Veg and Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

Veg and Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

• 2 cups Brown Rice, cooked (I used brown basmati)
• 6 to 8 Red Peppers
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 5-6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Carrots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup Bread Crumbs (panko or other)
• 1 cup cooked Chickpeas
• 2 to 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 cup Tomatoes, chopped or can of Diced Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1/2 bunch of fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook rice.
2. Rinse peppers and slice of tops. Remove stem and seeds. Set aside.
3. In a sauce pan big enough to immerse peppers, bring water to a boil. Add the peppers and simmer about 10 minutes or until the peppers soften a bit. Remove from water and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and sauté onion, garlic and carrot until onions are softened. Remove from heat.
5. Preheat oven to 350’F.
6. In a smaller bowl, combine bread crumbs with oil and paprika and set aside.
7. In a large bowl, combine together chickpeas, rice, onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper.
8. Place peppers in greased casserole dish upright. Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture, pressing it down to insure they fill completely. Top with bread crumb mixture and drizzle olive oil on top if you wish.
9. Cover with lid or foil and bake 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake a further 10-15 minutes or until the bread crumbs start to crisp.