Stuffed peppers
A sunny meat-free meal that is impressive but easy. To break up the prep into stages, you could always make the lentils ahead of time – even the day before.
Serves 4
About 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 250g puy lentils, rinsed 2 tbsp red wine vinegar A large handful of chopped parsley 8 eggs 4 peppers, halved and seeds removed 50g mature hard goats’ cheese or cheddar, grated or crumbled
1 Pour 3 tbsp of the olive oil into a deep-sided frying pan and tip in the diced onion and pepper. Fry over a gentle heat until the onion starts to turn translucent, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute or so.
2 Stir in the rinsed lentils to coat in the oil, then pour over 600ml of water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 1 hour, adding more water if it looks like it needs it. The lentils are cooked when they are soft but still hold their shape.
3 While the lentils are still warm, add 2 tsp of salt, the vinegar, the remaining olive oil and the chopped parsley. Taste and, if needed, add more salt and vinegar to bring out the flavours.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Arrange your pepper halves on a baking tray and fill each with a tablespoonful of the lentil mixture, pushing it up the sides to help create a little nest for the egg. Crack an egg into each and sprinkle on the cheese. Season, then bake for around 30 mins, or until the peppers have softened and the egg is set.