Lentil stuffed peppers
This is a tasty veggie dish that's topped with golden lemon breadcrumbs to give it some extra texture.
Ingredients
200g red lentils 4 red or green peppers, halved and seeds removed2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 onion, finely chopped1 small carrot, washed and grated3 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 small courgette, washed and grated1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes125ml vegetable stock1/4 tsp dried rosemary1/4 tsp dried oregano1 tsp dried thyme100g spinach, washed and choppedJuice of ½ a lemon
For the lemon breadcrumb topping
30g of brown-bread breadcrumbsGrated zest of half a lemon1/4 tsp thyme1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190C. In a large saucepan add the lentils to 500ml of water and bring to a boil. Once it’s reached boiling point, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. The lentils shouldn’t be ‘mushy’ at this stage.
After 15 minutes drain the lentils and set aside. While the lentils are cooking over a medium heat and using a large, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil, add the onions and grated carrots and sauté for 5 minutes.
Next, add the garlic, courgette, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and dried herbs and simmer for a further 10 minutes
Remove the frying pan off the heat and add the chopped spinach and cooked lentils. Season with black pepper, a pinch of salt and the chopped parsley.
Place the pepper halves cut side up on a lightly greased baking tray. Stuff with the lentil mixture, distributing evenly, and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the tops. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
While the peppers are cooking, to make the topping heat the olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and thyme, cook for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs are well coated then add the lemon zest and parsley.
Set aside After 25-30 minutes, take the tin foil out and sprinkle the peppers with the topping. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes until the top is golden brown and the peppers are soft and serve immediately.
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