i recently stumbled upon a recipe for a stuffed green pepper that used a mediterranean couscous stuffing instead of the traditional ground beef filling. i was SUPER excited to make up my own recipe for the stuffing (because this would give me the excuse i needed to use my pearl couscous!) and made a special grocery trip just for this dinner. it made enough for 4... but i generally eat dishes for a few days afterwards as leftovers, so it worked well for me. but i would totally recommend making this dish for a dinner party or just as a quick, healthy dish for the fam on a weeknight!
here's what you need: four green peppers, two chicken breasts, one small zucchini, one large tomato, one cucumber, one cup uncooked pearl couscous, chicken bullion cube (or chicken stock), a cup of feta cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, S&P, and a 1/3 cup of fresh cut cilantro.
to start, clean out your four green peppers by cutting off the tops (save them!) and removing the seeds and ribs. **note: these are sweet peppers, not hot ones like jalepenos or anything, so removing the insides is just so you can eat the entire pepper, not to remove the heat. once cleaned, put them in a pot of boiling water for about 6-9 minutes or until they are firm but slightly tender. these are the edible cups for your couscous filling! set them aside to cool.
follow the instructions on the back of your pearl couscous package and cook it accordingly, adding either one chicken bullion cube to the correct amount of water, or just substitute the water for chicken stock. add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the couscous after it has cooked to keep each individual grain separate from the others! let this cool.
next, take the green pepper tops that you saved and cut them into bite-size pieces. cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and slice it into half-moon shapes roughly the size of your green pepper pieces. at this point, take two chicken breasts (responsibly raised / organic if possible) and slice them in to the same size pieces. **note: is your chicken too soft to cut into small chunks? put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and it will be easier to cut!
throw this whole mixture into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and sauté until soft and sizzl-y. put this off to the side to cool.
while the other pieces cool, wash and dice one large tomato and one medium sized cucumber. you are welcome to seed (aka take the seeds and insides out) of both the tomato and the cucumber, but i would recommend leaving them in as they have lots of flavor! chop about 1/3 cup of cilantro (or you can use parsley if you're crazy and not a cilantro person..).
time to assemble! take the cooled chicken and sauteed vegetables, the chopped tomato and cucumber, the fresh cilantro, and a cup of feta cheese and toss them all together with the pearl couscous. add a generous squeeze of lemon juice (fresh preferably), a drizzle of olive oil, and some S&P to taste. here's what the stuffing should look like:
finally, take your four cooled peppers and stuff them generously with the stuffing. if you have leftovers of the filling, it is great with pita chips as an appetizer or just with a spoon for a light lunch! i would recommend serving this dish with a cool greek salad on the side and maybe some toasty slices of baguette with butter.
enjoy this fresh and healthy supper!
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