Vegetables Recipes - Stuffed Rainbow Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 each of red, green, orange and yellow (bell) peppers, even-sized

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 30 ml/1 tbsp sunflower oil

• 50 g/2 oz mushrooms, chopped

• 2 rashers (slices) sweet cure streaky bacon, rinded and diced

• 200 g/7 oz/1 3/4 cups chicken livers, trimmed and chopped

• 175 g/6 oz/1 1/2 cups cooked long­grain rice

• 5 ml/1 tsp dried oregano

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 size 4 egg, beaten

• 75 ml/3 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

• 300 ml/1 1/4 cups passata (sieved tomatoes)

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Method:

1. Cut the peppers in halves lengthways and remove the stalks and seeds. Plunge in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

2. Arrange in a single layer in a baking tin (pan). Fry (sauté) the onion in the oil for 2 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the mushrooms and bacon and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring. Add the chicken livers and cook quickly, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rice, half the oregano, some salt and pepper and the egg to bind. Spoon into the peppers and sprinkle with the cheese.

5. Pour 45 ml/3 tbsp of cold water around the peppers. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 35-40 minutes until tender.

6. Meanwhile, heat the passata with the remaining oregano and a little salt and pepper.

7. When ready to serve, spoon a pool of passata on to 4 serving plates and place two halves of peppers of different colors in the centre. Serve hot.