These aren't your traditional stuffed peppers with rice, ground beef or sausage; I prefer to keep these peppers on the lighter side, but still very flavorful. I felt kind of awkward stuffing a pepper with peppers...as if the pepper was cannibalistic. Anyway, the secret is to use a hearty grain, in this case cracked wheat. Cracked wheat is made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut. I like cracked wheat because it is rich in nutrients and fiber because it is a whole grain. Similar to cracked wheat, Bulgar wheat can also be used. The difference between cracked and Bulgar wheat is that Bulgar wheat is steamed and toasted before it is crushed. Bulgar wheat also takes less time to cook because it has already been steamed. Bulgar wheat can be used if you're short on time, just adjust the cooking times in the recipe. Both cracked and Bulgar wheat can be found at the grocery store either in the cereal (by the hot cereal) or baking aisle (by the specialty flour).
I spent the day with my mom today and after a long day of window shopping, we decided to make a pie. Many members are allergic to strawberries (NOT ME ;P), so I knew we couldn't make anything with "evil berries," as my mom likes to call them. I had lots of frozen berries and mom tells me that she has never made a lattice-top pie before...that had to change. I realized that it is so much easier to make a lattice-top pie when there's another person helping you. The pie made the house smell amazing and I got to cook with my mom again. I was a happy camper.
