Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 80 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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Stuffed peppers get an update in this Mediterranean-inspired recipe for stuffed peppers. Couscous replaces rice and fragrant flavors, such as cumin, cinnamon, and fresh ginger, abound in Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers. Ingredients:
salt |
1/3 cup couscous |
2 teaspoons cumin |
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon |
1/2 teaspoon sugar |
2 teaspoons vegetable oil |
2 cloves garlic, minced |
8 ounces ground beef |
1 medium onion, chopped |
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger |
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce |
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed |
8 dried apricots, chopped into 1/4-inch dice |
4 green bell peppers (about 6 1/2 oz. each), tops sliced off, seeded and cored |
Directions:
1. Bring 1/2 cup lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat and let stand until water has absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous lightly with a fork and re-cover. In a small bowl, combine cumin, cinnamon, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes longer. Sprinkle cumin mixture over beef and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, chickpeas and apricots. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Remove from heat and stir in couscous.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F and mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. If peppers don't stand upright, cut a tiny slice off bottoms of peppers to level. Stuff peppers with meat mixture; place them in baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup water into baking dish, cover with foil and bake until peppers are tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
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