Stuffed peppers (with lentils)

The dish I bring today is a good example of seams-elaborate-but-isn’t recipe. A perfect idea for hosting a dinner at home. It is also very healthy and cheap. Quite complete, huh?

Always try to take advantage of powering up the oven to cook more than one dish at a time. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and butternut squash are so versatile (and you can keep them baked in the fridge for at least a couple of days), I always bake some of them everytime I use the oven for another dish. Take a look a the oven dishes for more ideas. You can also visit the eco-tips section for more eco-friendly ways of cooking.

Without further ado, down to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

4 bell peppers (any color)
250g of brown lentils previously soaked overnight and drained
2-3 chopped carrots (depending on the size they are)
200g of chopped onions
2 vegetable stock cubes (highly recommend Kall∅ organic vegetable stock cubes)
350ml fo water
3 tsp of cornstarch
2 Tbsp of olive oil (or any kind of oil you prefer)
1 Bay leaf (optional)

Replacements options:

Lentils: mung beans. You have to soak them 24h as well and the cooking time is similar.
Stock cubes:
- If you have your own vegetable broth you can omit the cubes and use the broth instead of water.
- You can use gravy granules. 1 tsp for each cube.
Cornstarch: you could also use potato starch.

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a pot and add the chopped carrots and onions. Cook at high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add the stock cubes and 50ml of water and keep it over high heat for 3-4 minutes more.

Add the brown lentils, bay leaf and rest of the water until the lentils are slightly covered (this will be the peppers’ filling, we are not going for a lentil soup! Add water afterward rather than using too much). Wait until it starts to boil and lower the heat to minimum.
After 20 minutes add the cornstarch dissolved in 2-3 tbsp of water, stir and continue cooking for 10 minutes more.
Preheat the oven at 200ºC and cut the peppers in halves discarding the seeds and white strings from inside. When the lentils are ready, stuff the pepper halves and arrange them in a baking sheet/oven tray. Place it in the upper half of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.