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the celery and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them with a fork then add ½ cup of the tomato juice. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Using a sharp knife cut each pepper in half, and then carefully remove the stem from each end.

Wash and remove the seeds. Blanch the peppers in a large pot of boiling water for two minutes. Remove and drain the peppers on paper towel and allow the peppers to briefly cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef and mint flakes, breaking up the meat in the bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and 1 cup of fluffed rice and mix together in a gentle manner.
Stuff the peppers with a generous amount of the mixture and place side by side in a baking dish.

Bake in a hot oven for 45 minutes, making sure that they are nice and brown on top.  

 

 Braised Spring Vidalia Onions

 

Adapted- Scott Peacock & Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking

 

2 large bunches spring Vidalia onions

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream
Wash and trim the onions carefully, removing any dirt and leaving about 6 inches of the green. If your bulbs are large like mine, cut them into halves or fourths.

Heat the butter in a large skillet until foaming but not brown and add the onions.

Roll them around in the skillet till they are coated all over. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and then add the stock and cover.

Cook over very low heat, shaking the pan or tossing the onions every once in awhile till they are tender, about 5-7 minutes till most of the liquid is gone.
Add the cream and turn up heat cooking briskly, till the cream thickens glazing the onions. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.