Moroccan Couscous Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Bell peppers are stuffed with couscous, raisins, dried fruit and goat cheese for a Moroccan-flavored, vegetarian side dish.

Recipe by Cheri Liefeld

Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup orange juice

4 medium to large orange bell peppers

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

Grated peel of 1 orange

1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous

1 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup crumbled chèvre (goat) cheese (4 oz)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix raisins, cherries and apricots; cover with orange juice. Let stand 20 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, remove tops, seeds and membranes from bell peppers. Set aside.

3. In 2-quart saucepan, heat broth, water and orange peel to boiling. Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.

4. Fluff couscous with fork. Stir in dried fruit mixture, onions, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the cheese; add remaining cheese to couscous mixture. Spoon into bell peppers. Stand upright in 8-inch square pan.

5. Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender and stuffing is hot. Sprinkle reserved cheese over stuffed peppers. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese begins to melt.

Expert Tips

If the bell peppers don’t stand upright, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper. Save the pepper tops after removing them, if desired, to place alongside the stuffed peppers when serving.

If you want the peppers to be more tender, cover them while baking and uncover for the last few minutes with the cheese on top.

To get 1 cup of green onions, you’ll need about 16 medium onions.

If orange peppers aren’t available at your grocery store or farmers’ market, use red or yellow peppers.

Source: bettycrocker.com