Croatian Stuffed Peppers… Veganised

• Produce

  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Carrot, small
  • 1 small stick Celery
  • 1 Chilli, large fresh red
  • 6 fat cloves Garlic
  • 100 g Lentils
  • 1 Onion, large
  • 4 tbsp Parsley
  • 2 tsp Rosemary needles, fresh
  • 1 tsp Savory, fresh leaves
  • 4 Sweet peppers, medium

• Canned Goods

  • 1 Litre hot vegetable stock
  • 4 tbsp Tomato puree

• Condiments

  • 1 tbsp Liquid smoke

• Pasta & Grains

  • 100 g Rice, raw

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Paprika, smoked
  • 1 Salt and pepper
  • 1 Dash Sea salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Olive or pumpkin seed oil

• Other

  • 3 tbsp Aquafaba
  • ½ tsp Vegeta

Found on yumsome.com

Description

Directions

• Rinse and drain the lentils, then place into a pan, and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, and then reduce to a low-medium heat, and cook for around 20 minutes, until they begin to soften. You don’t want to fully cook them as they will finish cooking inside the peppers.
• Once cooked, drain, and rinse under cold, running water.
• While the lentils are cooking, mix the tomato purée, Vegeta, savory, and rosemary with the vegetable stock, and set aside.
• Gently fry the onion in the oil, until it starts to become translucent.
• Add the garlic, and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, until the raw smell has gone.
• Mix in the flour, and cook for another minute or so, stirring all the time.
• Stir in the stock, a little at a time, and keep stirring as the gravy comes to the boil, and has thickened.
• Taste, and season, then turn the heat off, and set aside while you prepare the peppers.
• Cut off the top of each pepper, being careful not to break them as it they will be used as lids once the peppers have been stuffed. Set aside.
• Remove the pith and the seeds from each pepper, and rinse each one with cold water to wash away any stray seeds etc. Blot the inside of each with a clean tea towel, or some kitchen roll, to remove any excess water. Set aside.
• Mix all of the stuffing ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Firmly pack the stuffing into each pepper, until it’s a couple of centimetres from the top. Don’t overfill or the peppers will split, due to the rice expanding as it cooks.
• Place the peppers into a pan which is just large enough to fit them in while standing upright. If the pan is too large, they’ll fall over, and the filling will come out, so it’s better to use a pan which gives a snug fit, rather than too much room. Don’t put the peppers lids on yet.
• Carefully pour the sauce over and around the peppers. Now you can put their lids on!
• Add the celery, carrot, and bay leaf to the pan, cover with a tightly-fitting lid, and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, and cook for around 2 hours.
• Once the peppers are cooked, turn off the heat, uncover, and allow to rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve with a pile of mashed potatoes, with the gravy poured over the top of both the peppers and the mash. Or serve with thick wedges of fresh bread.

Nutrition