Dinner for Two: Grilled Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
Is it okay if we still grill for a minute? Because I’m not ready to get rid of summer food just yet.
I know a lot of people are already gushing about how fall is the best season EVER. And truth be told, it kinda is! But it’s going to be NINETY-THREE degrees in NYC this Friday, and as long as the weather’s still pretending it’s summer, I will too. So instead of breaking out my crockpot I’m going to grill for as long as humanly possible, and these grilled Mediterranean stuffed peppers are 100% on my list.
What makes this a great go-to recipe is that the peppers can easily be grilled on your outdoor grill or indoor grated griddle, so it’s really a year-round dish. Being vegetarian adds a particular meat-free lightness that’s welcome any time of year, and with a Mediterranean-inspired stuffing that includes chickpeas, quinoa, red peppers, and olives, it remains super filling too. The lack of meat makes the prep especially seamless, simply combine your stuffing ingredients with a touch of lemon juice and tzatziki, then focus on grilling your peppers! With just over a 30-minute cook time, these fit into your weeknight schedule whenever you need them.
The grilling obviously adds incredible texture — the charred skins are to DIE for! — but what I love most is how grilling tenderizes the peppers with a lingering smokey flavor that can’t be duplicated in an oven, it’s seriously so delicious. To begin, soften the peppers by coating them with a healthy film of olive oil and grilling face-down for 4-5 minutes — Once the edges have grill marks, they’re good. Drain each pepper of any excess water (they’ll sweat a bit from the heat!) then stuff them with the filling and grill bottom-side down for 8-10 minutes more. In the end you’ll have smokey, cheesy, piping hot stuffed peppers that are like a giant hug of SUMMER, and who could say no to that?!
Not me.
And just a ‘lil FYI — While this is categorized as a Dinner for Two, odds are you’re going to have leftovers. Rather than prepare just two peppers I worked with three because those pre-packaged pepper trios are sold everywhere, and I always want things to be relatable for you. So if you have extras, eat what’s left by warming it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes.
So easy, so good.
Dinner for Two: Grilled Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked Quinoa*
- ½ cup Chickpeas (drain them if canned)
- ¼ cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup Roasted Red Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Kalamata Olives, halved
- 2 tbsps Onion, minced
- ¾ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or more if you’d like!)
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 2 tsps Crushed or Minced Garlic
- ¼ cup Tzatziki + more for serving
- small bunch of Fresh Parsley, diced
- 3 Bell Peppers, halved and ribs + seeds removed
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
- Pre-heat outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- In large mixing bowl combine the quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, red pepper, olives, onion, ¼ cup of the shredded mozzarella, lemon juice, garlic, tzatziki, and parsley, stirring until well combined. If it seems a little dry, add a teaspoon or two of EVOO.
- With a pastry brush amply coat the bell peppers in EVOO inside and out. Next, grill face-down for 4-5 minutes until the edges begin to char/blacken – Remove. Keep grill heated.
- Drain the peppers of any excess liquid, then stuff with the quinoa filling. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese, then grill, face-up, for another 8-10 minutes until bubbly and beginning to brown. Immediately plate and serve, pairing with additional tzatziki for dipping.
*1/2 a cup dry quinoa + 1 cup water and/or chicken broth will yield the 1 cup cooked quinoa you need for this recipe – Prepare as directed while prepping the veggies!
>> Once covered in EVOO the peppers will be a little slippery to handle in step 4, but don’t sweat it! Tongs + a large spatula make it easy.
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