Ratatouille Stuffed Bell Peppers

So many of my favorite vegetables are in season right now.  It was lunchtime and I found myself in the mood for ratatouille... but I wanted to do something different.  There were quite a few green peppers in my fridge, so I decided to stuff them with the ratatouille.  If you are a vegetable lover, this recipe is for you!  It is delicious and packed with nutrients.  If you are one of those people who are not fond of eggplant, you can can substitute it with another vegetable such as mushrooms or just double up on the zucchini or squash.  

Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 green peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 small yellow squash, chopped (about 1 1/2 c)
• 1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 1/2 c) 
• 1 small eggplant, chopped (about 1 1/2 c)
• 1 c diced tomatoes 
• 1/2 c onion, minced 
• 1/4 c tomato sauce 
• 1/4 c red wine 
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried basil 
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram 
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste 
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (I used cheddar jack)
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the green pepper halves and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain the peppers.  Generously season the peppers with salt and pepper.  

In a large bowl, combine the squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and onion.  Stir in the tomato sauce, red wine, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, sugar, basil and marjoram.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Stuff the pepper halves with the vegetable mixture.  You should have enough for 10 to 12 pepper halves, depending on their size and shape.

Sprinkle about 1 to 2 tbsp of the cheddar cheese and about 1 tsp of grated Parmesan onto each pepper.

Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over each pepper.  Place the peppers on a greased baking dish.  

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  

Enjoy!