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 

CHICKPEA, BACON & ALMOND SALAD

This salad initially started off as a Lentil & Bacon salad, made with tomatoes, red onion, sheep's pecorino cheese and a vinegary dressing. Having none of these ingredients in the kitchen the other day, I opted for a green type of salad with cooked bacon and toasted almonds thrown in. My little secret to avoiding salad dressings is to toast nuts or seeds and scatter them on top of salads for a bit of texture and a whole lot of flavour. I use sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut chips, almonds, cashews, you name it. You could serve this salad sans (without) bacon and add a hard boiled egg or some more chickpeas to buff it up. I try to add meat to salads as it 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

• 80g bacon with fat removed, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1/2 a large green capsicum, finely chopped 
• 1 lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a continental cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 an avocado, finely diced 
• 1/4 cup almonds, whole or halved, toasted 
• Optional-a handful of watercress

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces when pan is hot and dry fry (using no oil) for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bacon is golden. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the chickpeas, capsicum, cucumber and avocado in a medium to large salad serving bowl. 

3. When the bacon has cooked, remove from heat and leave to cool for a few minutes before adding to the salad. Dry fry the almonds in the bacon pan over medium heat until toasted (you will be able to tell this when the air is fragrant with the smell of almonds). Remove from heat and toss the almonds and bacon in the salad bowl. 

Serves / 2 for a very substantial meal 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes 

x Emily