812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 28,1989
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Microwaved stuffed green pep
pers make an ideal entree for
autumn meals. Because of quick
cooking, the beautiful bell peppers
lay vibrant green and fresh
tasting.
' Instead of banking for an hour,
turning olive green and losing fla
vor, stuffed peppers microwave in
10 to 12 minutes, keeping their
garden-fresh looks and taste.
Some cooks just cut off the top
fourth of the pepper and fill the
rest with stuffing. I’ve always
liked to cut peppers in half and
mound stuffing into each half. I
don’t know why I do it that way
perhaps because my Mom
always did but I find my
method has advantages for micro
wave cooking. The smaller size
means peppers cook faster and
more evenly.
Once the peppers are stuffed,
arrange them in a ring-shape in the
baking dish for the most even
cooking. Rotate the dish once dur
ing cooking.
Use waxed paper as a cover
with hamburger-stuffed peppers.
Waxed paper holds in some heat
for even cooking, yet allows some
moisture to escape for a more
baked result. Notice that for
Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers
(below), plastic wrap is the cover.
That’s because the instant rice
must steam in order to tenderize.
If you prefer more tender green
peppers in Pizza Meatloaf Stuffed
Peppers, precook peppers accord
ing to directions following the
recipe. Notice the plastic wrap
cover for precooking which
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MICROWAVE
MINUTES
By JOYCE BATTCHER
holds in heat and steams the pep
pers. You’ll find the peppers in the
rice-stuffed recipe are more tender
and will not need precooking.
Pizza Meatloaf
Stuffed Peppers
3 medium green bell peppers
1 pound lean ground beef
'A cup oatmeal (not instant)
'A cup chopped fresh tomato
A cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons milk
Vi teaspoon Italian seasoning
'A teaspoon chili powder
'A teaspoon salt (optional)
A teaspoon garlic powder
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cup peppers in half crosswise;
remove core and seeds. Place pep
pers cut side up in a circle,
with center open, in microwave
safe 8-inch round or square dish.
Set aside.
Combine ground beef, oatmeal,
tomato, onion, milk, Italian sea
soning, chili powder salt and garl
ic powder. Mix well. Fill pepper
shells with meat mixture, mound
ing mixture on top. Cover with
wax paper. Microwave (High) 9 to
12 minutes, rotating dish once.
Sprinkle with cheese; cover with
plastic wrap. (Cheese won’t stick
to the plastic wrap.) Let stand 5
minutes. Makes 3 to 6 servings.
Note: Peppers will be tender
crisp. For tender peppers, place
peppers, unstuffed, in cooking
dish; cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave (High) 2 to 3 minutes
or until tender-crisp. Add meat
mixture and condnue as above.
Each serving l/6th of recipe:
205 calories, 17g protein, 12g fat,
8g carbohydrate, 73mg sodium,
52mg cholesterol.
Chicken and Rice
Stuffed Peppers
2 large green bell peppers
1 can (6 3 / oz.) chunk chicken
or turkey, undrained
1 package (4.5 oz.) chicken
flavored rice mix*
1 cup hot water
Grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika
Cut peppers in half crosswise;
remove core and seeds. Place pep
pers cut side up in a circle,
with center open, in microwave
safe 8-inch round or square dish.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a fork,
break undrained chicken into bite
size pieces. Add rice mix (with
seasoning packet) and hot water;
stir well. Spoon mixture into each
pepper half, dividing mixture (sol
ids and liquid) evenly among pep
pers. Cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave (High) 9 to 12
minutes, rotating dish once. L?t
stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
Parmesan; then with paprika.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
♦Choose a quick-cooking rice
mix that makes 4 servings and
microwaves in no more than 15
minutes. Use about 3 /< of the water
called for on package directions
and microwave slightly less time
than package directs.
Note: Peppers will be fork
tender after cooking.
Each serving % of recipe;
243 calories, 17g protein, 9g fat,
25g carbohydrate, 843 mg (sodium
amount depends mostly on rice
mix), 34mg cholesterol.
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Questions and Answers
Q. Can you tell me how to
change larger recipes to two
servings?
A. It’s easiest to explain using a
four-serving recipe as an example.
Divide ingredients in half. Use a
smaller cooking dish, especially
for delicate foods, foods that can’t
be stirred, and for micro-baking.
In a too-large dish, food spreads
out and is likely to overcook on
comers. Use same power setting
and kind of cover as in original
recipe.
To figure cooking time, divide
the minimum four-serving cook
ing time in half. Total microwave
time is usually half or slightly
more than half of the original
minimum time. There are excep
tions: some foods, like rice or pas
ta, which need time to tenderize,
may take about three-fourths of
the original (four-serving) cook
ing time.
The first time you try a recipe,
microwave slightly less than you
hink you should. Stop to stir, rear
•ange or rotate slightly more than
n original recipe. Be sure to write
he cooking time and any special
Erections by your original recipe.
Q. How do you melt choco
ate? I’m not sure what I’m
loing wrong, but it doesn’t seem
o melt right for me.
A. The kind of chocolate can
nake a difference. I’m assuming
/ou used chocolate chips or candy
:oating. If either are overheated
hey become stiff and impossible
o work with. Adding a small
mount of shortening (not butter,
margarine or liquid) and stirring
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can often restore the chocolate to a
workable state.
If you add liquid to chocolate or
if the dish for melting or spoon for
stirring are moist, the chocolate
will harden.
“Real” chocolate chips melt
well, but imitation ones don’t melt
in the microwave. However, you
can use part real and part imitation
chips or you can melt imitation
with other ingredients that melt
well alone such as peanut but
ter or butter.
Questions for Joyce?
Do you have a question about
microwave cooking? Send it to
Microwave Minutes, % Extra
Newspaper Features, P.O. Box
6118, Rochester, MN 55903.
Please include a self-addressed,
stamped, business-size envelope.
Recipes in this column are
tested in 600- and 650-watt micro
wave ovens. With an oven of dif
ferent wattage output, timings
may need slight adjustment
Joyce Battcher is an Independent
home economist microwave specialist.
She is author of “Microwave Family
Favorites” and editor of “A Batch of
Ideas” newsletter.
©1989 Extra Newspaper Features
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