Bell peppers come in a variety of colors with surprisingly different tastes (even fruity!) for each one. While I've found the green bell pepper to be more bitter in taste, I've absolutely fallen in love with the red variety (it's the sweetest of the bunch ) which I use in salads constantly (with the orange and yellow closely tied in second place ;) ). With this recipe, I thought to add some Italian flavors and replace the typical rice option with pearl couscous to provide a unique flavor not often seen with rice. The marinara sauce was densely rich ad the perfect complementary topping. Try this as a family meal or appetizer for a group setting.
Ingredients
3 Bell peppers, halved and cleaned (I used red and yellow)
½ cup Hardwood beef sausage, precooked and chopped (optional)
1 Onion, medium and diced
1 cup Spinach, chopped
1 cup Israeli Pearl Couscous, precooked
1 medium Serrano pepper, diced
2 large Garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. Onion powder
2 tsp. Fresh Parsley, diced
1 tsp. Garlic and parsley seasoning
¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Prep: Rinse and halve each bell pepper. Remove seeds and set aside. Prep all produce.
Directions:
In a preheated pan on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, ¼ tsp. of sea salt, and garlic. Cover and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Add sausage, couscous seasonings, and other produce (except the spinach), and let cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Add spinach and allow to wilt naturally. Stir in and let cook for 5 minutes.
Preheat stove for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Rub the inside and outside of the bell pepper with a thin layer of olive oil. Place filling into each half and place it on a lightly oiled pan (you can use parchment paper instead). Be careful not to overfill. Bake covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for 8 minutes.
Garnish with marinara sauce and enjoy!
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
1 can fire-roasted with garlic diced tomatoes
½ tsp Complete seasoning
3 Garlic cloves, diced
2/3 can tomato paste (small)
½ tsp Onion powder
½ tsp Garlic and parsley seasoning
1 tsp Oregano, dried
Sea salt to taste
1.5 cups water
Directions: Place tomatoes, garlic, and complete seasoning in a saucepan nonstick saucepan on medium heat. Cover and stir occasionally for 10 minutes. Mix tomato paste in the water until fully dissolved and add to the saucepan along with the other seasonings. seasoning in a, mixing occasionally. Add more flavor based on taste preference.
Tips:
If couscous isn't your preference, you can use quinoa or barley instead of rice, plant-based meat, tofu, or mushroom chunks instead of animal meat.
Tahini sauce can be used in place of marinara.
Cutting the bell peppers to resemble a bowl is best for stuffing.
When shopping for bell peppers to stuff, look for those that are more round than long, which allows for a better serving and stuffing size.