Stuffed peppers in a creamy tomato sauce

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Ingredients

For the stuffed peppers

• 70g/2½oz brown or white rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• splash olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 100g/3½oz sweetcorn kernels or peas
• 1 green apple, cored and diced
• small handful fresh thyme leaves
• salt and ground white pepper
• 4 large red peppers, tops sliced off, seeds removed

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• splash olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 large ripe tomatoes (or 400g tin chopped tomatoes), peeled and grated
• 100g/3½oz crème fraîche or thick double cream
• 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock
• sprinkle sugar (optional)
• salt and ground white pepper

To serve

• chopped fresh parsley and dill, to garnish
• 100g/3½oz yoghurt

Method

Make sure to preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 before starting this recipe as this will help later on.

1. To make the filling, cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water according to packet instructions which will help you through what to do, if not read more. Drain well and leave to cool. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, low if its going to high.

2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened and slightly golden. Stir in the rice, sweetcorn, apple and thyme. Season generously with salt and pepper, almost on the verge of being slightly over seasoned as it will also season the peppers too.

3. To make the sauce, heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic, turn down the heat to low and cook gently for about 5 minutes, maybe less depending on how they look. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.

5. Whisk the crème fraîche and stock, then pour into the pan and stir in well. Season with salt, pepper and sugar, only if preferred.

6. Stuff the peppers with the filling. Pour half the sauce into a baking dish that will snugly hold the peppers. Sit them upright in the dish, then pour the rest of the sauce over the top.
7. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until cooked through.
8. Garnish with parsley and dill and serve immediately with yoghurt on the side.

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