Stuffed Bell Peppers With Lentils And Goats Cheese Recipes

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS WITH LENTILS AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the lentils in boiling water for 12 minutes until tender. Drain.
• Meanwhile, halve the pepper length wise and remove the core and seeds. Grill the pepper halves for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is browned and the flesh softened.
• Finely chop the onions, garlic and celery. Add olive oil in to the saucepan and sauté the onions, garlic and celery for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils. Add goat's cheese stir until melted.
• Spoon the filling evenly in to the pepper halves. Grill under moderate heat for 2 minutes until the filling is golden.
• Garnish with basil sprigs and serve hot, with a tomato and onion salad.

FRENCH STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS WITH FENNEL AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 120C/240F/Gas 1.
• Cut the peppers in half, discard the core & seeds and also trim away the white membrane too.
• Grease a Le Creuset roasting or ovenproof dish.
• Cut the onion & fennel bulb into 6 wedges each. (Keep the the delicate green fronds from the fennel bulb & put to one side.).
• Put the onion wedges, fennel wedges & cushed garlic into a mixing bowl & add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & black pepper - mix well.
• Divide the onion & fennel wedges between the 6 pepper halves, arranging them neatly within the peppers & season well.Pour the remaining oil & vinegar dressing over the top of them.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft & just tinged brown.
• Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven & increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
• Slice the goats cheese & arrange over the top of the stuffed peppers; return them the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbling.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and serve them warm or at room temperature with the cooked dressing drizzled over the top of them.
• Garnish with the green fronds kept from the fennel bulbs.
• Serve as a starter, 1 pepper half per person with a side salad or as a main course - 2 pepper halves per person with bread & salad.
• These can also be served as a very colourful & elegant vegetable accompaniment!