Mediterranean Couscous Stuffed Peppers Food

COUSCOUS-STUFFED PEPPERS WITH BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
• Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks
• Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with olive oil.
• Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Remove the stems and seeds and place them cut-side up in the baking dish.
• Bring the broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous, salt, and turmeric. Cover with a lid and set aside for 10 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed. Remove the lid to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, and oregano and cook an additional 3-4 minutes., until softened and fragrant.
• Stir in the black-eyed peas and tomatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes.
• Fold in the couscous, feta and basil. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill the pepper halves with the couscous mixture and cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is golden.
• Sprinkle with extra feta and fresh basil before serving if desired.

HEALTHY VEGETABLE AND COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the very tops of the peppers. Remove and discard the ribs and seeds and set the peppers aside.
• Drain the tomatoes in a colander set over a medium bowl. Reserve the juice and set the tomatoes aside over a plate to catch any residual juices. Stir the couscous, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper into the tomato juice and set aside while preparing the filling.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, zucchini, half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, stir in the couscous mixture and simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, until the couscous is just al dente and the liquid is beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the leaves are bright green and just beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds. Set the filling aside to cool slightly.
• To make the sauce, combine the remaining garlic and olive oil in a Dutch oven, add the chile flakes if using and stir to combine. Place the pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally at first then more frequently as the oil starts to sizzle to prevent the garlic from burning, until the garlic starts to stick to the edge of the spoon and is just beginning to turn a very pale straw color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved drained tomatoes plus any accumulated juices, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture just begins to come together and thicken, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Fold the feta and basil into the couscous filling. Fill a pepper with about 3/4 cup of the filling, scooping it in loosely and shaking the pepper to level the filling rather than packing it down. Nestle the filled pepper in the sauce in the pot, then repeat with the remaining peppers, propping them up against each other and the sides of the pot for stability during baking.
• Cover the pot and bake until the peppers are tender but not mushy and the sauce is bubbling, 45 to 60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes to see if the peppers are tender but not soft or they will be overcooked and mushy. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of the tomato sauce.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pop the peppers on a plate and microwave on Medium for 5 mins, until almost soft. Place on a baking tray, cut-side up.
• Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl and cover with 125ml boiling water. Stir, cover the bowl and leave to stand for 10 mins. Stir the couscous with a fork to break it up, then mix in the pine nuts, olives, feta, tomatoes and basil. Pile the couscous stuffing into the pepper halves and bake for 10 mins.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut one lemon half into 1/4-inch thick slices; remove any rind and quarter each slice. Juice the other half.
• Combine cod, feta cheese, diced bell pepper, zucchini, onion, Kalamata and green olives, and lemon slices in a mixing bowl. Mix in oregano and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and olive oil; toss gently to coat all ingredients.
• Stuff peppers with the cod mixture. Wrap all peppers together in heavy-duty aluminum foil, creating a sealed pouch.
• Bake in the oven until peppers are tender and cod is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

STUFFED YELLOW PEPPERS WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous. Stir until the couscous begins to color and smell toasty. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the couscous is tender. Drain.
• Turn on a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the blender jar or food processor bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the basil leaves and salt to taste. Turn on the machine, and add the remaining olive oil. Process until smooth. Add the cheese, and blend until incorporated.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a lidded casserole large enough to accommodate all of the peppers. Combine the couscous and pesto. Stir together. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Fill the halved peppers with this mixture, and arrange in the casserole. Pour the tomato sauce or purée into the dish. Cover and bake 45 minutes to an hour until the peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat, and serve hot or at room temperature, with some of the tomato sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with basil leaves.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED PEPPERS WITH COUSCOUS AND FETA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.
• Cut the stems and tops off the bell peppers. Scoop out and discard the seeds and membranes. Arrange the bell peppers upright in a baking dish and sprinkle with some salt.
• Bake peppers until they are starting to turn tender, 15 minutes. (The edges should start to brown slightly and tilt inward.)
• While peppers start roasting, combine couscous, lentils, harissa, paprika, tomato, and garlic. Stir well. Gently fold in feta.
• Taste filling and season it with some salt and / or pepper, if needed.
• Fill peppers with couscous-lentil mixture.
• Return filled peppers to oven and continue baking until filling is heated and peppers are soft, 15 to 25 minutes more (this will vary depending on the thickness of the bell peppers).
• Squeeze lemon juice over finished peppers and top with fresh parsley.
• Serve stuffed peppers warm with yogurt for topping.

COUSCOUS STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
• Place couscous in a shallow dish and cover with 300ml of boiling water; cover the dish with clingfilm and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Cut 'lids' off the tops off the peppers and scrape the seeds out from inside; place the peppers and their lids in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water; cook the peppers for 5 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the cumin seeds, coriander and cayenne pepper and fry for a few seconds before adding the onion and garlic; fry gently for 3-5 minutes until the onion is transparent.
• Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and green beans, stir to mix and fry for a further 2-3 minutes; stir in the couscous and remove from the heat.
• Stand the peppers up in a shallow dish, fill the pepper cavities with couscous mix, put on their lids; bake for about 35-40 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN LAMB-AND COUSCOUS-STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Slice peppers in half lengthwise through the stems and remove seeds.
• Place halves, cut side down, in a 12-by-17-inch baking pan.
• Bake in a 450 degree, regular or convection oven until lightly browned and tender when pierced,13 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a 10-to-12-inch frying pan over high heat, stir onions, garlic, thyme, mint and rosemary in olive oil until onions are limp and begining to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add ground lamb and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Stir until lamb is browned and crumbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in broth, couscous, and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat; let stand until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender to bite, 3to 4 minutes.
• Stir in parsley; add salt to taste.
• Turn pepper halves over; fill each with about 2/3 cup lamb mixture.
• Sprinkle feta cheese evenly over filling.
• Bake until cheese is slightly melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer peppers to a platter.
• Serve.

MOROCCAN COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix raisins, cherries and apricots; cover with orange juice. Let stand 20 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, remove tops, seeds and membranes from bell peppers. Set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat broth, water and orange peel to boiling. Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff couscous with fork. Stir in dried fruit mixture, onions, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the cheese; add remaining cheese to couscous mixture. Spoon into bell peppers. Stand upright in 8-inch square pan.
• Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender and stuffing is hot. Sprinkle reserved cheese over stuffed peppers. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese begins to melt.