VEGETARIAN OR NOT STUFFED CAPSICUMS

People seem to have the opinion that making stuffed capsicums is fiddly and an ordeal. I am here to smash that belief. I love making stuffed capsicums as it is an incredibly filling and nutritious meal. I often use quinoa, however brown rice works well too. The bacon is only optional and added for my fiancee's benefit. I like adding some form of lentil or legumes to the stuffing, as well as a variety of herbs (I often use fresh chives, basil, thyme and parsley) as these really bring a punch of flavour. Don't forget to add vegetables to the stuffing as well! 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium to large sized red or green capsicums
• 3/4 cup quinoa 
• Optional- 80g bacon, finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini and / or carrot, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons of a mixture of fresh herbs, finely chopped (such as chives, parsley & thyme) or 2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 75g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
• 1 large lime, quartered 

COOKING 

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, twice, with your hands. Bring the quinoa to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat with 1 1/2 cups of water, covered. Once boiled, lower to a simmer and continue to cook until all the water is absorbed, around 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, slice the top part of the capsicum off to make lids (around 3cm in thickness). Remove the seeds and membranes and discard. Heat a large saucepan over high heat of just enough water for the capsicums bottoms to be covered. Once the water has boiled add the capsicum bottoms and lids and cook for 5 minutes. Drain. 

3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

**Optional step if using bacon - Dry fry the bacon (use no oil) for a few minutes or until cooked how you like it, stirring regularly. 

4. Add the zucchini and / or carrot, herbs, chickpeas, feta cheese and a generous pinch of ground black pepper to the cooked quinoa and mix well to combine. 

5. Stuff the capsicum bottoms with the quinoa mixture. If you have extra quinoa left over try to compact the mixture in the capsicum and add more. Place the lids next to the capsicums. Bake for around 15-20 minutes or until the filling is cooked and the feta cheese has started to melt. 

Serve warm, with lime juice drizzled on top. 

**If you have any brown rice mixture left over, add a handful of washed lettuce to this and serve separately as a salad the next day/ meal. 

Serves / 4 / 1 stuffed capsicum per person

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / max 40 minutes 

x Emily 

WARM LENTIL & BACON SALAD

When I started this blog back in September 2011 I promised myself something; that I would never force myself to write if I did not feel like it. Hence I have had the occasional week off from Soulful Sandwiches when for one reason or another the words do not seem to jump off my fingertips onto the keyboard. But this Wednesday I am inspired and ready to go with a few Autumn recipes for you. First off is a very simple Lentil & Bacon salad, made with weight watchers bacon which has a huge percentage of less fat than any other brand of bacon on the market. Putting meat in a salad is a sneaky way for me to get my partner Chris to eat salads. Also omitting the lettuce makes him more partial to them. As the weather cools down at night, this warm salad is perfect for a light fall dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 2 x 400g tin brown lentils, washed & drained
• 125g cherry tomatoes, washed
• 60g weight watchers bacon, finely chopped
• 1 lebanese cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated
• 1 scant tablespoon coconut oil

Dressing (Optional)

• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 

Stir all dressing ingredients until combined. 

COOKING 

1. Heat coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces when pan is hot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bacon is golden. Remove bacon from heat and pat dry with paper towel to remove excess oil. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the lentils, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion in a medium to large salad serving bowl. Place bacon pieces on top of the salad and scatter grated pecorino cheese on top. Drizzle the dressing above on top, or use a touch of balsamic vinegar or leave plain. 

Serves / 4 for a light meal

Total Preparation time / 8-10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 6 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKEN BAKED in a SALT CRUST

Chicken baked in a salt crust. My most time consuming endeavour in the kitchen yet, I do believe. Thank you to the Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans for this beautiful, rustic recipe. I had never even had the guts to roast a whole anything before this dish. A word of warning - whilst the dough/pastry will look incredibly appetising after it has been cooked - do not eat it! The almost 2 cups of salt makes it completely inedible- and believe me, myself and my partner Chris know as we both tried it and both spit it out very daintily. You may be wondering then why a salt crust is included in the recipe but not allowed to be eaten? Preparing a salty crust is a simple, easy way to cook a tender and succulent chicken in an oven, says Evans. Whilst this recipe takes up to 3 hours, if you have the time or want to make a meal to impress, this is well worth it. I can’t recall ever experiencing such flavorsome and tasty chicken.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g (4 cups) gluten-free plain flour, plus extra to create a floured surface
• 400g (around 1 2/3 cup) table salt
• 4 egg whites, preferably free-range
• 1.2 - 1.4 kg chicken, preferably free-range
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free spread, such as Nuttelex, at room temperature 
• 1/2 a lemon 
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
• kitchen string

PREPARATION 

1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl and stir in egg whites. Slowly add 250ml (1 cup) of water to the mixture, forming a stiff dough as you go. (If you need to add more water that is fine, just use sparingly). Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. 

2. Whilst chicken is resting, use your fingers to rub the nuttelex and sage around the chicken and inside the chicken cavity. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and place the lemon half inside the cavity. 

3. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Use kitchen string to tie the chicken legs together and twist the wings so that they lie underneath the chicken. 

4. Make the pastry by rolling the dough out on a floured surface. Try to make the dough as close to 1cm thick and 38cm wide by 50cm long. Place the chicken in the middle of the pastry, breast-side up and carefully fold the dough over the chicken; first fold the pastry lengthways so that the chicken is covered and then fold widthways so that the pastry overlaps. Seal the edges of the dough by pressing together firmly. 

COOKING 

1. Gently lift the chicken and place it in a lightly greased deep heatproof baking dish (I used a deep casserole dish). Place the dish on a low shelf of the oven for 90-120 minutes, checking now and again to make sure that the crust of the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Once pastry is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes. There is no need to season the chicken, as it will have absorbed some of the salt from the crust. Serve warm, with steamed or grilled vegetables. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 45 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 110-130 minutes (1 hour 50 minutes - 2 hours 10 minutes)

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT SOUP

Another hearty and nourishing vegetarian soup recipe as we head into slightly cooler weather for Brisbane town. The kumara (sweet potato) and lime work beautifully together, creating a sweetness and a tartness to this soup that the coconut milk softens. Choose light coconut milk to save a huge amount of calories! The baby spinach adds more nutrients and a welcoming splash of green, but you can omit them if you want. A simple but filling soup. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• Finely grated rind & juice of one medium lime
• 750g sweet potato, peeled & cut into even cubes
• 500ml vegetable stock, preferably Massel brand 
• 1 cup water
• 400ml light coconut milk
• a large handful of baby spinach leaves, washed & drained 

COOKING

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add onion, garlic and lime rind. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. 

2. Pour in the stock, water, coconut milk, lime juice and a generous pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

3. Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process/blend on high for just a few seconds until smooth (or almost smooth if you like a little more texture in your soup). Return the soup to the pan, add the spinach and stir until heated through. Add more salt & pepper if needed and serve into four bowls. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily