Lentil Kibbeh
BellaFina™ peppers may be used to create a wide variety of recipes, from appetizers to main dishes. BellaFina peppers are often used in salads, vegetables trays with or without dip, cooked in stews and sauces and stuffed with meat, cheese and grains.
Grown on the vine in the field, BellaFina peppers are a great source of vitamins and nutrients. They are low calorie, fat free, sodium free and high in Vitamin C.
Yield: 24 balls or 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 1/2 cups fine bulgur wheat
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
3 red Bellafina peppers, cored and minced*
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or less, depending on your preference)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste (I used 1 teaspoon)
For serving:
Chopped romaine lettuce
Fresh lemon juice
Plain yogurt
Instructions
Place 3 cups of water and 1 cup of red lentils into a medium pot and set over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 7 minutes, until most of the water has absorbed. Turn the heat to low, add the bulgur wheat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes while stirring intermittently. Once the bulgur is cooked and all of the water has absorbed, remove from heat to cool.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red Bellafina peppers, then cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne, and tomato paste. Add 3 tablespoons water, stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes.
Place the lentil mixture and the onion mixture into a large bowl, add the lentil mixture with the onion and red pepper paste. Stir together to combine, then set aside to cool completely for about 30 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled, add chopped green onion, fresh parsley and lemon juice. Stir together. Add salt, as needed, to taste.
Preheat the oven to 400°F then line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and roll into balls, arranging each one on the baking sheet at least an inch apart. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown. Serve with chopped romaine, fresh lemon juice, and plain yogurt for topping.
Notes
If you are able to find Middle Eastern red pepper paste, then you can omit the minced red Bellafina pepper, crushed red pepper and cayenne. Add the paste at the same time as the tomato paste while cooking the onion.
Slightly adapted from ohmyveggies.com