Cheese Stuffed Baked Pepper Halves

Finding some medium size peppers became a rarity in the last few years. For some odd reason, it seems that most of the peppers at the stores are either huge, or tiny, but the in-between are hard to find.
So, when I’ve found some nice medium size pepper, I was quick to grab them. I wasn’t sure how I will use them, but then noticed the cheeses I’ve had in the fridge, and decided on making stuffed pepper halves with cheese filling.
Mixing tangy sheep’s milk Israeli Feta, piquant Bulgarian Kashkaval cheese, and nutty Parmesan, with a small amount of yogurt, mustard, four peppers mix and nutmeg, created a highly flavorful and aromatic filling, that worked beautifully with the fresh, slightly sweetish, flavor of the peppers.
Using semolina, rather than flour, to bind the mixture, added a nice pleasant grainy texture to the filling.
The baked peppers are quick and easy to make. They can be served as an appetizer, as a side dish, or as a vegetarian lunch or light dinner, with a green salad on the side. Try them and enjoy.

Notes:
* Feta cheeses that are kept in brine, like the one I’ve used here, have moister texture than most. If you can’t find this type, add 1-2 Tbs milk to the cheese mixture.
* Kashkaval cheese is a type of semi-soft yellow cheese from the Balkan. If you can’t find it, use Provolone or mild Cheddar cheese instead.

Makes: 4-6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:
7 medium size peppers
4.4 oz (125 grams) Feta cheese (I used Trader Joe’s Israeli Feta in brine. See notes)
¼ cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
1 tsp olive oil
1 L egg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground four peppers mix
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup semolina
4.4 oz (125 grams) Kashkaval cheese, finely grated (see notes)
¼ cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a large baking pan with baking paper.
2. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise. De-seed them and remove the white membrane, keeping the tops, as shown in the photo.
3. Arrange the peppers in the pan, in one layer, and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until they soften a bit. Take out of the oven, but keep it on. Let cool a bit before filling.
4. The filling: in a medium bowl, crumble the Feta cheese. Add the yogurt, olive oil, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard, and mix. Mix in the semolina, until there are no lumps. Add the cheeses and mix again.
5. With a paper towel, wipe out the liquids that accumulated in the peppers, and fill them with the cheese mixture, up to the top.
6. Place back in the pan, in one layer. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the cheese filling is golden-brown and puffed. Serve warm.