Stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
30 mins to 1 hour
Serve
Serves 2

These protein-packed stuffed peppers make a filling vegetarian meal that's full of good-for-you ingredients. If you don’t like goats' cheese these they also work well with feta.

With a GI of 41 this meal is high protein, low GI and provides 373 kcal per portion.

By Justine Pattison

Shopping list

Ingredients

Recipe tips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water for 25 minutes, or until just tender, then drain.

  2. Meanwhile, cut the peppers in half from top to bottom and discard the seeds. Place, open-side up, on a baking tray (cut a sliver from the base if necessary to help them sit flat). Bake for 15 minutes.

  3. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook the onion and courgette over a medium heat, stirring regularly, for 4–5 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned.

  4. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cumin and coriander and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Tip into a large heatproof bowl and stir in the almonds and orange zest.

  5. Add the rice and parsley and season with a little salt and lots of pepper. Mix together.

  6. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture. Dot with the cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are softened and the filling is piping hot.

Recipe tips

To prevent soggy stuffed peppers, make sure you don't overcook the rice and drain it well before combining with the other ingredients.

Feel free to use lemon zest instead of orange zest.

Plant-based cheeses are fine as a substitute for goats' cheese – it's best to use one with plenty of flavour. Bear in mind that this will change the nutritional values of this recipe (dairy-free cheeses tend to contain less protein).

Serve with a leafy salad and/or potato wedges if you want a more hearty meal.

This recipe is best eaten fresh from the oven, but leftovers can be reheated in a microwave until piping hot throughout.

To prepare ahead

Get the filling ready and store in the fridge until needed, but keep the rice and vegetables separate (the vegetables might release some liquid as they cool, which you want to drain off before stuffing the peppers). It's best not to cook the peppers in advance as they won't hold their shape which will make them hard to stuff.