I’ve seen different varieties of pepper poppers before, but never actually tried to make them. They’re often filled with cheese. Yum! But, I wondered if maybe they could be filled with something a little more nutrient dense. Cheese, I’m down with, but let’s add a little more.
Ingredients
- ½ C uncooked green lentils (need about ½ C cooked)
- 1½ C water
- ½ C uncooked brown rice (or quinoa) (need about ½ C cooked)
- 1 C water
- 1 C onion (or shallot), chopped
- to taste salt
- pinch ginger
- 1 T fresh Thai basil (or any variety basil), chopped
- 1 T fresh mint, chopped
- 1-2 T feta or extra firm tofu, crumbled
- 6-10 large hot peppers* (or 2-4 bell peppers), stem sliced off, ribs and seeds removed using a paring knife (do not use fingernails)
Directions
- 1Cook lentils with water (about 15-20 minutes, or according to package's instructions) (don't overcook). Drain if there is extra water.
- 2Cook rice (according to package's instructions), after about 15 minutes stir in onions. Continue to cook until rice is done (don't overcook).
- 3Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
- 4Mix lentils and rice with salt through mint. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Mix in feta or tofu. Stuff into peppers using the end of a spoon. Stand in a small ramekin (and place on a baking sheet) or lay flat on a baking sheet (some filling may spill out). Roast for about 30-60 minutes, or until peppers have softened slightly.
