Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

For 6 servings

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• 6 peppers (capsicums), variety of colours, but mainly red

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Filling Ingredients: 

• 120g white, medium-grain rice 

• 1.5 tins (400g tin) of peeled/chopped tomatoes

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

• 12 Kalamata olives, de-stoned and chopped

• 1/4 cup raisins, chopped 

• 1/4 cup pine nuts (or sliced almonds) 

• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 red onion, finely diced

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced 

• 1 tsp salt 

• generous amount of pepper

• 1 tsp sugar 

• 0.5-1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

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Sauce:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1/2 tin (400g tin) of peeled/chopped tomatoes 

• 1 tbsp tomato paste 

• 1/4 cup water 

• salt and pepper to taste 

DIRECTIONS:
 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (C) fan-force. 
    

2. Choose a casserole dish (or a dutch oven) that will fit 6 peppers. Add your ingredients for the sauce to the casserole dish (or dutch oven) and whisk to combine. 
    

3. Next prepare your peppers. Wash the peppers and cut 1-2cm of the heads off the top (keep the tops). De-seed the peppers and arrange them in the casserole dish so that they have a cosy fit. If you do not have enough peppers to fill the dish, make sure you pick peppers that are stable as you do not want them to fall over/collapse during the baking. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar inside the bottom of the peppers. 
    

4. In a medium size bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together (OPTIONAL: sauté your onion and garlic before you incorporate them into the filling - to enhance their flavour). 
    

5. Once the mixture is combined, spoon the filling into the peppers, but be sure not to overfill - the mixture should be roughly level with the cut so that there is room for expansion under the tops (the rice will expand). Put the tops on once filling. 
    

6. Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven for 90 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil so that the tops get a chance to brown nicely.
    

7. Serve with optional sides!