Gigant couscous and lentils stuffed red peppers

You are looking to combine a good energy source, deliciousness and colour for your eyes to feast on... here's a little something than.

What do you need:

(serves 4)

• 250g brown lentils (we stock beautiful organic dried brown lentils) - boil letils for about 30 min until cooked

• 1/3 cup fregola giant couscous (we like to add a pinch of our reduced salt bouillon for flavour) - the couscous cooks for about 10 min and it must remain firm but al dante.

• 1 small onion chopped

• 4 - 5 fresh garlic cloves pilled and cut in big pieces

• 180g finely chopped tomatoes

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• a small bunch of fresh parsley

• season with ground black pepper

• half of a large red bell pepper per person
  

Preparation:

1. Drizzle olive oil on the red bell peppers, line them on a baking parchment on a tray and put in the oven for about 35 - 40 min on medium to roast. The skin will begin to blister (but not burn), this is when they are ready. The flesh needs to still remain firm and it will become the base to fill in with the lentils mixture.

2. Warm up a deep cooking pan and spray or drizzle olive oil, lightly greasing the bottom of the pan. Saute the onions and add the paprika. Almost immediately add the chopped tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer. Add a pinch of sugar to take the acidity away from the tomatoes. Add the pre-cooked lentils and a little of the water it has been boiling in. Leave for 2 - 3 min and add the pre-cooked couscous, the carlic cloves, oregano and black pepper. Mix well, let all ingredients blend together over about 3 - 4 min and remove from the heat.

3. Fill the lentils mixture in the red bell pepper pods, line up in the baking tray again and place in the oven for another 5 min. To taste, you can sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top to form a delicious thin crusting.

Enjoy with a drizzle of Bulgarian yoghurt (try the one we make at Refillable.Bath)

Nutritional information:

Lentils go back as far as the Bronze Age, they were used by the ancient Greeks for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Lentil's rich concentration of dietary fibre and folate makes them an excellent food choice for a healthy heart.

They contain phytonutrients, which provide powerful antioxidant protection to the cell structure from the damaging works of free radicals. The red colour of the red bell pepper is so eye pleasing but also has important nutrient value. They are high on lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin, associated with promoting healthy heart and lungs. Their lutein and zeaxanthin promote vision health.