Authentic Ukrainian Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients

• 8 medium sized fresh sweet peppers (green, red, orange, yellow or a mix)
• ½ lb. freshly ground beef, (or 1 lb. beef, if you do not like pork)
• ½ lb. freshly ground pork
• 1 raw large, fresh egg
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice (washed).
• 2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes (or 9 to 10 peeled, garden fresh tomatoes).
• 1/3 cup of chopped, fresh yellow onion
• 1 medium fresh sweet carrot, finely shredded
• 2 Tablespoons fresh sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-½ Tablespoons granulated sugar (do not omit)
• 2 whole Bay leaves
• 1 cup water, only if needed by the recipe, (see below)

Instructions

1. Cut about 1 inch off the top of each pepper. Discard seeds and membranes. Finely chop the pepper tops (you should have about ¼ to 1/3 cup).
2. In a mixing bowl, place the ground meat, raw egg, washed rice, carrot, salt and paprika.
3. Mix well with a heavy spoon or your clean washed hands.
4. Stuff the cleaned peppers, using all the prepared meat mixture.
5. Stand the stuffed peppers up right in the cooking pot.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar, onions, ground pepper and chopped tops of peppers over the peppers.
7. Cover and slowly cook for 1-½ to 2 hours.
8. If the tomato sauce thickens up too much, add additional water as required.
9. To serve, spoon the delicious sauce from the pot, over the stuffed peppers. Serve with fresh baked bread and your favorite beverage. Enjoy…!

Ukrainian Sour Cream and Horse-Radish Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh sour cream
• 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt

1. Mix all the ingredients together in medium stainless steel mixing bowl.
2. Cover and chill for 1 hour. This will allow the flavors to mingle together.
3. Serve the horse-radish sauce at room temperature with your meal.

Makes about 2 ¼ cups.
HINT: Reduce the horse-radish if you like it milder. Add more horse-radish if you like it stronger.