Smoky Red Peppers Stuffed with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Pine Nuts

This dish came about because I had a little bit of leftover filling from making the stuffed eggplant this weekend and didn’t know what to do with it. When I saw the peppers in the refrigerator I knew they would be the perfect vessel to hold the filling. I used the smoker because I didn’t put it away from making the smoked mushrooms yesterday. You could just as easily bake this in a 350-degree oven. I included wilted spinach and golden raisins to give this dish a touch of southern Italy.

Smoky Red Peppers Stuffed with Tofu Ricotta, Spinach and Pine Nuts
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wood chips
2 medium red peppers (I used 1 purple and 1 red)
6 cups of baby spinach, raw
2 tablespoons of golden raisins
4 tablespoons of tofu, firm
½ tablespoon of raw cashews
½ garlic clove
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak your wood chips for at least an hour so that they are thoroughly saturated when you begin smoking.

Cut the peppers in half top to bottom. Remove the seeds and veins. If the peppers won’t sit upright make a tin foil snake to cradle the peppers in while they are being smoked.

Rough chop the baby spinach and sauté until it is wilted. Rough chop the golden raisins. You want each raisin to be cut once. Add the raisins to the spinach and move everything to wire sieve. Press down on the spinach and raisin mixture to remove as much water as possible. You can also squeeze it dry in your hands.

To make the filling, put the tofu, cashews and garlic into the food processor and process until it is smooth. Put the tofu mixture into a bowl. Add the pine nuts, and spinach and stir to thoroughly combine.

Place the filling evenly into the peppers.

Drain the wood chips and place them in the bottom of your smoker. Put the peppers (in the smoker tray on the rack) on top of the wood chips. Close the smoker and turn the heat on high for 5 minutes. After five minutes reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes. Then you want to check the filling to see if it has firmed up a little (like a frittata). It will still be a soft (like a cheese) but will have become a cohesive mass.

Your peppers will give off a little liquid while cooking. Use your finger to keep the filling in the pepper and pour off the liquid while the peppers are still hot. I found they were cool enough to pick up in about five minutes. Cool the peppers to room temperature and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

I served these cold on top of greens dressed with lemon. They would also be good warm or hot, but I wanted them to top a salad.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 297.95
Calories From Fat (42%) - 125.96

Total Fat - 15.05g
Saturated Fat - 1.43g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 234.12mg
Potassium - 1159.75mg
Total Carbohydrates - 24.38g
Fiber - 6.45g
Sugar - 13g
Protein - 23.27g

Comments:

This recipe turned out well. It was lightly smoky and flavorful. Golden raisins added a little sweetness in random bites. The cooking method kept the pepper crisp. The filling was rich and creamy and very much like cheese. Overall I am very pleased with this dish. I had it today for lunch on top of lettuce that was dressed with a little lemon juice and that acid helped to cut through the fat of the filling.