Grilled Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

Stuffing peppers is a fun way to serve a perhaps otherwise overlooked grain salad at your next backyard get-together. Cubanelle peppers are an ideal choice thanks to their mild spice, thin walls and narrow cone-like cavity.
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  • Duration
  • Cook Time
  • Prep Time
  • 6Servings

Ingredients

  • 6 medium Cubanelle peppers
  • 6 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup whole-wheat Israeli couscous
  • 1 small yellow zucchini, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup each cooked romano beans and chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans; or BPA-free no-salt-added canned beans, drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
  • 1/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil (about 5 medium leaves)
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt, optional

Preparation

  1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  2. Cut tops off peppers, about 1/2 inch. Remove and discard stem and seeds. Dice tops of peppers and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside bowl and cored peppers.
  3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tsp oil on medium-high. Add garlic and couscous and stir until garlic is light golden and fragrant. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and steam for 8 to 10 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
  4. Meanwhile, grill peppers and zucchini: Grill cored peppers for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally until all sides are lightly charred. Remove peppers from grill and allow to cool at room temperature. Brush zucchini with 1/2 tsp oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred and tender. Let zucchini cool slightly, dice and add to bowl with diced pepper tops.
  5. Add couscous, beans, chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, remaining 4 tsp oil, black pepper and salt, if desired, to pepper-zucchini mixture. Mix well.
  6. Stuff about 3/4 cup pepper-zucchini mixture into each grilled pepper; lightly pack filling throughout entire pepper until filling reaches the top. Wrap each pepper tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum of overnight. (Alternatively, carefully lay stuffed peppers in a shallow tray or dish, cover and refrigerate.)
  7. To serve, arrange peppers on a platter and serve.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
  • Calories: 216
  • Carbohydrate Content: 31 g
  • Cholesterol Content: 3 mg
  • Fat Content: 7 g
  • Fiber Content: 7 g
  • Protein Content: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 2 g
  • Sodium Content: 324 mg
  • Sugar Content: 2 g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat Content: 0.25 g

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