Stuffed Bell Peppers To Fill November Up With Colours

Just because December and the Christmas season are fast approaching, November seems to have a rather hushed and suppressed characteristic to it. I need it to be more fulfilling and exciting than it is now.

Ingredients:

• Tricolour bell peppers: 3, washed
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Tomatoes: 2, diced finely
• Picnic ham: 4 slices, diced
• Mozzarella ball: 1, mashed with hands
• Shredded mozzarella: 200g
• Oregano leaves: 1 handful, chopped finely
• Parsley: 1 stalk, chopped finely
• Salt: 1/2 tsp
• Ground black pepper: to taste

Method:

1. Half the peppers vertically (from top to bottom), leaving the stem intact.
2. Spoon out white core and seeds. Leave to cook in boiling water for 10 – 15 min.
3. Set aside to dry on paper towel.
4. Preheat oven at 190 degrees Celsius. Grease baking tray with 1 tbsp olive oil.
5. Mix tomatoes, ham, mozzarella ball, 2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella, oregano leaves, parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper together.
6. Spoon mixture into bell peppers. Set onto baking tray and bake 10 min.
7. Spoon remaining mozzarella on top of bell peppers. Return to bake for another 5 – 8 min.
8. Serve hot as appetizer or side dish.

Tricks:

• Baking the peppers without the mozzarella first would ensure that the ingredients get sufficiently cooked and the mozzarella doesn’t get burnt in the whole duration of the baking.
• For a more substantial meal, mix couscous into the ingredients before baking. Create a larger container by slicing away the top of the pepper (including stem) instead of vertically from top to bottom.
• Simply remove the ham from the list of ingredients for a vegetarian alternative.
• Roast the bell peppers instead of cooking them in boiling water to retain more of their nutrients and vitamin C.

Serving:
Makes 6 halves (for 6 persons as a side dish)