Baked Stuffed Capsicums with Caramelised Baby Carrots

For readers who might think from my posts to date that I bake and eat nothing but cakes and cookies, here is a super tasty, nutritious meal that I prepared on Saturday night.

Hubby was tinkering with the cars and doing man stuff in the garage; the kids were alternating between sleeping and studying so I had a bit of time to play in the kitchen. The plan was to serve a beautiful steak with a more fussy side, since I had the time. Sadly the steaks I had taken out of the freezer were just not right. They were the last lot of some bulk steak I had bought cheap at the supermarket. When defrosted they smelt real bad – so straight in the bin they went. Cheap becomes expensive if it goes straight to the bin. I guess it was to be Vegetarian Night instead!

I had bought these red capsicums fresh from the Farmer's Market held on Friday morning in the car park of Carrara Markets. The Friday market is great because I can get the shopping done early and have the weekend free to spend with the family. I still frequent the Sunday markets at the Racecourse in Bundall every fortnight, as there are more stalls and sometimes greater variety than Carrara.

When I saw these perfectly round and even sized capsicums, they practically screamed ‘make stuffed capsicums’ to me. I love wondering around the markets and being inspired to cook by what is in season, grown locally and as fresh as it gets. Stuffed capsicum is one of those great dishes that works well to disguise lots and lots of veggies for the kids. I am lucky in that my children love their veggies but I still try and add as many varieties into as many dishes as I can.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized red capsicums

4 cups cooked white rice (2 cups when uncooked)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 medium zucchini, grated

5 medium button mushrooms, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 green onion, sliced

2 small ripe tomatoes, finely diced

100g can of corn kernels

10 black olives, pitted and sliced (adjust to your taste)

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Cook your rice in a rice cooker or by boiling and set aside.
2. Carefully cut around the tops of the capsicums and keep the lids. Scoop out any seeds and fleshy membrane inside. Rinse and put aside to drain. Slice the seed cluster off the lid of the capsicum and remove any remaining seeds.
3. In a small saucepan sauté the chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms and zucchini with a dash of olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent. (3-5 minutes)
4. Place sautéed vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, corn, and Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.
5. Combine the tomato paste and vinegar in a small bowl and stir into rice mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste the mix – if too acidic add 1- 2 teaspoons of caster sugar to round off the flavour.
6. Spray the insides of the capsicums with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff with rice mixture. Any left over stuffing makes a great rice salad for the next day.
7. Place lids on top and cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 170C in a fan forced oven. The capsicums are cooked when soft but still holding their shape.

Caramelised Baby Carrots

 Trim the ends and peel your small carrots. In a medium saucepan heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over a low heat. Add the carrots, put on the lid and shake pan to toss and coat with oil. Every 2-3 minutes give the pan a quick shake to toss the carrots and allow them to caramelise evenly. Cook for around 20 minutes until soft and golden. Season with sea salt and cracked blacked pepper.

Variations - If you don’t like capsicums, you can use the same filling in tomatoes. Scoop out the flesh; dry the insides with paper towel and leave to drain upside down whilst you prepare the stuffing. Remember to roast for slightly less time, as the tomatoes will cook quicker!

Nutritional Information

 Red capsicums are just so fabulous for you. They contain about three times the vitamin C of oranges by weight with less than half the calories. 100g of red capsicum provides seven times the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. The red varieties are also rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.  Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and boosts the immune system. Capsicums are said to act as an anti-inflammatory and are very high in anti-oxidants. I try to include them to our diet almost everyday, raw as much as possible to preserve nutrient values.