Mediterranean Couscous Stuffed Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pulse the carrots, celery and shallots in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. (Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to stick.) Add the ground beef and 4 teaspoons of the tomato paste and cook, breaking the mixture up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, the parsley, raisins, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until most of the water is absorbed and the mixture gets saucy, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, toss the pepper halves with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the peppers are pliable, 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully uncover the bowl and pour out any liquid that has accumulated.
• Stir the couscous into the beef mixture. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 3/4 cup water in the bottom of a large baking dish.
• Carefully transfer the peppers to the baking dish cut-side up and fill each pepper with the couscous mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature drizzled with the tomato cooking liquid.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup spaghetti sauce, kidney beans, couscous, Roma tomatoes, and cabbage; simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese into the skillet. Spoon mixture into the bell peppers.
• Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a small casserole dish. Place stuffed peppers into the dish; cover with remaining 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce.
• Bake in the preheated oven until peppers are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over peppers. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

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.