This idea for stuffing peppers would work well with delicata squash, larger eggplants or even your acorn squash. The filling incorporates a lot of ingredients from current boxes and past. Substitute with what you have on hand. And the filling also makes a tasty side dish all by itself. The recipe suggests cooking this on the grill but you can bake it in a 350 degree oven just as well.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 cups medium-dice butternut squash or eggplant 2 cups thinly sliced scallions (about 12 medium scallions), divided 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed Freshly ground black pepper 1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into small dice 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk 1/2 cup long-grain white rice 1 cup black-eyed peas 4 medium bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 medium limes) 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Preparation:
Place 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the sugar and stir until incorporated. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add the squash or eggplant, 1 1/2 cups of the scallions, the garlic, and the measured salt; season with pepper; and stir to coat the squash or eggplant. Cook until the squash or eggplant has softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the tomato, thyme, oregano, and tomato paste and stir. Add the coconut milk and stir to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add the rice and black-eyed peas, stir to incorporate, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is done and the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium low (about 325°F). Rub the outside of the peppers with remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and season both inside and out with salt and pepper.
Remove the rice mixture from the heat and let it stand covered for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and the cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest. Divide the mixture evenly among the peppers (about 1/2 cup pelau per pepper half). Grill, covered, until the peppers are soft and just starting to char, about 30 minutes.