Lentil-and-Sausage Stuffed Peppers

We've had dried lentils sitting around since we made the samosas recipe (see here SAMOSAS).  So I decided that it would be good if we could find a recipe that would help us use up some of these lentils. Also, I think after making the samosas I realized how delicious lentils are.  So I stumbled on this stuffed pepper recipe and thought it looked fantastic.  We also had most of the ingredients at home so it was easy to pick up some peppers, rice and shredded cheese.

I have to be honest as an unbiased source for all your cooking needs (lol nerd alert)!  We didn't see the point of stuffing this in the peppers.  The flavor of the stuffing was AWESOME. We'd totally make it again, but stuffing it in the pepper didn't enhance the flavor at all. I think it would be much better as a salad similar to the chicken and wild rice one (see here for DELICIOUSNESS).

I know you're probably looking at the ingredient list and thinking basil, balsamic, capers and....RAISINS?  But the raisins gave it just a hint of sweetness and a flavor you don't expect.  We also used a jalapeno sausage because the one listed in the ingredient list wasn't available. Other reviewers mentioned they used the jalapeno sausage with good results so I figured it was a safe bet.

So after taking all of this into account, we'll be making it again but instead calling it lentil, rice and chicken salad and 86-ing the peppers (or chopping them up and adding them in).

Recipe by Cooking Light, September 2000

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Ingredients

• 3  red bell peppers
• 3  yellow bell peppers
• 3  cups  water, divided
• 1/2  cup  dried brown lentils
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  uncooked long-grain rice
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 8  ounces  basil, pine nut, and chicken sausage, chopped (such as Gerhard's)
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4  cup  dried currants or raisins
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  capers
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cut bell peppers in half, keeping stems intact. Discard seeds and membranes. Cook bell peppers in boiling water 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
Combine 2 cups water, lentils, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice and onion. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Set aside. Place sausage in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; saute until browned.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine lentils, rice mixture, sausage, mozzarella, and remaining ingredients except Parmesan in a large bowl. Divide lentil mixture evenly among bell peppers; sprinkle with Parmesan. Place stuffed peppers in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 292 (30% from fat)

Fat: 9.7g (sat 4.2g,mono 2.4g,poly 2.7g)

Protein: 19.2g

Carbohydrate: 33.7g

Fiber: 4.3g

Cholesterol: 48mg

Iron: 4mg

Sodium: 541mg

Calcium: 211mg