Orzo Stuffed Peppers

After a week of eating through our stockpile of frozen home-cooked meals, last night was time to actually cook. I just got a new job cooking for an almost open place and it requires some thought and creativity. I needed to do something unplanned enough to wake up that poor hamster in my brain and get her running on her wheel again.

This recipe was born. It's absolutely packed with veggies and tastes really really good. I made a huge batch to share with the neighbors. Everyone, including the kids, loved them. Success! The hamster is not dead after all!

This recipe makes a lot, so half it if you need less. You can use a variety of veggies depending on what's in season or on sale. You can even change the theme completely and use black beans, corn, spicier peppers, tomatoes and Mexican cheeses. Creativity, above all, is the rule.

 

What you need:

8 red bell peppers
8oz package orzo
1 package feta cheese, 1/4" diced
olive oil
1 zucchini, 1/4" diced
1 yellow squash, 1/4" diced
1/2 green bell pepper, 1/4" diced
1/2 onion, finly chopped
handful Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
handful fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt
black pepper
grated parmesan for garnish

How to:

Preheat your oven to 425ºf. Brush a casserole dish olive oil.

Cut the tops off of the red peppers. Remove the ribs and seeds. Place peppers cut side up in oiled casserole dish and stick them in the oven. The peppers should take about 20-30 minutes to soften and begin to brown slightly around the edges. That gives you plenty of time to get your filling together.

Chop the red parts from the pepper tops and put them with the diced green peppers.

Start cooking orzo according to package instruction. While that's going...

Heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and let them cook for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Saute the veggies until they are tender but not mushy. When that's done, remove the pan from the heat.

Fold the drained, cooked orzo into the veggie mix. Add feta, olives, and basil.

Carefully (they're hot) stuff the cooked peppers with the orzo mixture. Sprinkle them with a pinch of shredded parmesan.

Place them under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese.

Serve!

I served 'em with black pepper bacon-wrapped chicken. Hey, the peppers are so healthy I had some calories to spare.... right?