Catholic Recipe: Stuffed Peppers with Rice

Also Called: Pimientos rellenos de arroz

Stuffed peppers with rice are popular in Spain and can be found in the small towns and villages of Murcia, Valencia and Castile-La Mancha. They are often served as an accompaniment or a side dish but they also make a tasty vegetarian starter or main course. This version also has a Catalonian influence with the addition of Hazelnuts.

These stuffed peppers are packed full of flavour and goodness and are easy to prepare. If you are cooking for vegetarian guests, they will be suitably impressed by the wonderful flavour combinations but this is a dish that will appeal to everyone!

You can use any Spanish rice such as bomba or calsparra but it is equally delicious with basmati rice.

Note: Not all Manchego cheeses are vegetarian so you may have to substitute this for a suitable vegetarian cheese such as cheddar depending on the dietary requirements of your guests.

DIRECTIONS

Half and de-seed the peppers. Then brush lightly with olive oil and place on a baking tray in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes.

Pour the vegetable stock to a saucepan, bring to a simmer and add the paprika, bay leaf and oregano. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Place a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry gently until soft but not browned. Chop the hazelnuts into crumb-sized pieces, add to the onions and stir well. Then add the tomato puree and stir again for a minute or so; the mixture will now resemble a paste. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to loosen the mix and stir well. Now add the dry rice and stir until evenly mixed and the rice is well-coated with the paste. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan and then pour in the simmering stock. Stir once and then put a lid on the pan, reduce to the lowest heat and leave to stand for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from the heat, take off the lid and cover with a clean tea-towel. Put the lid back over the tea-towel and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the oven, stuff with the rice mixture and then top with grated cheese. Return to the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Dust with paprika and serve!