Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Spanish-style tapas, appetizer-sized portions that allow you savor a variety of flavors at a single meal. Piquillos are small, red, spicy-sweet roasted Spanish peppers; look for them in gourmet groceries...I've found them in Pensacola, FL.....so I'm sure they are available. I've also successfully subbed Cherry Bomb Peppers, grown abundantly here in the south and roasted them myself. This recipe also uses Spanish manchego cheese. Serving size is for tapas size servings, not main dish, although these could be served as a main dish.....just for 2 or 3.

• Ready In: 1 hr 3 mins
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄2 cup long grain brown rice
• 1⁄8 teaspoon saffron thread, crushed
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4 cup flat leaf parsley, fresh chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 10  piquillo peppers (about 1 7.76-ounce jar)
•  cooking spray
• 1⁄4 cup manchego cheese, shredded (1 ounce)
•  flat-leaf parsley sprig (optional)

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until done. Stir in chopped parsley, black pepper, salt, and tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. Spoon about 3 tablespoons rice mixture into each piquillo pepper. Place stuffed peppers in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Manchego cheese.
4. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until peppers are thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.