Polenta-Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

I have had an abundance of pimento peppers this year and have been unsure how to use them. I came across this recipe in Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson and thought I would give it a try. It was my first time making polenta & I think it tasted great!

POLENTA-STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
1 Tablespoon corn oil
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
4 large bell peppers
1/3 cup oil-packed or rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cups minced onion
1 garlic clove
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil leaves
freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan combine the water, salt and corn oil and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gradually whisk in the cornmeal, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes. remove from the heat and set aside.

Note: Just shake a little cornmeal in at a time. I dumped 3/4 of a cup in there and created WAY more work for myself. I had to stir a ton to eliminate the clumps. Then I followed the directions and added a little at a time. Also, If the heat is too high the polenta will bubble, splatter and burn your cute hands. Please be careful.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. slice off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. plunge the peppers into a pot of boiling water and cook slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water with tongs and set aside, cut side down, to drain.

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, chop, and set aside.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

In a large bowl combine the polenta, onion mixture, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well. 

Fill the peppers with the polenta mixture and place upright in a baking dish. Add a few tablespoons of water to the baking dish, cover, and bake until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is hot, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

I changed a few things in this recipe. I reduced the salt to 3/4 of a teaspoon. I used 7 pimento peppers and one bell pepper. Also, 3 T of olive oil seemed a bit much to me. I used 1/2 of a tablespoon of oil and added 1 T of water to help cook the onions. We like a lot of garlic, so I chopped up three cloves instead of one.