Crumble Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

⅓ cup lentils (red or green per your preference. Rinse and drain twice to remove any debris. Also, it would be great if you could soak lentils overnight as it reduces the cooking time by half and save energy)
10-12 mini sweet bell peppers (The recipe tastes equally great with both mini and normal-sized bell peppers. So, choose per your availability/preference)
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon ground cumin (roasted tastes the best)
sea salt & ground black pepper (to taste)
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ cup pitted olives (green or black)
¼ cup flat leaf parsley
1-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Parmesan to sprinkle on top (you may use vegan “parm” if allergic to dairy products. Other options include nutritional yeast, or hemp seeds)

Lentil-stuffed-mini-peppers-italian-stuffed-peppers

Cooking Instructions

How to Cook Lentils

Place the rinsed lentils in a small saucepan and cover them by about 2 inches with water.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat with the lid on.
Bring the lentils to a boil and then simmer until tender (about 20 minutes).
Check the lentils by pressing with your thumbnail to be sure if they are cooked well.
You may keep them inside the saucepan for carry-over cooking after switching the heat off (while you prepare the rest of the recipe).
Later, drain lentils when done and set aside.

How to make Stuffed Peppers

Take a cutting board to chop the olives and parsley. Grate lemon zest on it. Now mix the three well by chopping together to form a gremolata kind-of texture. Add the mixture to a bowl along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rock salt (to taste). Mix to combine well. Keep it aside to drizzle on the peppers right before serving.
Now take a food processor with the “S” blade, combine the cooked lentils, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and salt and pepper. Pulse to achieve a coarsely ground mixture that holds together when pinched. Taste the crumble to adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to it (if you prefer oil-free cooking, go for a non-stick skillet here). Transfer the lentil crumble to it (scrape all of it from the blender). Break it up well with a spatula. Cook the crumble (stir constantly) until it is slightly drier and deeper in color (for about 4-5 minutes). Remove the cooked crumble from the heat and set aside.
Cut the mini (or normal-sized) sweet bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Remove the ribs and seeds and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the peppers evenly.
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Once heated, place the peppers (cut side down) onto the grill. Cook until light char marks appear on the underside (for about 4-5 minutes). Flip the peppers and repeat the cooking process. The peppers should be slightly softened while still holding their shape. Transfer the grilled peppers back on the baking sheet.
Arrange the grilled peppers (facing up) on your serving tray. Stuff each grilled pepper half with 2 tablespoons of the spiced lentil crumble. Top each stuffed pepper with a bit of the olive and parsley mixture. Finish the peppers with a sprinkle of parmesan (or vegan parm, nutritional yeast, or hemp seeds), if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.