Eat Healthy and Cheap
Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers turn up across the Mediterranean under different names: Greek gemista, Turkish biber dolması, Italian peperoni ripieni. Nearly all of them build the filling on white rice cooked in oil. Farro holds its shape and chew through a long covered bake, so the filling stays textured instead of collapsing into paste under the foil. The real trick is the bake itself: tomato and water poured around the peppers, not over them, turns to steam under a tight foil lid and braises the peppers tender from the outside without a drop of oil, and only the last uncovered stretch lets the tops brown. A small handful of walnuts and raisins does the work oil and sugar usually do in this dish, adding richness and a note of sweetness without turning it into dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 larges Bell peppers, halved lengthwise through the stem and cored
- 3/4 cup Farro, dried, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups Chickpeas, cooked and drained
- 1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 3 tbsp Raisins, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp Mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Method
- Combine the farro with 2 cups (475 ml) water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender with a little chew left, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain off any water that has not absorbed.
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Halve the bell peppers lengthwise through the stem so each half keeps a piece of stem for structure, then pull out the seeds and white ribs. Arrange the halves cut side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them snugly.
- Warm a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water and sweat, stirring and adding more water as the pan dries out, until the onion turns translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Push the onion to one side and add the tomato paste to the bare spot. Let it cook undisturbed until it darkens to brick red, about 1 minute, then stir it through the onion. This toasted paste is the savory backbone an oil-fried sofrito would otherwise provide.
- Stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the crushed tomatoes, the oregano, cinnamon, and black pepper. Simmer 2 minutes to let the spices bloom in the liquid, then take the pan off the heat.
- Fold the cooked farro, chickpeas, walnuts, raisins, half the parsley, and the mint into the tomato mixture. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste: the walnuts and raisins should read as savory accents, not as a sweet course.
- Pack the filling into the pepper halves, mounding it generously over the top since it will not rise or spread while baking.
- Pour the remaining crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water into the bottom of the baking dish, around the peppers, not over them. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake covered for 35 minutes. The trapped steam, not oil, is what braises the peppers tender from the outside in. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until the peppers have collapsed slightly at the edges and the exposed filling has browned in spots.
- Let the peppers rest 5 minutes, then spoon the pan sauce over each half and scatter with the remaining parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 350 calories, 13 g protein, 12 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
