SMOKY STUFFED MEDITERRANEAN PEPPERS

This one is for our wonderful friend Anne Hudson, who helps me test recipes and is vegetarian. She is often disappointed by vegetarian offerings so, inspired by our Mediterranean travels, we invented this dish full of colour and flavour – from the Spanish smoked paprika to the Greek feta, Italian Parmesan and sundried tomatoes. PER SERVING 15g carbs, 8.1g fibre, 14g protein, 29g fat, 399 kcal

Serves 4

4 medium red, green or yellow peppers

3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1tbsp for drizzling

1 large leek, finely chopped

1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

150g cauliflower, grated to a rice-like texture Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

100g feta, crumbled (optional)

50g Parmesan or Grana Padano

cheese, finely grated

20g parsley, finely chopped, plus

extra to garnish

1tsp smoked paprika

60g sundried tomatoes, roughly

chopped

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

100g thick Greek yoghurt Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Slice the top off the peppers, about 2cm from the stalk, and reserve for later. Discard the pith and seeds. Check the peppers will stand upright; if not, cut a small sliver off the bottom, making sure not to make a hole.

Fry the leek and garlic in the oil for 7 minutes over a medium heat, until soft. Add the cauliflower and seasoning and stir through. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes. Add the cheeses, parsley, paprika and sundried tomatoes, then stir well.

Fill the peppers with the stuffing then top each one with some cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the extra olive oil over and add a little more seasoning. Cook the peppers for 35-45 minutes, until tender – cooking time will depend on their size. Any leftover stuffing can be cooked for just a few minutes in the oven on a baking tray until crisp – this is pretty as a crumble served on the side of the peppers.

Serve the peppers warm on a large dish, with the yoghurt on the side, a swirl of the cooking juices over the top and a sprig of parsley as garnish.