Recently I had a similar dish of stuffed peppers at Los Arbolitos De Cajeme Restaurant in Phoenix but they served a Mexican Style Dish made with Marlin. This is an Italian Style Tuna made with regular tuna, cured olives, artichokes, capers, fresh parsley and golden raisins. Feel free to use a better tuna but I think that would be a waste. It doesn’t make sense to waste $25.00 a pound tuna to make any tuna salad. Italian jarred tuna is better but that cost $6.00 for a small jar. Regular tuna packed in a pouch with water is the best for this recipe. Also feel free to use whatever pepper that you enjoy that is the best from your market. My tuna recipe is very good and you might want to try it even if you aren’t stuffing it in peppers.
This recipe makes around two servings.
6.4 oz chunk light tuna in water from a pouch
1/4 cup sweet onion – fine chop
12 cured olives – pits removed and chopped (hard to find, I found them at Whole Foods or you have to order them)
1/4 cup jarred artichokes or frozen – chopped (preferably frozen or packed in water…you’s be nuts to cook a fresh one for this recipe)
2 teaspoons capers
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves – chopped
2 Tablespoons golden raisins – chopped
1 ripe juicy lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
fresh ground sea salt to taste (you won’t need much of any)
fresh ground black pepper to taste (you won’t need much)
about 10 smaller but not too small peppers – I used 10 guero chili peppers that ran somewhat spicy )
About 3 medium sized tomatoes cut in half
1/4 cup fresh basil – torn or chopped
a very small amount of reduced balsamic vinegar for finishing (I like the Fini Brand….It’s better not to reduce balsamic yourself because it’s next to impossible to clean the pot afterwards)
Directions
Set oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium sized bowl add the tuna, onion, olives, artichokes, capers, parsley, raisins, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic and mix well. Sample a small amount and salt pepper to taste.
You need to cut the cores from the peppers. Just below the stem make a slit across and a slit down the center of the first slit like a “T” shape. Pull out the core and stuff and pack the pepper tight with the tuna salad. Repeat till you are done and place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet with the half tomatoes.
Put the baking sheet in the oven till they char up some and filling is hot. In my oven about 30 minutes was right.
Add a small amount of reduced balsamic if desired (If you are using a mild pepper you might not want the reduced balsamic because it will be too sweet) Top with some fresh basil.
This is delicious!
