Anna Sultana's Bzar Ahdar Mimli - Stuffed Green Peppers, Maltese Style

A few days ago I posted about Ma's Qarabali Mimli.

Ma always prepared stuffed vegetables.

Her motto was 'have bread crumbs, will stuff.'

The only vegetable Ma didn't stuff was…

No, I've seen her stuff that, too.

At least twice.

Some vegetables, like Qarabali Mimli, could be turned into a total meal.

Some vegetables just became heftier side dishes.

All were good.

Ma's Bżar Aħdar Mimli - Stuffed Green Peppers - were of the latter type.

To Ma stuffing was just a different way of using some of Pop's garden produce.

Pop stuck to basics: tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers.

And Ma had a few recipes for each vegetable.

If you're shopping at a grocery store, you might find red, yellow and green bell peppers being sold together and called traffic light peppers.

You could pick up a few packs for this recipe.

The kids might enjoy the variety of colour.

Or they might fight over the yellow peppers.

So it goes.

If the kids are in that stage of life, stick to the green peppers.

Yes, they'll outgrow it.

                       Bżar Aħdar Mimli

Serves 4

grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan         

preheat oven to 350º        

bake 35 minutes

Fry

100 grams ground pork

In a large bowl place the stuffing ingredients

150 grams white bread, crumbled

4 Tablespoons milk

1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

The fried ground pork

Combine well.

Cut off the tops of

8 large green peppers

Set aside the pepper tops.

Scoop out the core and seeds and rinse.

Parboil the peppers for 3 minutes.

Fill the peppers with the bread / pork mixture.

Replace the tops and place the peppers in the prepared pan.

Pour around the peppers

1 Cup water

Bake about 35 minutes, until the peppers are soft.

Serve on a bed of rice or with pasta.

Roasted potatoes would also go well with the green peppers.