Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

These are so yummy and filling, I think that even the most dedicated meat-eaters could be fooled! Or, you could always serve some chicken along side.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I'm sad I let it sit on my "recipes to make" board so long.  The recipe calls for sundried tomatoes, which I love but I had a huge amount of roma tomatoes on hand so I tried my hand at oven-drying them.  It worked out great, but it took a hundred years (or 8) so I would recommend you use a jar of sundried tomatoes for this!

I think I'll put this recipe on my list of summer meal ideas because it is all done in the microwave and on the stove so it wouldn't heat the house up like a typical stuffed pepper that is baked.

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

recipe adapted from eatingwell.com

4 orange, red or yellow bell peppers

1/2 c. orzo

1 15 oz can chickpeas

1 Tb. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed dry

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/3 c. sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped

3/4 c. crumbled feta, divided

2 Tb red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and pour in the orzo cooking according to directions.  Drain well.  In the meantime, slice the peppers in half lengthwise, through the stem.  Scoop the seeds out with a spoon.  Lay the peppers upside down on a plate and microwave 6-7 minutes, until beginning to soften. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and mash them with a fork, leaving a few chunks.  I like to pull off the skins if I can. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, cooking 5 minutes or until soft, add in the garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, oregano, sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 c. of the feta, vinegar and salt.  Heat over medium heat until all of the filling is hot, then stir in the cooked orzo.  Fill the pepper halves with the orzo mixture and sprinkle with the extra feta.  Microwave the peppers another minute to let the feta melt and enjoy.  Serve with a salad and slices of crusty bread.