Last night I made one of my favorite summer dishes for dinner. The original recipe is for couscous stuffed peppers with basil sauce but I've modified it pretty significantly. Mostly I've made changes because I eat this as a main dish instead of a side dish so I've made it a little heartier and more satisfying. If you were just having this as a side dish, the below recipe as written would be perfect. I've also modified it based on what I usually have in my kitchen and need to use up before it goes bad. Stuffed peppers are an excellent way of getting ride of left overs and giving them a new life. One note, I don't change anything about the sauce recipe except for the amount of salt and pepper added. I don't measure those, just do it to taste. The sauce is amazing. You'll want to put it on everything or just eat it with a spoon. Don't mess with perfection.
These are also really good leftover for lunch.
Enjoy!
Filling:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin (I was uncertain about this but it's good)
3/4 cup couscous (I use quinoa)
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup dried currants (I never add these)
1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese (I usually use goat cheese instead because I almost always have it)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 medium orange bell pepper
Hot water, as needed
Extra Liz addition - I often add ground turkey meat that I have browned. 1/2 - 1 pound
Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed (I don't measure this, just to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed (I don't measure this, just to taste)
Directions
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. (If using quinoa, prepare according to instructions on box but still add cumin) Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. (at this point, I chop up the tops and throw that in the mixture. Why waste it?) Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water (I never add the water. I like the peppers a little crunchy so it's not needed. Plus, I don't think I ever really read this far in the directions) and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)
Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.
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