Category: Vegetarian

Stuffed Peppers

Makes 3-4

As we get into summer, the allotment is finally starting to give me something back! Today I picked my first few chard leaves. Last year I didn’t even get that, the old allotment didn’t do well with months of rain and little sunshine! The slugs loved it though.

Today, my dinner plan was for a veggie rice stuffed roasted pepper and a side salad. The chard leaves were a welcome addition to the finally chopped veg that created the filling for the peppers. As the summer goes on, courgettes and grated beetroot will also work well as part of the filling. 

This is a loose recipe, change your vegetable filling based on what you have or what needs using up. Just keep everything chopped or grated small.

Ingredients:

3 large peppers or 4 medium (slice the top off and discard the seeds and stem then finely chop the top to add to the veg filling)

Olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

6 chard leaves and their fine stems (discard the stems if they are tough), finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

Herbs, finely chopped (I used fresh basil and a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs)

Salt and Pepper

3 heaped tbsp creme fraiche (half fat if you like)

1 inch of parmesan, finely grated

250g pouch of microwave rice (I used a whole grain and wild rice mix)

Cheese (I used sliced Gouda)

Step 1: Heat the oven to 180c (fan). Rub a little oil over the peppers and stand them up on a baking tray as best you can, roast for 25 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, sweat the onion in a little olive oil. Once softened add the garlic followed by the rest of your finely chopped veg. Sweat down while the peppers are roasting. Season with the salt and pepper and herbs and then stir through the creme fraiche and the grated Parmesan.

Step 3: Microwave the rice as instructed on the packet and stir through the creamy vegetable mix.

Step 4: Once the peppers have roasted, remove them from the oven and carefully fill with the rice mixture. Top with some cheese and return to the oven for 20 minutes until everything is hot and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with a salad.

Spring Onion and Cheese Loaded Jackets

Makes 8 halves

Creamy and cheesy with that onion hit, these filled potatoes taste great.

Serve two halves for an adult and one half for a child’s portion. Great with a coleslaw or salad on the side!

Ingredients:

4 baking potatoes 

250g full fat cream cheese/200g crème fraiche 

1 bunch of spring onions, finally sliced

100g Cheddar or Red Leicester, grated

Oil

Salt and pepper

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan). Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning all over.

Step 2: Bake for an hour and a half.

Step 3: Remove from the oven and slice each potato in half.  Use two spoons to carefully scoop the flesh out of each potato half into a large bowl.  Add a large pinch each of salt and pepper, the cream cheese or crème fraiche, spring onion and half the grated cheese. Mix well until combined and smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Step 4: Load the creamy filling back into the skins on the baking tray. Top with the remaining cheese.

Step 5: Refrigerate until ready to bake or bake straight away. They will need 25-30 minutes at 180c until fully heated through, and the cheese on top is golden. 

Hot Honey Halloumi Pasta

Serves 2+

I see hot honey everywhere, I recently had it as a drizzle on a pizza, but felt like I’d like to try it with pasta. This is a super quick make so perfect for busy weeknights. 

I’d recommend serving this with a dressed salad as the vinegar helps cut through the sweetness of the honey in the pasta. 

Scale up as required.

Ingredients:

150g pasta, cooked according to the packet instructions (gluten-free if required)

Olive oil

200g Halloumi, cut into 1cm cubes

1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped

Chilli flakes

Runny honey

Step 1: Get your pasta on to cook in boiling salted water and then start heating a frying pan to get your halloumi cooking.

Step 2: Add a dash of olive oil to the frying pan and add the cubes of halloumi. Let it cook for a few minutes undisturbed. Initially liquid will come out of the cheese, and you want this to cook off before moving the cheese in the pan, so it browns nicely.

Step 3: Start turning the cheese when the liquid has evaporated. Add a dash more oil if needed and then add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes (to taste – I used a decent sprinkle).

Step 4: Stir for a minute or two and then add the honey to the pan. Start with a tablespoon. Stir until everything is glossy and coated evenly. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the hot honey halloumi in the frying pan. Add a small amount of the cooking water to help everything along. Stir well. Taste to check if you need to add a bit more honey, or chilli flakes.

Serve immediately with a dressed salad.