Couscous And Feta Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipes

COUSCOUS & FETA STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Start by boiling ¾ of a pint (425ml) of cold water.
• Dissolve 1 stock cube in ¾ of a pint (425ml) of boiling water, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the stock....
• followed by 2 tbsp of lemon juice and mix together.
• Weigh 250g of couscous, then pour over the stock. Mix well and leave covered with some clingfilm to allow the couscous to absorb all the stock.
• Next, peel and dice 1 large onion.
• Peel and chop 3 cloves of garlic.
• In a large frying pan heat up some oil (I usually pour enough oil to cover the base of my frying pan).
• Once the oil is hot add the diced onion and chopped garlic....
• followed by ½ tsp of salt. Mix and let the onions fry until soft, this should take about 5 - 7 minutes.
• Whilst the onion fries, prep the peppers (wash, slice and remove seeds) and chop the coriander. You can leave the peppers whole and don't have to cut them like I did, I just wanted to expose the filling so they would look more attractive once served. They were a little difficult to plate up cut open like this as the peppers became quite soft, but hey, you learn as you go, lol!
• Once the onion and garlic look soft (bottom right photo), you may add the remaining ingredients.
• Add 3 tbsp of tomato puree, mix well and gently fry.
• By now the couscous will have absorbed all of the stock, fork through to fluff up and add to the frying pan.
• Fry for a couple of minutes, you will see the couscous take on a reddish colour.
• Add the chopped coriander just as you remove the couscous from the heat, you don't want to cook the coriander. Transfer the couscous to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, crumble in 200g of feta cheese, keep some large crumbly chunks.
• Place the halved peppers on a baking tray.
• Next, I stuffed and baked my peppers with the filling inside but I would actually recommend baking the peppers with a light drizzle of oil for 10 - 15 minutes on gas mark 6 BEFORE adding the filling, THEN placing the filling inside and baking for 5 more minutes to heat the filling. The reason being that I found the peppers took longer to bake being stuffed and some of the couscous on top dried out, this could be avoided by following this advice.
• I placed the couscous and feta filling inside the peppers, lightly drizzled with oil and baked these for 20 - 30 minutes on gas mark 6 until the peppers were soft. If you want to avoid the mistakes I made, follow the advice above. These peppers were delicious nevertheless and thoroughly enjoyed by all!
• Serve your Couscous & Feta Stuffed Peppers just as they are and enjoy!

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.

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.

COUSCOUS AND FETA STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Boil trimmed peppers for 5 minutes, then drain them upside down. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta. Place peppers upright in the baking dish and fill them with couscous. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

SPRING COUSCOUS STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put peppers, cut side down, on the surface. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 4-6 minutes.
• In a large skillet heat the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion and sauté for a few minutes. Then add beef and garlic salt and pepper. Cook beef and crumble. Drain well. Let cool a few minutes.
• Add mint, oregano, both diced tomatoes, couscous and half of the feta cheese. Gently toss together.
• In a baking dish, place peppers cut side up this time and fill with meat and cheese mixture. Top with remaining one cup of feta. Bake at 375 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
• Garnish with fresh mint or basil.

COUSCOUS AND FETA STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the stems out of the bell peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and membranes. Boil the prepared peppers for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove them from water and let them drain cut side down.
• Bring the broth to boil in a saucepan and add the couscous. Cover the pan and remove it from the heat.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook the onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
• Remove skillet from heat and add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add it to the skillet, mixing it with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta.
• Arrange the peppers in the baking dish cut sides up (like little boats)and fill them with the couscous/vegetable mixture. (The filling will be heaping unless your peppers are very large.).
• Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.