Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Easy recipe alert! These are so ridiculously easy and make a perfect week night meal with at least 3 of your 5 a day in. Sorry I'm going veggie again with this next recipe, usually I'd add some chorizo to add a bit of a Spanish feel but as I'm still at home stocking the cupboards isn't my priority so I'm having to be a little more creative with my ingredients. You can probably use regular bell peppers if you like, but I prefer these red Romano peppers as they are much easier to fill and having a larger area of rice ensures it gets nice and crispy in the oven.

This was a cute week night meal for Dad and I before we went off to the pool for training (or coaching)

Ingredients: (serves 2 greedy people)

Wholegrain Basmati rice (3 handfuls for 2 people - bare in mind I have pretty small hands so people with more regular palm sizes may want to change this to 2)

4 red Romano peppers

8-10 cherry tomatoes (depending on size)

6 closed cup mushrooms

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper to season

1 tsp tomato puree

1 large tbsp low fat Philadelphia cheese

Pine nuts

Parmesan cheese to top (optional, ditch this if you're in a healthy mood!)

Instructions:

1) If you're going with Wholegrain Basmati rice then you'll need to have it cooking for at least 10 minutes BEFORE you start making the sauce as it will take longer than normal white rice.

2) Chop and crush the garlic and add to a cold frying pan with a drizzle of oil. As the pan is heating up quarter the tomatoes and dice the mushrooms into small pieces. When the garlic begins to sizzle add tomatoes and mushrooms.

3) Keep an eye on the pan and when the tomatoes begin to soften start crushing them down with your spoon or spatula. Turn your oven on to 180° (fan).

4) The mix should start to become more liquid the longer it cooks. Add the tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste. When the mix starts to resemble a sauce, add the Philadelphia and turn the heat down to minimum.

This sauce needs about 5 more minutes on a gentle heat to really soften it up

5) Wash and prepare the peppers, taking care to remove the seeds. Arrange in a baking tray. When the rice is done drain it and add to the frying pan (if you didn't use a big enough pan don't worry, just pour the sauce into the rice instead). Mix together and turn off the heat.

6) Spoon the rice mixture into the peppers and pop in the oven for 15 minutes.

7) If adding parmesan cheese to the top, put it on now and pop the peppers back in the oven for around 5 minutes. Turn the oven up to 200° to really crisp up the rice (even if not adding parmesan)! 

Enjoy and let me know if you give it a go!

V x