The Young MasterChef judge fills romano peppers with aromatic rice for a wholesome, meat-free dinner
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Stuffed peppers
SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 45 mins EASY V
3 tbsp olive oil
knob of butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
200g basmati rice, rinsed
½-1 tsp ground allspice, to taste
1-2 tsp aleppo pepper, to taste,
plus an extra pinch to serve
2 tomatoes, deseeded and finely
chopped, or 1 tbsp tomato purée
30g flat-leaf parsley,
roughly chopped
4 romano or regular red peppers
40g walnuts, toasted and
roughly chopped
1 Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the butter in a medium saucepan and cook the cumin seeds for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and cook over a medium-low heat for about 10 mins, or until translucent and lightly golden.
2 While the onion is cooking, tip the rice into a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 4 mins, then drain and refresh in cold water.
3 Once the onions are cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Add the rice, along with the allspice, aleppo pepper, tomatoes or tomato purée and half the parsley. Season well. Heat the air-fryer to 180C.
4 Cut a slit down the length of each pepper, starting at the top and stopping about 2cm from the bottom, so you have a pouch. Carefully remove the seeds and pith, and rub with a little of the remaining olive oil. Fill the pocket with a quarter of the rice mixture and gently push the edges together. Repeat with the remaining peppers and rice mixture.
5 Put the peppers in the air-fryer basket, making sure there is space between each one, and cook for 20-30 mins until beginning to char. Sprinkle over the walnuts, remaining parsley and a big pinch of aleppo pepper.
GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low cal • folate • fibre • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 396 kcals •
