Stuffed Tomatoes Inside Stuffed Bell Peppers
Did you ever get a box-in-a-box-in-a-box kind of present? Usually the layers are pretty boxes and paper that end up in the trash can after being torn apart. I think that’s a shame and I wanted to make you a present with pretty boxes that you would want to keep and enjoy as much as the present itself 
This recipe is also on its way to Original Recipes. If you’d like to join the fun with your own culinary concoctions, please send me your entries before September 15th to make it to this month’s round-up. You can check out the details here.
Ingredients
- • 3 large orange bell peppers
- • 3 tomatoes (small enough to fit inside the bell peppers)
- • 2 Tbsp rice
- • 50 g canned sliced mushrooms
- • 1 ½ small onion
- • 150 g boneless and skinless chicken breast
- • ½ large handful of fresh parsley
- • 1/8 tsp whole caraway seeds
- • Salt - to taste
- • Freshly ground pepper mix (black, white, red and green) - to taste
- • 3 dried bay leaves (one for each bell pepper)
Directions
Remove the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers but reserve the tops after you’ve discarded the seeds as you will need them later. Slice one end off the tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Chop the insides up and reserve half of it.
Wash the chicken breast and cut it into 1 cm thick sticks. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper mix. Chop up the parsley leaves and half an onion and mix well with the chicken pieces.
Drain the mushrooms and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
Collect the rice in a tiny mixing bowl, add the reserved chopped tomato and stir. I must admit I’m not big on salt (unless it comes form Feta ) but if you like your dishes to be more on the salty side, you can add some salt to the rice mixture.
Sprinkle caraway seeds inside each tomato and stuff them with the chicken and onion mixture.
Place a bay leaf inside each bell pepper then stick one layer of mushroom slices on the inside walls of one of them. You just need to press them gently against the bell pepper. However some slices will fall off, but you really don’t need to worry about that. Pour in 1/3 of the rice mixture then place a stuffed tomato inside the bell pepper. Press gently to partially squeeze it into the rice mixture. Repeat with the remaining bell peppers and stuffed tomatoes.
Transfer the stuffed bell peppers to a pot and make sure they aren’t too loose. It’s best to choose a pot that keeps them pretty firmly packed. Add the onion and pour water around the bell peppers (you don’t want any of that water to get inside them) leaving about 2 cm of the bell peppers uncovered. Place the reserved tops on each of them and bring your pot to a boil. Simmer (you don’t want fast and furious bubbles throwing water inside your stuffed peppers so you just need to cook it on a very low flame) for 40-50 minutes.
Remove from the flame and transfer them to serving dishes. Discard the water only after you got the bell peppers out of the pot. Serve hot.
Bon appétit! Hope you like them 
Wow that looks awesome.
what a pretty color contrast!
Cute! It’s like preagnant peppers!
Omg what a marvelous idea!
Nice, I love this! It’s a present inside of a present
I like the texture and flavor contrasts, you are sooo good with your veggies!
It looks great and your presentation as well is great.
Come to my blog! You won an award!
Quite pretty and colorful, though I know I can come here for an array of colors to tempt me. Good food as well! Thanks, Lore.
That’s so pretty Lore. Only you would think of something amazing like tht!
That’s just a cool trick! I love that and the presentation is just right on!
So clever and adorable and tasty looking!
how awesome can you be… great idea Lore…
LOL, yes years ago and I remember how irritated I was receiving big box with lots of boxes inside. However, I wouldn’t mind to receive your tasty stuffed bell pepper!
Nice, this is a very original idea. I am loving it!
What a pretty picture that makes!
Very creative! And mighty tasty too I bet. Love the colors…
Mmm, its like turducken…. excepts, its, stufeppmatoes… Lol… google turkducken and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
They look fabulous btw.
this reminds me of those dolls that have miniature version after miniature version contained within. i greatly prefer this to those. greatly prefer.
mmm yum! that is exactly the ype of gift i love
looks delicious and so clever!
lovely idea.
Hi Lore! I have an award for you! Stop by and pick it up!
As for the post, the picture is beautiful and the idea is pure genius. It sounds like fun!
I love the contrast in color with these! Such a great and creative way to use veggies
Wow, what a pretty dish! I love the colors, great idea!
Very cute - I’d put a mild chili pepper in the middle too
You have completely blown my mind! I love stuffed peppers and I love stuffed tomatoes but never ever thought about combining them. In the words of the Guinness guys: Brilliant!!
What a cute idea!
Great idea. It gives you lots of veggies in one sitting, but it’s just plain fun!
This must be one of the most beautiful photos that I have seen in a long time….Wow!
Great idea! Bet when you served this you got lots of ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’!
Lore, what a great idea, I simply love it!