Stuffed peppers with a spicy sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 kg mixed minced meat (beef and pork, or any other combination)
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ L vegetable broth
• 1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 heaped teaspoon dried basil
• 1 heaped teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• 5 bell peppers (any color)
• 1 egg
• 1 can (14 oz or 400g) chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tube (approximately 100g) tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preparation of the Meat Filling:
   • Take two onions and the garlic cloves, and sauté them in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they are translucent. Let this mixture cool down slightly.
   • In a large bowl, carefully mix the minced meat with the cooled onion-garlic mixture, dried oregano, dried basil, sweet paprika powder, and one beaten egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare the Peppers:
   • Wash the peppers and cut off the tops to create a lid. Remove the seeds and membranes, and rinse the insides briefly.
   • Lightly salt the inside of the peppers, then stuff them with the minced meat mixture. Place the cut lids back on top of each pepper.
3. Make the Spicy Sauce:
   • Set aside the remaining minced meat mixture that you won’t be using for the stuffing.
   • Finely chop the remaining onion and one of the five peppers.
   • Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the rest of the minced meat mixture and fry it until it’s browned and crumbly.
   • Add the chopped pepper and onion to the pot with the meat and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes.
   • Stir in the tomato paste and let it simmer briefly.
   • Pour in the vegetable broth and the can of chopped tomatoes, and let the sauce simmer for approximately 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook the Stuffed Peppers:
   • Once the sauce has thickened slightly, gently place the stuffed peppers into the pot with the sauce.
   • Cover the pot and let everything simmer over low heat for about 60 minutes. The peppers should be tender, and the meat cooked through.
5. Serving:
   • Carefully remove the stuffed peppers from the pot and place them on a serving dish.
   • Serve the stuffed peppers with the spicy tomato sauce poured over the top or on the side.
   • This dish pairs well with rice or potatoes, which can be prepared while the peppers are simmering.

Tips:

• The minced meat mixture should be flavorful but not overly salty, as the sauce will concentrate and the peppers will also have a natural sweetness.
• If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can mix in a teaspoon of cornstarch diluted in a little water to the sauce towards the end of cooking.
• For a less spicy version, adjust the amount of sweet paprika powder and consider adding a bit of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.