Couscous Stuffed Twister Peppers

Ingredients:

• 6 long (twister) sweet peppers

• salt and black pepper for peppers cavities

• 1 cup vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 tbsp water

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, chopped

• 3/4 cup couscous

• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

• 1/3 cup diced celery

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

• 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
  

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan (with a tight fitting lid) over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine curry powder, onion, garlic and cayenne pepper. Add 2 tablespoon water and mix to a paste.

2. Saute curry paste in oil for 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, lemon juice and kosher salt and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and immediately remove from heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let set for 15 minutes.

3. While couscous is cooking, carefully slit the peppers down the center from the stem to near the tip, leaving the stem and tip intact. You want the peppers to look like a canoe. Carefully remove the seeds, season with salt and black pepper. Place peppers on a microwavable plate and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside.

4. Once couscous is cooked, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and stir to combine.

5. Divide mixture among peppers and lightly pack into peppers. Place on a greased oven proof baking dish and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Serves: 4 to 6

Notes&Tips:

• I very much enjoy making stuffed peppers. I usually stuff bell peppers with all sorts of mixture but never thought that these twister peppers would be conducive for stuffing. Granted they are not as easy to stuff as bell peppers, you have to be more careful in handling them so they don't rip open. But with a bit of care, they come out looking and tasting gorgeous.

• Removing the seeds require some patience as you don't want to preserve the peppers whole for stuffing. Take extra caution when de-seeding.

• Couscous is a very bland grain, spicing it up with the curry paste imparts flavor to it without making it too curry tasting.

• Feel free to swap out the garbanzo beans for black eyed peas, black beans or your favorite beans.

• Pre-cooking the peppers in the microwave, softens them a little and saves time in the oven. This is not to say the peppers do not still hold their crunch. They still have a nice, sweet crunch.

• I served my Couscous Stuffed Twister Peppers as a side dish with Shrimp Scampi and garlic bread. This dish can certainly be served as a stand alone for a vegetarian meal.