Sweet Red Peppers Stuffed with Halloumi
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 3 extra-large sweet red bell peppers, preferably Holland bell peppers
- 6 to 8 mini sweet peppers, halved, seeded, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 (8-ounce) package haloumi cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Fine sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Full of wonderful flavors and textures, these stuffed peppers make a great supper or dinner party starter.
- Pour the olive oil into a small bowl. Place the garlic cloves on a work surface. Place the flat side of a chef’s knife atop the garlic and give it a good whack to smash the cloves in their skins. Remove and discard the skins; add the smashed garlic cloves to the olive oil and let soak in oil to infuse for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Heat a small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts, and toast, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the pine nuts are light golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent burning. Set the pine nuts aside.
- Cut the bell peppers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully remove the white membrane.
- Arrange the bell pepper halves on a baking sheet. Fill the pepper halves with mini pepper pieces, dividing equally. Drizzle half of the garlic oil over the peppers and bake until the edges of the peppers begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven. Add the haloumi cheese pieces to the pepper halves, tucking them among the mini pepper pieces. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese and peppers, and drizzle with the remaining garlic oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is softened and golden brown, and the edges of the peppers are well browned, 15 to 20 minutes.