Wheatless Wednesday: Lamb-Stuffed Peppers

It's easy to go wheat-free when the main dish has all the elements -- and stuffed peppers, especially when done according to the recipe by Foodess, contains everything you want from dinner. Starch from the rice, meat, a vegetable vessel, and 11 herbs and spices ... don't tell the Colonel. Enjoy!

Lamb-Stuffed Peppers in Spiced Tomato Sauce
Serves 8
8 medium bell peppers, mixture of red, yellow and green
4 cups cooked short grain rice, cooled (from 1?? cup uncooked)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup minced fresh mint, packed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (500 g) ground lamb
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
4½ cups diced tomatoes (from 1½-28 oz/796 mL cans)
¼ cup tomato paste
½ tsp cinnamon, or to taste
?? tsp allspice, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp minced fresh mint, packed
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley, packed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the tops of each pepper leaving the stems intact. Use a paring knife to cut away the seeds and ribs inside each pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, olive oil, cinnamon, allspice, garlic, mint, salt, pepper and lamb. Stuff into pepper cavities and top with pepper "lids". Arrange peppers in a large baking dish.

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding up to a total of 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp allspice if you like more intense spice. Pour around peppers, then cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour, or until lamb is cooked through and peppers are soft.