Usually, there are two big problems with stuffed peppers: the peppers and the stuffing. Bland, bland, bland.
The dish is a great idea. Stuff something delicious into something healthy and equally delicious. Except stuffed peppers never seem to turn out that way. But what if there was a way to make this dish actually taste like something? Turns out, there is. But you need to be willing to mix things up a bit. I did, and I was thrilled with the results.
Rather than use white rice, which tends to lose all texture and taste in recipes like this, I used freekeh. It’s a delicious young “green” wheat from North Africa and the Middle East that’s been fire-roasted to give it a unique smokiness. It also happens to be astonishingly healthy, boasting high levels of protein, fiber and minerals. But for me, flavor is always first, and freekeh’s got it.
For my pepper stuffing, I pair the freekeh with a quartet of summer friends — corn, zucchini, tomato and basil — as well as a little feta cheese. To ensure a tasty filling, you need to carefully season the freekeh’s cooking liquid and work to rid the veggies and herbs of excess water before combining them. (The zucchini are salted and squeezed; the tomatoes are roasted.) Also, be sure to taste and adjust the filling’s seasonings before stuffing the peppers.
Now, about those peppers. The problem stems from the common practice of boiling the peppers to start. The goal is to tenderize them before they’re stuffed and baked, but generally the poor fellas are over-boiled, which results in their tendency to fall apart and, as noted, be flavorless.
But peppers can have tons of flavor when given the right treatment. The trick is to roast them at high heat. I slice mine in half, then roast them cut sides down, which puts a tasty little sear on the edges and helps some of the water drain out. Then I roast them cut side up, which softens the pepper a bit more. It’s still quite al dente at that point, but it’s perfectly tender after it’s been stuffed and baked.
One of the bonuses of this recipe is that you can prep and stuff the peppers a day ahead of time, then finish them in the oven right before the meal. One stuffed pepper half per person makes for a splendid side dish. Two per person makes for a delicious and nutritious meatless entree.
STUFFED PEPPERS WITH FREEKEH
Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes (40 minutes active)
Serving: 4
1/2 cup cracked freekeh
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), coarsely shredded, preferably using a food processor
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup corn kernels (about 1 ear of corn)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, or a mix
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup shredded basil
Nutrition information per serving (2 stuffed halves): 360 calories; 170 calories from fat (47 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 840 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 8 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 13 g protein.
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