Super Stuffed Peppers

1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
1 onion, chopped
4 peppers, any color—our kids like to pick them
out at the store
1 bunch of any green, such as Swiss chard, spinach
or kale, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
non-dairy cheese such as daiya (optional)
These can be made either in the slow cooker or in the oven.
We like to put them in the slow cooker after school, and they’re ready when we
get home from gymnastics or music class in the evening.
Make the couscous in a medium size saucepan and set aside. Bring
1¼ cups of water to a boil and add couscous, stirring quickly. Cover and remove
from heat.
Cut off the tops of the peppers and chop. Remove ribs and
seeds. Sauté onion and pepper tops in a little water until onion is translucent
and peppers are tender. Add greens and sauté a few minutes longer, depending on
the type of green (longer for kale; less time for spinach).
Add onion mixture to the couscous and stir to combine. Season
as desired. Stuff peppers with mixture and place in the slow cooker or in a
lasagna pan. If you have extra filling, it can be eaten cold or mixed in with a
salad the next day. Pour marinara on and around the peppers and cook for 4
hours on Low in the slow cooker. If you want to bake them in the oven, cover
them with foil and bake at 350° for 40 minutes to an hour, depending on your
oven—they should be extremely tender.
When they have finished baking, uncover and sprinkle some
non-dairy cheese on top of the peppers. Return to the oven set on broil if you were baking them or put your slow cooker insert in the oven uncovered at the highest possible setting (most slow cooker
inserts can go in the oven--just check on the maximum temperature) for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve in individual shallow bowls with marinara poured
around each pepper.