Don't Even Ask Me To Bake

Last night was one of those nights where the boy had to work late. Now nights like these make me uber happy, so happy that I even had the bubbly urge to stop at the neighbors "produce stand" and pick up some greenery (since greenery is good for you and all). Four peppers later, I was on my way home with stuffed peppers on my mind and a hard on for some cheesy, greasy, ricey goodness.

So there I am, a glass of red wine in one hand, a bottle of Worcestershire in the other and I'm stoked; stoked that the kitchen is all MINE and stoked that I'm doing something nice (me? nice? We'll need proof of that m'am...) Well, Boyfriend comes in and lights up. You would have thought that he came in to find me laying around in a Princess Leia costume, calling him Jabba and asking that he spank me repeatedly with a stick of sausage. But no... alas, that's not where this story is headed.

We sit down for dinner:

Me: "Aren't you a lucky man? You come home from a hard day of work and you get to sit down to a fabulously prepared meal"

Boyfriend: "I know, its wonderful! You know... when we first started dating you used to cook dinner for me almost every night"

Me: "....THAT is because I was competing with your mother...."


My Recipe for Stuffed Peppers:

Ingredients:
4 Peppers
1-1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef (I prefer 80/20, but to each their own)
1/2 of a Large Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
2 Cloves Fresh Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Rice (not instant: must be the hardcore do-it-yourself kind)
1/2 Cup Water
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Worcestershire Sauce (To Taste)
Salt (To Taste)
Pepper (To Taste)

1. Cut the heads off the peppers and remove the guts. Place peppers in a pot of boiling water (Note: to make this easier on yourself make sure that as much of the peppers are submerged as possible)

2. In a medium frying pan (must have a lid! don't get caught lidless), combine the Ground Beef, Onion, Garlic and Worcestershire Sauce.

3. Once the meat is browned and smells yummy, take off the burner, drain some of the grease (not all) and add the Diced Tomatoes, Rice, Water and more Worcestershire sauce.
Important Note: Make sure that all the rice is submerged in the liquid, you don't want to have crunchy rice stuck in your pepper or no one will like you)

4. Place the Meat/Rice Concoction back on the burner and bring to a boil. Once you reach a boil, turn the temperature down to Low, cover and leave alone.

5. You get a break now, go have a glass of wine and make sure you pre-heat the oven to 350.

6. Once the peppers can be pierced with a fork, but aren't too mushy, remove them from the pot and place in a casserole dish or on a cookie sheet or on tin foil (if you're desperate).

7. Sprinkle the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper.

8. During this time, you should check the Meat/Rice Concoction. By now, the rice should be fluffy, delicious and there shouldn't be much (if any) liquid left over. If the rice is crunchy, add more water and allow to simmer longer. If there is too much water, drain and simmer. If all is well, remove and combine the Meat/Rice Concoction with a half cup of Cheddar Cheese (you can add more cheese if you like, I do!)

9. Scoop the Meat/Rice Concoction into the peppers. Top off the peppers with more cheese and place in the oven. In about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted, remove the peppers and allow to cool.

1o. Eat, Enjoy, Have More Wine and/or Funny Conversations with your Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Lover/F*ck Buddy, etc..