SALAD-STUFFED BLACKENED PEPPERS

Salad-stuffed blackened peppers image

A great vegetarian barbecue option, blackening the skins of these stuffed peppers gives them a delicious smoky flavour. Make the buckwheat salad the day before if you want to get ahead

Provided by Georgina Fuggle

Time 55m

Yield Serves 6 as a side

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

120g buckwheat
4 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions , sliced
1 small garlic clove , crushed
1 ½ tsp za'atar (or use a mixture of cumin and coriander)
1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
20g pistachios , toasted
20g hazelnuts , toasted and roughly chopped
3 plump medjool dates , finely chopped
½ small pack flat-leaf parsley , chopped
3 large red peppers

Steps:

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the buckwheat. Cook for 10-12 mins until tender but with a little bite, then drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-7 mins or until beginning to soften. Tip in the garlic and za'atar, and cook for a further 1 min. Stir in the sugar, cook for 3 mins more, then stir in the red wine vinegar. Tip the caramelised onions into the buckwheat and combine well. Add the remaining olive oil, the nuts, dates and half the parsley, then season well.
Wrap the peppers in foil parcels and put on the barbecue for 20 mins, turning every so often. (Alternatively, put the peppers on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 - but don't use foil as you want them to get some colour.)
Remove the foil and slice the top off each pepper, being careful not to cut all the way through. Remove the seeds and fill with the buckwheat mixture. Serve garnished with the remaining parsley.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 271 calories, Fat 12 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 32 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 18 grams sugar, Fiber 6 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 0.1 milligram of sodium