After neglecting my blog for a few weeks, I am back! Work has been quite busy, but although it has kept me from blogging, fortunately for Jon it has not kept me from cooking.

Last night, I decided to make peppers stuffed with couscous and veggies. I’ve made various versions of this dish over the years, including a stuffing with almonds and feta cheese.

I started off by sautéing diced onions and the white parts of green onions until they were caramelized and flavorful. To this mixture I added diced green pepper, carrots, and red pepper, and seasoned the mixture with lots of freshly ground pepper and oregano.

After the veggies were softened, I added 3 cups of veggie broth to the mixture, and let it come to a simmer. Israeli couscous went into the mixture, and was covered to simmer until it was cooked through.

Finally, I stuffed the pepper halves and baked them in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pepper halves were softened and the couscous filling was browned and crispy on top. The peppers were delicious served with freshly ground pepper and topped with chopped green onions.

Peppers Stuffed with Couscous and Veggies

3 red peppers, 2 halved and deseeded, 1 finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 cups veggie broth
1.5 cups Israeli couscous (regular couscous can be used)
2 tsp Greek oregano
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

Preheat the oven to 400. In a wide sauté pan, sauté the onions and the white parts of the green onions in a small amount of olive oil until they are slightly caramelized.

Next, add the garlic, green pepper, diced red pepper, and carrots to the pan and sauté until softened. Season with the oregano, salt, and pepper, then add the veggie broth.

Bring the veggie broth to a simmer. Add the Israeli couscous, then cover and allow to simmer until the couscous is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. If using regular couscous, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid.

If using almonds, gently stir into the couscous mixture. Spoon the couscous mixture into the pepper halves, and place the pepper halves into a nonstick baking pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pepper halves are softened and the couscous is crunchy. If desired, add feta crumbles to the top of the peppers for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Serve topped with diced green onions (green parts only), and lots of freshly ground pepper. Great as a full meal, or serve 1/2 pepper as a side dish.