STUFFED
PEPPERS WITH A SAVOURY
CASHEW SAUCE
Serves: four
Vegan
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
4 medium red peppers
3tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
175g/6oz long grain brown rice
350ml/14floz water/light vegetable stock
small pinch of saffron or tumeric
juice of ½ lemon
50g/2oz frozen peas, defrosted
3 tomatoes, chopped
2tbsp black olives, sliced and pitted
2tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper
for the sauce:
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2tsp olive oil
85g/3oz cashew nuts, ground
vegetarian stock cube
150ml/¼pint water
1. Pre-heat the oven to
200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cut-the
tops off the peppers and save. Remove the seeds. Simmer the pepper
bases for 5 minutes to soften, then drain and refresh in cold water.
Use 1tbsp of olive oil to oil an ovenproof dish and brush the pepper
bases and tops.
2. Heat the remaining
oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the
onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the rice and
stir for 1 minute to coat with oil.
3. Add the water or stock to the saffron or turmeric and lemon
juice, cover, bring to the boil, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes
until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat. Add the peas, tomatoes,
olives and basil leaves. Stir to combine all the ingredients and
season to taste.
4. Spoon the mixture into the pepper bases and cover with the tops.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of the peppers are tender
and golden.
5. For the sauce, sauté the
onion in the olive oil until soft. Meanwhile liquidise the ground
cashew nuts, stock cube and
water in a blender. Add the contents of the liquidiser to the onions
and heat gently for 2-3 minutes stirring all the time. Return the
mixture to the blender and liquidise until smooth. Re-heat the sauce
gently, adding more water if a thinner consistency is desired.
6. Serve the stuffed-peppers and cashew sauce with an Italian tomato
salad and garlic bread.
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