Bell peppers were created hollow so that you could stuff them with whatever tickles your fancy.
There are tonnes of options to choose from. Common stuffing ingredients are: rice, all kinds of meat, fish, seafood, nuts, cheese, mushrooms and other vegetables. You can have quite a bit of fun concocting your own combinations!
Although these peppers take a bit of work to prepare they are well worth the effort. I have to warn you though; you won’t be able to stop after just one. In fact, I had two at a time and if my stomach had an unlimited capacity I would have carried on eating until the whole lot was finished.
Bell Peppers Stuffed With Couscous, Pine Nuts and Raisins
Serves 4
Preparation: 25 mins – Cooking: 30 mins
Preparation: 25 mins – Cooking: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 6 peppers
- 1 red onion
- 25g (1 oz) butter
- 250ml (8 fl oz) vegetable stock
- 175g (6 oz) quick-cook couscous
- 5ml (1 tsp) olive oil
- 25g (1 oz) raisins
- 25g (1 oz) pine nuts
- 30ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint
- 15ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- Make a slit in the side of each pepper and carefully remove the core and seeds.
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the onion and cook until softened.
- Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour the stock over, cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork then stir in the oil, onion, raisins, pine nuts, mint and balsamic vinegar. Season generously and stir in the egg yolk to bind the mixture.
- Using a teaspoon, three-quarters fill the peppers with the couscous mixture; do not over-fill as the couscous will swell during baking. Brush the peppers with oil and bake at 200°C (fan 180°C/390°F/gas 6) for 30-35 minutes until tender.
- Serve the stuffed peppers warm or cold.
Serving Suggestion
- Serve the peppers as a side dish with meat or simply enjoy with a tangy dressed salad.
Lovely photo – I love how colourful bell peppers are. I’ve made something similar using rice instead of couscous (I think this recipe originates from Spain), but I I’ll try couscous in future when time is tight. Thanks for the recipe.