1 medium onion
1 large green onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Basil, salt and pepper to taste
10 button mushrooms
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1cup cooked couscous
4 large bell peppers (cut in half or topped)
1 large egg, whisked with 2 teaspoons water or stock

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop onions, celery, carrot and garlic. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes; add celery and carrot. Season lightly with basil, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Slice mushrooms and add to sauté. Stir well. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and incorporate well. Reduce heat to low and add pecans, parsley and couscous; season lightly again. Cook to heat through. While mixture is heating, cut peppers and remove seeds and membranes. For 4 larger servings, top peppers; for 8 smaller servings, cut peppers in half. Place peppers in glass baking dish. Remove couscous mixture from heat and let it cool slightly. Quickly blend egg mixture into couscous mixture, then fill each pepper to top. Cover dish with foil and bake 15 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until filling browns.

Servings: 4. Serving size: 1 pepper. Per serving: 320 calories, 11.6 g protein, 20.8 g fat, 27 g carbohydrates, 6.3 g dietary fiber, 51 mg sodium, 9 g sugars, 46 mg cholesterol

Pepe Laflamme, Cherokee County Electric Cooperative Association