Couscous Stuffed Peppers Recipes

COUSCOUS-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, cumin, salt, cinnamon and red pepper. Stir in couscous. Divide beef mixture evenly among peppers. Pour water into 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker; stand peppers upright in cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 7 hours or until peppers are tender. Garnish with pine nuts and cilantro.

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.

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.

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.

SWEET AND SOUR COUSCOUS-STUFFED PEPPERS

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.

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.

COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Core and seed the peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Pre-cook in microwave about 4 minutes.
• Bring chicken broth to boil and add dry couscous.
• Stir in ranch mix. Toss in pre-cooked thinly sliced, chicken sausage.
• Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking. Simmer on about med/low.
• When most of the water has been absorbed, lay peppers on baking tray and spoon couscous and sausages into the peppers.
• Bake at 400 about 20 minutes.
• Add a light sprinkle of cheddar cheese if you'd like, or a dollop of fresh sour cream.
• Notes: The couscous is uncooked. The chicken sausage I used was 110 calories and very low fat. When calculated out, I got 212 calories per serving.

COUSCOUS-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and stir in the couscous. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Peel the onion and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the ends of the stems off the mushrooms and thinly slice. Peel the carrot and cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Generously coat a sauté pan with cooking spray and add the onion, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Remove from the heat, add the couscous and peas, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove and discard the seeds. Place the peppers in a baking pan, trimming the bottoms, if necessary, to make them stand up. Fill the peppers with the couscous mixture and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the peppers are soft. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
• At first glance mushrooms seem rather insignificant nutritionally. In fact, the only numbers on the nutrition labels that aren't zeros are 20 calories and 3 grams of carbs. But, if you dig a little further you will find that they are actually an excellent source of selenium, a mineral that works closely with vitamin E to produce antioxidants that can decrease the risk of cancer and other diseases of aging. They also contain a significant amount of potassium, which helps maintain normal heart rhythm, fluid balance, muscle, and nerve function. And all this time I just thought they tasted good.