Sweet Peppers Stuffed With Lamb And Minted Couscous Recipes

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.

LAMB AND RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the tops from the peppers and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Carefully trim the bottoms if necessary to make peppers stand straight when upright. Place a steamer rack over a few inches of boiling water, or set a colander over a couple of inches boiling water in a large stock pot. Place the peppers in the steamer and cover. Steam 10 minutes, and remove to a baking dish or casserole.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the orzo and brown lightly, and then add 1/2 the garlic and stir. After 30 seconds stir in the water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Spread the orzo onto a baking sheet and cool.
• Place the ground lamb in a bowl and add the cooled orzo. Season with 1/2 the marjoram, the rosemary, 2 tablespoons parsley, and season with salt, and pepper. Overstuff the peppers with the filling. Drizzle about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil over the peppers, pouring about 1 tablespoon over top of each. Arrange the peppers in a casserole or small baking dish and roast 50 minutes to 1 hour, until crispy at the edges and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cubanelle peppers, remaining garlic, remaining marjoram, and saute until soft. Add the tomato sauce, and season with salt, and pepper.
• Cool the peppers and sauce for a make-ahead meal or serve immediately.
• For reheating: Add 1/2 cup water to the baking dish, and place in a heated 375 degree F oven, covered until warmed throughout, about 30 minutes. Uncover and let the water evaporate, and crisp the top, 20 minutes more. Reheat the sauce over medium-low heat to heat through.
• Serve the peppers hot with sauce over top, or in a puddle underneath the peppers. Top with crumbled feta.

SWEET PEPPERS STUFFED WITH LAMB AND MINTED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove the stems from the peppers with a paring knife. Remove the seeds, leaving the vegetables whole. Set aside.
• Place the couscous in a very fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold running water. Rub the couscous between your hands to separate the grains. Spread the couscous in a shallow pan and let it rest for 15 minutes until plumped. Run your fingers through it to keep it from being clumpy.
• Place one cup of the broth, the salt and turmeric in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and stir. Strain off excess liquid, if any, reserve and return the couscous to the shallow pan to cool quickly.
• Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and brown slightly. Add the ground lamb and pepper and stir over high heat until the meat is slightly undercooked, about two to three minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the couscous, lamb, chopped mint and egg and mix well. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if desired. Stuff the mixture tightly into the peppers, being careful not to break them.
• Lightly coat a medium-sized skillet with four tablespoons of olive oil. Place over a high flame and add the peppers. Cook until slightly browned. Measure the reserved broth and, if necessary, add more broth to bring the total to one cup. Add this to the peppers. Cover and finish cooking in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
• Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

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.

LAMB FETA PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook for four minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook one minute.
• Slice tops off peppers and remove seeds. Stand peppers upright in a a 9x12-inch baking dish.
• In large bowl, combine onion mixture, dill, salt, allspice and pepper. Mix in rice and lamb, fold in feta cheese. Stuff peppers with mixture.
• Mix tomato sauce with water, lemon juice and sugar. Pour half over peppers, and half over bottom of dish. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 15 minutes, basing occasionally with sauce, until a meat thermometer inserted in center of filling reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

ITALIAN STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Arrange the peppers, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Brush with a little oil from the pack of tomatoes & mozzarella, then season. Cook for 10 mins to soften slightly.
• Meanwhile, mix the couscous in a bowl with the pesto and pour over 125ml boiling water. Cover and leave for 5 mins to fluff up. Drain the tomatoes & mozzarella well, then mix into the couscous. Divide between the peppers, then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs
• Bake for 15-20 mins until the top is crisp and the peppers are tender.

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.