Stuffed lamb and quinoa peppers

Photographer: Steve Brown

Serving you 5 of your 5-plus-a-day veg and diabetes-friendly too, these Greek-inspired stuffed capsicums are well worth the time it takes to make them.

Serves: 6

Time to make: 1 hr 20 mins

Hands-on time: 20 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

6 red, green or yellow capsicums
½ cup white quinoa, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon extra to serve
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large courgettezucchiniX, cut into 1cm pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
350g lean lamb mince
¼ cup green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
80g reduced-fat feta, crumbled, to serve
6 cups salad leaves, to serve

Instructions

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1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Slice tops off capsicums, reserving. Remove and discard seeds. Set aside.

2 Place quinoa and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and cooked.

3 Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add onion, garlic and courgette and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and paprika and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add mince, increase heat to medium and cook, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir through olives, pine nuts, parsley and quinoa.

4 Spoon lamb mixture into capsicum shells. Top with lids and transfer to a baking tray. Lightly spray with olive oil, then bake for 45 minutes or until just tender and beginning to brown.

5 Transfer stuffed capsicums onto serving plates. Sprinkle over feta and extra parsley. Serve with salad leaves drizzled with extra olive oil on the side.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 399 cal

Kilojoules 1669 kJ

Protein 24.2 g

Total fat 21.3 g

Saturated fat 4.6 g

Carbohydrates 23.2 g

Sugar 14.2 g

Dietary fibre 9.3 g

Sodium 265 mg

Calcium 121 mg

Iron 3.8 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.