Whether or not you choose to carve cute faces into these Stuffed Peppers with Lamb and Pine Nuts, they are delicious. My kids kept trying to sneak bites of the filling as I was putting the peppers together this morning.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH LAMB AND PINE NUTS

1/2 cup rice

1 cup water

2 teaspoons salt, divided use

1 pound ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

freshly ground black pepper

5 bell peppers, cored

2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat oven to 350F.

Place rice, water and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a saucepan, heat to boiling. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir, cool and set aside.

Cook lamb in a large skillet until browned, stirring to break up. Add garlic and onion to the skillet, cook until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in pine nuts, and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice, coriander and crushed red pepper to the skillet, cook for 1 minute. Season with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper.

Cut eyes and mouth into bell peppers (if desired), and place in a baking dish. Fill with meat mixture and place tops back on the peppers.

Combine tomato sauce and chicken broth in a bowl, pour into dish. Cover and bake until peppers are tender, about 50 minutes.

Serve peppers with sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, October 2001

www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/