Ớt Chuông Nhồi Tôm và Thịt (Stuffed Bell Peppers with Shrimps and Pork)

Since this is our first season with an abundance of bell peppers in our vegetable garden, I have to come up with some dishes to take advantage of these wonderfully tangy, crunchy,  juicy vegetables packed with powerful antioxidants and full of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

I have always wondered why green peppers are so much cheaper than the red, yellow and orange peppers; I finally did some research and found out that green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than red, yellow or orange peppers.  Compared to green peppers, red peppers have more vitamins and nutrients and contain the antioxidant lycopene. The level of carotene, another antioxidant, is nine times higher in red peppers. Red peppers also have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers. 

Luckily, our bell pepper plants produce a variety of sweet orange and yellow bell peppers so this is perfect for my Ớt Chuông Nhồi Thịt và Tôm. Oh the combination of shrimps and pork mixed in the fish sauce, seasoned with fresh garlic, spring onion, black pepper, and other essentail ingredients such as sesame oil produces a distinctively delightful, sweet and nutty in aroma sure to make your mouth water. 

This dish will not only pack your palate with full of flavors, it can also do wonders for your health by ways of the vitamins and antioxidants; These bell peppers are not hot, so my kids enjoyed them as much as the rest of us.

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RECIPE: Ớt Chuông Nhồi Thịt

Ingredients

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6 bell peppers (any color), stems and seeds removed, cut in half
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil

Filling

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound  shrimps, shelled and deveined, cut into half inch pieces

3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 white parts of spring onion (củ trắng của hành lá), finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion

1/2 - 1 teaspoon  pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon  paprika

1 tablespoon sesame oil

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Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well.  I didn't have time to measure everything while preparing this dish, therefore, this recipe doesn't have correct measurements so make sure to adjust the seasonings.  You can give it a taste by cooking or microwaving a teaspoon of the mixture, then adjust the ingredients to your liking. 

Fill bell peppers with pork mixture.  Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top.  Brush olive oil all over the bell peppers and the top to prevent it from shriveling up.   

Place bell peppers in a baking tray and bake, uncovered for about 20  minutes in the preheated oven.  During the baking process,brush oil on the bell peppers to keep it from being dried. Turn the oven to Broil and broil it on high for a few minutes or until the top is a little bit golden brown. Serve hot.

Enjoy !