Vegetarian stuffed peppers Recipe

Source; Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Vegetarian stuffed peppers 

Arabs in general and especially Palestinians love to stuff almost any seasonal vegetables for the best flavour. Growing up, dishes like this were made on the weekend, but were also festive enough for the holidays or when guests are expected.

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium sweet bell peppers 
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 400g cooked short grain rice
• 240g cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
• 150g diced halloumi or feta cheese 
• 60g finely chopped Italian parsley 
• 60g chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 spring onions, chopped 
• 2 vine tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeño, diced (optional) 
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp sumac 
• ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 
• 700ml tomato or marinara sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°c fan.
2. Prepare the peppers by halving them lengthways then removing the ‘ribs’ and seeds to create a nice pocket for holding the filling.
3. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle with salt. Roast in an ovenproof dish for 20 minutes in the preheated oven until the peppers are a little tender and caramelised.
4. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Put all the remaining ingredients except the tomato sauce in a large bowl and toss together to combine. Taste the mixture and adjust your seasoning. 
5. When they have roasted, let the peppers cool enough to be handled, then divide the filling between them. Lower the oven temperature to 180°c.
6. Pour the tomato sauce into the ovenproof dish, then arrange the stuffed peppers on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the filling is piping hot.
7. Serve the stuffed peppers with a dollop of plain yogurt and a green salad. 
8. If you have extra filling, experiment with other vegetables such as tomatoes, courgettes or small aubergines. This filling is also delicious on its own. The peppers can be stuffed, covered and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance. Leftovers can be saved and refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.