Archive for February, 2011

28 Feb

A Moroccan Meatless Monday

Posted by Food Drink Love in Cooking. Tagged: .

For us carnivores the idea of going meatless and doing it on the regular basis, like every Monday, can sound lame. Or so I thought. I have been going meatless a lot lately and I have to say that when I do actually eat meat, I appreciate it more, I savor each bite, each juicy meaty morsel. I could never be vegetarian or vegan because I love meat too much but I definitely enjoy the health benefits of eating meat less.

For those who are flirting or have fully embraced going meatless on Mondays, here’s a recipe that I found years ago that I absolutely love! Unfortunately, I don’t know the original author of this recipe. But I do make variations based on the original recipe quite a bit. It’s vegetarian, even vegan and its fantastic! My full-pledged carnivore eating boyfriend requests it regularly, it’s that good. Plus the recipe makes two servings, perfect for a Meatless Monday evening!

Moroccan Chickpea and Couscous Stuffed Peppers

2 Large Red Bell Peppers
2 tsp Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 1/3 cup drained canned Chickpeas
3/4 cup Vegetable Broth
1/3 cup uncooked Couscous
3/4 cup Currants
2 Tbsp Hot Mango Chutney

Cut Bell Peppers in half lenghwise, discard seeds.
Arrange halves in 9 in pie plate and cover with plastic.
Microwave the halves for 5 minutes and drain liquid.
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and saute Garlic for 2 minutes.
Add Cumin, Turmeric and Cinnamon for 30 seconds.
Stir in Chickpeas and broth, bring to a boil.
Stir in couscous and then remove from heat.
Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Bake in over for 15 minutes at 350F.

Once out of the oven, spread each pepper with the Hot Mango Chutney. I usually add more than 1/2 Tbsp per pepper, because I love the stuff.

I have changed this recipe up by using different grains like quinoa, golden raisins instead of currants (though currants are my fave) and by adding more protein with nuts – I’ve added pecans, walnuts and pistachios.

Enjoy!