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Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers

Katie and Richard Chudy
Tangy goat cheese is studded with toasted pistachios and spiced heavily with vibrant Middle Eastern flavorings—tart sumac, sweet-piquant Aleppo pepper, assertive dried mint—to create a decadent filling for grilled Spanish piquillo peppers. A cinch to pull together, these light appetizers will go quickly at your next outdoor shindig. You will need 24 small wooden skewers or toothpicks for this recipe; soak them in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes prior to use.

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup pistachios
  • 11 ounces fresh goat cheese room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 12 jarred piquillo peppers drained and dried

Instructions
 

  • Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high at least 30 minutes.
  • In a small skillet over medium- low heat, toast pistachios until lightly golden, about 5 to 7 minutes; make sure they don’t burn. Cool slightly, then chop coarsely.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pistachios with goat cheese, sumac, mint, Aleppo, and lemon zest. Season with salt.
  • Spoon about 2 tablespoons of goat cheese–pistachio mixture into each piquillo pepper, being careful not to tear or puncture peppers. Pierce tops of each pepper with 2 skewers or toothpicks to seal shut.
  • Grill peppers, flipping after a couple of minutes, until skins are charred lightly and cheese is warm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately.