Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers

I am less than one month away from attending Eat Write Retreat in Philadelphia and am getting so excited for it! Not only is the lineup awesome, but I get to meet a ton of other bloggers, what could be better? As we get closer to the big weekend, the attendees were sent a secret ingredient and were asked to try to incorporate into an appetizer recipe. I received California raisins, which people tend to think of more for sweet foods, but play off savory dishes oh so well. It goes without saying that I haven’t been able to get California Raisins’ classic commercial out of my head since I received them! OXO generously also sent us a few spiffy tools to help create our recipe; I can never have enough of their products!

Raisins are a great addition to a meal to add some sweetness without any added sugar. The dried fruit is loaded with antioxidants and fiber while being fat free and cholesterol free. Did you know that one serving of raisins (just 1/4 cup) has more potassium than a banana?

 I have a friend that absolutely raves about Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers that her grandmother used to make for her, with rice, nuts, spices, and golden raisins. I decided to make an appetizer version, using mini sweet peppers. My version of these Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers are stuffed with a lamb-farro mixture that includes tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts, and a touch of lemon zest (using my new snazzy OXO zester (paid link)). The peppers are then topped with feta cheese and broiled to make this recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Mini Peppers!

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 16 mini sweet peppers, seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (no more than ½ cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ lb ground lamb
• 2/3  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• the zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 2 teaspoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup cooked farro – I used Tuscan Fields vegetable farro
• ¼ cup Feta, or to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cook farro according to package directions, reserve.

Remove top of peppers. Remove seeds and discard (there shouldn’t be very many in those tiny peppers!)

Add one tablespoon olive oil to large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground lamb and cook until browned, breaking it up as you stir, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat from the pan.

Add the cinnamon and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, golden raisins, lemon zest, and toasted pine nuts. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Note: I used raisins and golden raisins in this because I was sent both and wanted to feature both types. Feel free to just use one type of raisin.

Add the cooked farro, stirring to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the mini peppers. Use a small spoon to really pack that deliciousness in there!

Place the peppers in a pan and cover with tin foil.

Cook for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the tin foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn your broiler to high. Sprinkle with feta and broil for a minute or two, or until the feta begins to melt and the peppers char slightly.

Wow. Where have Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers been my whole life?! The combination may seem a bit bizarre but the flavors together are amazing. Seriously. My boyfriend stood at the stove shoveling the farro lamb mixture into his mouth until I had to shoo him away. I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough for the peppers!

These little peppers are really simple to make, but pack a ton of flavor, from the spice of the cumin and cinnamon to the sweetness of the raisins, to the crunch of the pine nuts. And yet, somehow, the flavor of the lamb still holds its own. Farro is perfect in this recipe too, the grains add such a great texture to the whole appetizer!