Greek Stuffed Peppers

My fridge recently has been exploding with fresh produce, fruits and vegetables. I have no idea how I manage to stuff so much food into my fridge, but it fits and we are slowly eating our way through all the groceries. I love having a well stocked fridge, so many different recipe possibilities! I decided to make these stuffed peppers tonight with some green and red bell peppers. I have made stuffed bell peppers before, but the filling was definitely lacking in flavor last time. Since I have been on a Mediterranean kick, I figured couscous would work perfectly in this recipe. I used a box of Near East Mediterranean Curry couscous that I mixed with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, an onion and Kalamata olives. Couscous is such a time saver when you are short on time. It takes 5 minutes to make and the results are flavorful and versatile. I love using quick grains when I don’t have 30-45 minutes to wait for a pot of brown rice to cook.

This basic recipe will work with almost any filling—try substituting different types of cheese, herbs or beans. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread or a fresh Greek salad.

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Makes 2 servings

• 2 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers
• 1/2 box couscous (preferably flavored)
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup  cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 4 Kalamata olives, chopped

Directions

1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and salt and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Turn off heat and add couscous and seasoning.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, couscous, Kalamata olives and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with feta.