Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

From EatingWell: March/April 2009 — Subscribe Now!

We steam brightly colored bell peppers in the microwave to save time and then stuff them with orzo, spinach and feta. This basic recipe will work with almost any filling—try substituting different types of cheese, herbs or beans. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread and cucumber salad.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I made this for dinner for me and my husband for the first time and couldn't believe how flavorful the peppers were! My husband had never had stuffed peppers before, and I had never had them any other way than how my Grandmother made them...

4 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers
1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

Nutrition

Per serving: 344 calories; 11 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 11 g fiber; 656 mg sodium; 689 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (340% daily value), Vitamin A (130% dv), Folate (48% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (20% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat, 1 fat