What's for Dinner Wednesday: Greek Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a pretty impressive looking meal that can actually be very easy to make.  They are also incredibly versatile and can be stuffed with a variety of combinations of meats, cheeses, grains, and vegetables. I prefer mine meatless and served this Greek-inspired version for dinner recently.  I love the combo of salty kalamata olives and feta cheese with the sweet red peppers.  One pepper makes a surprisingly simple and satisfying dinner. You could serve a slice of garlic bread or a simple green salad on the side, but these are actually perfectly portioned little meals-- and the leftovers make an excellent lunch to take to the office!

Ingredients:

• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 1/2 cups cooked orzo
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped and seeded
• 2 small zucchini, grated
• 2 Tbs. fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, fine chopped
• 3.5 oz. low fat feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the tops off of each pepper and set aside.  Remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the peppers. If the peppers are not sturdy when set on their bases, make a very thin slice across the base to flatten and balance the peppers.

Roughly chop the reserved pepper tops and add to a large mixing bowl.  To the bowl, add orzo and next 8 ingredients (through garlic).  Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully spoon the orzo mixture into each pepper until filled and the filling forms a slight mound on top.* Place the filled peppers into a small baking dish where they fit snugly. Pour broth into the dish around the peppers until it is about 1 inch deep (you may not use all of the broth, depending on the size of your baking dish). Cover the dish with foil and and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with grated Romano and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve.

*You will likely have leftover orzo mixture. I added mine to a small baking dish, sprinkled extra Pecorino Romano over the top and baked for about 30 minutes.


Inspired by Orzo-Stuffed Peppers recipe by Giada De Laurentiis