Ingredients: (serves 1-2)

• Olive Oil (at least 2 tbsp)

• 2 Bell Peppers (Any color but I like to use a red & green)

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 cup of rice, I like to just use premade Mexican rice

• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes (fire roasted tomatoes are also great)

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeño, diced (keep the seeds if you want extra heat)

• 1/4 cup shredded cheese, I used Mexican (cheddar, mozzarella or your favortite)

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

• parsley for garnish, roughly chopped

• salt and papper to taste

Kit Needed:

This dish is something I would normally cook in an oven at home. This is not something you will typically have at camp but the Hajka oven is a fantastic camp oven that I just started using! Alternatively you could use a dutch oven or another method to bake while at camp. When using the hajka oven I also needed a remote gas stove, spatula or spoon, chopping board, aluminum foil to keep the bell peppers warm while I cooked the filling and a skillet. On this camp I used the baking dish that comes with the oven as a skillet.

Packing Tips:

Bag and freeze the minced beef the night before you leave. The beef will then thaw throughout your hike. I also place the cheese, diced tomatoes and the seasonings in separate containers. The oregano, basil, paprika, and chilli flakes are combined and go into a small spice container so it can all be added together. Everything then goes into a large ziplock bag (this does get reused often if it is not used as a garbage bag)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to around 200-220°C (for this Hajka oven, that basically means you just put the gas stove on its lowest setting). Slice off the tops of the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Don’t throw the tops of the peppers away. They will need to be chopped and added to make the filling. Place the peppers into the oven to soften. This should take around 10 minutes.

2. While the bell peppers are softening chop the tops of the peppers, dice the onion, and mince the garlic & jalapeño.

3. Once the peppers have softened remove them from the oven and wrap in aluminum foil to keep them warm.

4. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in your pan on medium high heat. (I used the baking dish that comes with the oven)

5. Sauté the onions and bell peppers for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions become translucent and the peppers have soften. Now add the garlic and the jalapeño cook for another minute.

6. Add the minced beef, cook until browned breaking it up as it cooks.

7. Once browned add the seasonings (smoked paprika, chili flakes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper). Stir to combine.

8. Now stir in the diced tomatoes, then the cooked rice. Combine and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Removed from the heat. (at camp I actually had enough filling I could have stuffed 3 bell peppers)

9. Unwrap the bell peppers from the aluminum foil. Spoon the filling into the peppers and top with shredded cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted and browned. Tip: add a splash of water to the bottom of the baking dish to help steam the peppers

10. Once the peppers are done remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Add chopped parsley to the top for garnish and enjoy!