Here’s a fun new appetizer that combines two of my favourite meze: stuffed mini peppers and Shrimp Saganaki.

Cheezy mini sweet peppers get stuffed with a cheese/tomato mixture, shrimp also place in the peppers and you end up with a glorious amalgam!

Although these sweet mini peppers are now found in most grocery stores, you can substitute with a sweet banana pepper. You just may have to add more shrimp and instead of serving 3 or 4 mini peppers, serve one. Let’s go!

Shrimp Stuffed Peppers

(appetizer for 4)

16 mini sweet peppers (assorted colours)

32 shrimp (31-40 count),peeled and deveined, tail on

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup diced white onion

1 cup grated tomato (or tomato puree)

2 Tbsp. Ouzo

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of chili flakes

1/3 cup crumbled Feta

1/3 cup grated Graviera or Gruyere cheese

garnish of dried Greek oregano and chopped chives/scallions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Place your peppers on a parchment lined sheet pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place a skillet on your stovetop and add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat for 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, Ouzo, salt and pepper and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add a pinch of chili flakes and stir in. Allow to cool.
3. Add half the tomato sauce to the bowl with the cheeses and mix.
4. Use a pairing knife to make an opening lengthwise along your peppers. Carefully stuff each pepper with with cheese mixture then insert two shrimp into each pepper, tail end up.
5. Drizzle with some olive oil, turn on oven to broil setting, rack set to upper half of oven.
6. Broil your shrimp for approx. 6-7 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, remove from the oven,
7. Spoon remaining tomato sauce onto bottom of your platter and place stuffed peppers on top, sprinkle oregano and chives and serve.