FOODIE: Veggie, Feta Cheese, Stuffed Peppers

Peppers are in season for August! Try your hand in the kitchen with this classic take on stuffed peppers. Vegetables, feta cheese, and rice make this a hearty, healthy, end-of-summer dish.

Enjoy and let us know in the comments how your stuffed pepper recipe turned out!

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, or 5 medium sized bell peppers

2 zucchinis or yellow squash (or 1 of each), sliced lengthwise and quartered

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

4 oz Feta Cheese

15oz chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cup cooked rice or couscous

1 cup diced onion

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers on coated baking dish, upright and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes until they are softened. Remove the peppers and let sit until filling is ready.
4. While peppers are roasting, slice zucchini in half and then thinly slice (about ¼ inch) *a mandolin is helpful for this step, but not necessary.
5. Dice onions and cut cherry tomatoes in half.
6. In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and add the onion, zucchini, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste.
7. Add the rice or couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables and crumbled feta cheese.
8. Fill the peppers with the rice/couscous mixture and bake for 15 minutes at 350. Serve immediately.

Recipe inspired and adapted from SmittenKitchen.com.