STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

■ 6 medium green peppers/12 small ones ■ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ■ 1 large onion, diced ■ 2 garlic cloves, minced ■ 1.5 cups Egyptian rice ■ 2 large tomatoes, or 1 ¾ cups of pureed tomatoes ■ 2 teaspoons tomato paste ■ 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

■ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

■ 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped ■ ½ teaspoon sumac ■ 1 teaspoon buharat ■ Salt ■ 1 ¼ cups of meat or chicken stock METHOD

■ Trim the peppers. De-stem the ends, reserving the caps, and scoop out the seeds. Wash them out and turn them upside down in a colander to dry.

■ Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the tomato juice is almost wholly absorbed. ■ Fold in the dill, parsley, cilantro,

sumac, buharat, and salt. Remove from heat and let cool.

■ Stuff the peppers 2/3 full with the rice mixture. Arrange in a deep pot standing up, side by side, covered with the caps.

■ Bring the stock to a boil and taste for salt. Pour most of the liquid around the peppers and drizzle the rest inside the peppers.

■ Cover the pot and cook on high heat for 20 minutes, using tongs to remove the caps and baste once with the stock. Or bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30–40 minutes.

■ Serve with the caps on.