Israeli Couscous Stuffed Peppers Recipes

PEARLED COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil, a few pinches of salt, and black pepper. Roast, cut sides up, for 15-20 minutes, until softened.
• While peppers are roasting, prepare the couscous. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pot until shimmering. Add couscous, and cook, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes, until pearls begin to toast. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until water is absorbed and couscous is tender. (Alternately, follow the cooking directions as provided for the brand of couscous you buy.)
• While couscous is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shallots, and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add baby spinach and 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Stir until spinach is wilted and tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir cooked couscous into spinach mixture, followed by 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Gently fold in cannellini beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Drain any accumulated juices from the roasted peppers and fill each half with couscous mixture, mounding slightly, and pressing gently to pack. Sprinkle peppers with remaining Parmigiano Reggiano, and return to the oven to bake until cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.
• Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Season vinaigrette to taste with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over peppers and serve.

STUFFED YELLOW PEPPERS WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS AND PESTO

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.

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.

LENTIL-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the vegetable broth and lentils to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Cook until the lentils are tender, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and tender, 5 minutes. Stir in the couscous and cook, stirring often, until toasted and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the couscous is tender, about 12 minutes.
• Halve the peppers vertically and remove the seeds and membranes. Gently rub the remaining teaspoon olive oil over the peppers and place on a baking sheet. Roast until the peppers are tender, 20 minutes.
• Combine the cooked lentils and couscous in a large bowl along with the basil, feta, parsley, Kalamata olives, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the couscous mixture into each cooked pepper cavity, and garnish with extra basil and feta, if using.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• preheat the oven to 375 with a rack in the upper third. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Slice a sliver off the bottom of each pepper to make a flat surface, being careful not to cut through to the inner cavity. Cut the top off of each pepper (about an inch below the stem) to make a stem-topped lid; set the tops aside. Scoop out and discard the seeds and membranes, making 6 pepper "cups." Stand the pepper cups upright on the prepared sheet pan, lea ving a few inches between each pepper. Stir together the couscous, olive oil, broth, salt, pepper, spinach, rosemary, and goat cheese in a medium-sized bowl until well-combined. Spoon the stuffing into the peppers, distributing the liquid evenly and filling each pepper three-quarters full. Place the tops back on the peppers. Bake the peppers until they look a little puckery and the couscous has absorbed much of the liquid, about 30 mins. Remove the tops and sprinkle the filling with extra goat cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, until the cheese is melty and browned, an additional 5 to 10 mins. Let the stuffed peppers cool slightly before serving warm with hunks of crusty bread.