There is something just fantastic about stuffed peppers, they look good, and taste fantastic but most of all, there are really easy to make. They are also the perfect make-ahead dish if you are looking to impress your friends.
There are many versions of stuffed peppers available but my stuffed peppers are based on healthy choice foods that are good for the body, very low in saturated fats and very slimming friendly which means you can absolutely dig into these Mediterranean stuffed peppers as often as you like without feeling guilty.
I like my peppers to still have a lovely bite to them, however, if you prefer to have your peppers softer, you can also cut them longways, lay them down on a tray , spray with fry-light and blind bake for 12 minutes at 1800 Celsius prior to filing with rice mixture then return to the oven to finish off for a further 20 minutes or until cooked to your looking.
Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Peppers
Course: Appetizers, Mediterranean, Rice Dishes, Slimming RecipesCuisine: MedterraneanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
4 Medium/large bell peppers
1/2 Cup long-grain rice
1 Cup of water
12/ chicken or vegetable stock cube
1/4 Tsp. turmeric (for color, can be omitted if required)
1/2 medium onion (finely diced).
1 large garlic clove (crushed for grated)
1 tbsp tomato pureeFry light Spray Oil
1/4 Tsp oregano
1tbsp. frozen peas
Salt
Cracked black pepper
100ml water
A few fresh basil leaves.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180o Celsius / 360o Fahrenheit
Bring the water to a boil and add ¼ tsp. turmeric (for colour) and 1/2 a chicken or vegetable stock cube, stir well until fully dissolved and combined.
Reduce to a low simmer, add the long grain rice, cover and simmer for15 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all of the moisture or if using a boil in the bag rice packet, until just cooked, drain, cover and set aside. - In a small skillet or frying pan, add a few sprays of fry-light and add the finely diced onions.
Fry off the onions until soft and translucent.
Note: Add a little water to the pan to help sweat off the onions if the pan becomes a little dry. - Add the crushed garlic, tomato puree, oregano, frozen peas, salt and pepper to the onions and continue to cook off for another 2 minutes.
Transfer the onion mix to the rice pot and mix well to combine. - Meanwhile, select and wash 4 bell peppers.
Stand the peppers up on a baking tray, if need be, with a sharp knife, slice a little from the bottom until the peppers can stand up level and steady on their own.
With a small sharp knife, carefully cut the top off the peppers and remove the seeds and additional white pith until the peppers are hollow. - Fill each pepper with the rice mixture and replace the pepper tops
- Spray the outside of the peppers with fry-light and place in the middle of the oven.
The peppers should take approximately 20 – 25 minutes to start to show beautiful charring marks, but please remember that every pepper is just a little different, so keep a watch until they are all cooked and charred to your liking. - Garnish with a few fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- You can also use a packet of boil in the bag rice instead of 1/2 cup of loose long grain rice. Cook to the packet instructions, drain and follow the remaining method instructions.
- Add a little water to the pan to help sweat off the onions if the pan becomes a little dry.
- I like my peppers to still have a lovely bite to them, however, if you prefer to have your peppers softer, you can also cut them longways, lay them down on a tray, spray with fry-light and blind-bake for 12 minutes at 180o Celsius / 360o Fahrenheit prior to filing with rice mixture then return to the oven to finish off for a further 20 minutes or until cooked to your looking.
- Stuffed peppers are a fantastic make-ahead dish. Follow the recipe steps and hold off on baking until you are ready.
