RECIPE: Mom Shoupe’s Hungarian Stuffed Peppers

¼ cup regular rice

1 small onion, diced (1 ¼ cup)                                    1 ½ cups water

1 tablespoon butter or margarine                                1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon salt                                                                        ¼ teaspoon pepper

6 medium size green peppers                                      ¼ cup butter or ½ stick margarine

2 tablespoons all purpose flour                                   2 teaspoons sugar

1 ½ cups tomato puree                                                2 tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1)      In a large skillet - sauté onion in the 1 tablespoons butter or margarine until soft. Add rice; cook over low heat, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in ½ cup of the water, cook until rice is almost tender (about 10 minutes).

2)      Remove skillet from heat; add meat, ½ teaspoon of the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, mixing thoroughly.

3)      Wash green peppers; cut off tops; scoop out seeds and membranes. Stuff loosely with rice-meat mixture.

4)      Melt the ¼ cup butter or margarine in a small, heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Stir in flour, sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Slowly stir in tomato puree, remaining 1 cup water and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth.

5)      Stand filled peppers upright in the tomato sauce; cover. Simmer, over low heat until the peppers are tender, about 1 hour. Serve with crusty French bread, if you wish. Makes 6 servings.