Couscous-Stuffed Chilies, Bells or Jalapeno Peppers

I'm am just getting into using couscous so I sat up and took notice when I found this recipe in "Garden Guides", a weekly online gardening newsletter. To quote the article, "This dish can be hot, or not, depending on the peppers you use. I usually make separate dishes of hot and mild to accommodate the differing tastes in our family--we suffer from Incompatible Heat Octane Tolerance Syndrome (IHOTS).... If you're sensitive to the oils in hot peppers, wear rubber dishwashing gloves when you handle them, and wash them before you take them off. Always wash your hands well after working with them and be sure not to touch your eyes or nose with the oil still on your hands. For those with hearty appetites, you may want to serve these peppers with a grilled chicken breast or salad, or both. Alone, it's perfect for lunch or a light dinner."

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 8 -10  large chilies or 6 -8  medium bell peppers or 15 -20  jalapenos
• 1 1⁄2 cups couscous
• 2  cups  chicken stock
• 1 1⁄2 cups tomato juice
• 4  tablespoons ground coriander
• 5  tablespoons pine nuts, minced fine
• 3  cups  grated monterey jack cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped green onion
• 2  tablespoons raisins

Directions

1. Combine tomato juice (I use the liquid from a 28 ounce can of tomatoes) and chicken stock. Bring to boiling, remove from heat and stir in couscous and coriander. Cover and let sit while you prepare the peppers. When couscous has absorbed the liquid (about five minutes) add the pine nuts and half the cheese and mix well.
2. Slice off the stem end of the peppers and remove as many seeds and the white stuff around them as you can--that's where the heat's concentrated. Spoon some of the couscous mixture into the end of the pepper, poking it in with the end of the spoon, your finger or a chopstick. A chopstick (the thicker end) comes in handy for pushing the stuffing down to the tip of skinnier peppers.
3. Continue stuffing until the pepper is full to just below the rim. Depending on the size of the peppers, around half or a third of the couscous should be left when you're through. Place the peppers in a shallow casserole dish (chilies on their side, bells upright) and bake uncovered at 375* F for 45 minutes.
4. Arrange the stuffed, cooked peppers over a bed of the leftover couscous on a platter or plate, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and melt under the broiler or in the oven. (Make sure the dish is oven proof!).
5. After the cheese melts, sprinkle the green onions and raisins (really) over the top and serve hot.