You will need:
8 large bell peppers (any color you like, I used red ones)
1 smallish zucchini, diced finely
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced finely
1 tsp dried oregano
125 g mozzarella, shredded or chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked couscous (use veggie broth instead of water to cook it for more flavor)
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and Pepper, to taste
How to make it:
Slice the tops off of your peppers. These will be your "lids." Scoop out the guts and seeds and discard.
Now, there are a couple of ways to do the next part. You can boil your peppers for about 5 minutes to soften them up. This will reduce your baking time to about 20 minutes, however I don't think it gives the peppers the nice roasty flavor that you get if you bake them for longer. If you want to boil them, then go ahead and do it at this time.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a big pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini and fry until tender. Don't fry it until it's completely limp and floppy because it'll finish cooking in the oven. Stir in couscous, chickpeas, tomato and oregano. Mix well and then stir in the cheese.
Stuff each pepper with the mixture and cover with the pepper "lids."
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes if you boiled your peppers. If you didn't boil your peppers, bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes (or until the peppers are done).
This is a vegetarian recipe, but I think it would be terribly tasty with a little chorizo tossed in. I'm also going to give it a try with bulgur instead of couscous.
Check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays for more yummy recipes.
