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‘Beef’ and Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

Beautiful and satisfying stuffed peppers make the perfect presentation for a special dinner with friends or family. Serve them with crusty bread and herbed vegan margarine.

1 cup orzo pasta
4 peppers (green, orange, red, or yellow)
2/3 cup tightly packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup soy parmesan “cheese” (try Soymage brand at www.galaxyfoods.com)
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
12 oz. faux ground beef-style crumbles (try Yves Veggie Cuisine brand—www.yvesveggie.com)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 12-oz. jar tomato sauce

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cook the orzo pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers (save them) and scrape out the insides, removing the seeds. Place the peppers into the boiling water, simmer for 3 minutes, remove from the water, and invert them onto a paper towel to drain.
• Place the parsley, soy parmesan, walnuts, basil, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and the garlic into a food processor and pulse until blended. With the food processor running, slowly add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and continue processing to form a smooth pesto.
• In a large skillet, brown the beef-style crumbles in the remaining oil over medium heat. Stir in the orzo, pesto, the remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt, and the chopped tomato. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture is heated through.
• Pour the tomato sauce into an 8-inch glass baking dish. Fill the peppers with the “beef” mixture and place them into the baking dish. Put the pepper tops back on and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings