Spiced Stuffed Peppers

We saw our first taste of winter this weekend in Wichita, so I no longer need to feel bad about using the oven and warming the house by a solid few degrees, which is great since I've been cooking a lot lately. I've really been focusing on easy, well-rounded meals that everyone will enjoy. Part of that means accessible ingredients and realistic timelines, since this time of year is already super hectic. There's nothing too fancy in this dish that you can't find at your local grocery store.

I've talked about it before, but I really feel like utilizing herbs and spices is key in the kitchen. These stuffed peppers combine a mix of both savory and sweet spices, from coriander to cinnamon, that will be sure to hit all of your tastebuds. This flavorful dish combines chickpeas and brown rice to give you a good dose of protein and fiber, and the dried apricots give you a burst of sweetness to balance the salty feta. If you're vegan or dairy-free, you can definitely leave out the feta or use a vegan alternative.

You can use any color pepper you like for these, as it's really just a vessel of hidden micronutrients to house the filling. Additionally, if you like an extra kick to your food you could toss in some cayenne to taste. I always try to use low-sodium canned products, but if you can't find those just be sure to rinse your beans, as you can rise off about 40% of the added sodium! I hope you give these a try and enjoy!

African Inspired Spiced Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Makes 2-4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

• 1/2 cup brown rice

• 1, 15-oz can chickpeas

• 1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup feta cheese

• 2 green onions, sliced

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp mustard powder

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/8 tsp cumin

• 1/8 tsp turmeric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Place peppers cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 tsp olive oil and bake for 15 minutes, until slightly tender.

3. While peppers are baking, cook the rice according to package.

4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and the whites of the green onion. Sauté until chickpeas crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

5. Once the rice is cooked, add in the apricots, chickpeas, feta and spices.

6. Spoon the rice mixture into the pepper halves, any leftovers can be served on the side.

7. Bake peppers for 5-6 minutes, until peppers are soft.

8. Serve over any extra rice and top with green onions.

9. Enjoy!