Tuna-Stuffed Peppers

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tuna_stuffed_peppers.html

From EatingWell:  September/October 2008

These tuna-stuffed peppers are ubiquitous in delis all over Susa, Italy.

About 2 dozen stuffed peppers | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 24 whole jarred mild or sweet cherry peppers, (from 2 16-ounce jars; see Shopping Tip)
• 1 6-ounce can chunk light tuna packed in water, drained well (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and finely chopped
• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Select 24 whole peppers. (Refrigerate any remaining peppers in a jar, with brine to cover, for another use.) Cut off and discard the pepper stems. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon (a measuring teaspoon works well). Rinse the peppers to remove any residual seeds, and set in a colander to drain.
2. Combine tuna, lemon juice, oil, capers and anchovies (if using) in a medium bowl.
3. Fill each pepper with about 1 teaspoon of the tuna mixture and place them on a serving plate. (Depending on the size of the peppers, you may not fill all 24.) Grind some pepper over the stuffed peppers.
4. Bring vinegar to a boil in a very small saucepan and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 2 teaspoons, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Drizzle the syrup over the peppers.

Nutrition

Per 2-pepper serving : 42 Calories; 2 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 9 mg Cholesterol; 2 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 293 mg Sodium; 6 mg Potassium

Exchanges: 1/2 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate stuffed peppers and balsamic syrup separately for up to 4 hours. Drizzle the peppers with the syrup just before serving.

• Shopping tip: Look for red and/or green jarred mild (or sweet) cherry peppers near pickles and olives or at the “olive bar” in well-stocked supermarkets and specialty-food stores.
• Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.