Capsicums are naturally sweet and make delicious homes for this vegetarian rice mix. They are filled with predominantly pantry staples, keeping this meal easy and affordable.
This Week
2 Dec - 8 Dec
Meal Prep Guide
Prepare the tomato spiced rice filling (store in an airtight container in the fridge).
Ingredients:
- 1 brown onion
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 400g tin of cannellini beans (drained)
- 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup stock or water
- ¾ cup basmati rice
- Salt and pepper
- 100g feta
- Olive oil
Method:
- Start by adding olive oil to a large pot or pan over medium heat; add the onion and season with salt. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, the onions should be soft and translucent.
- Add the spices (oregano, cumin, coriander and cinnamon), garlic, and fresh mint. Cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the cannellini beans to the onion and spice mix, stir to coat all of the beans in the spice mix, then add the cherry tomatoes, stock and rice.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (you may need to add a little more liquid if the rice hasn’t cooked but all the liquid has been absorbed).
- Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Tips
Tips
- This dish is delicious alongside a side of rocket dressed in a little olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- The filling only cooks inside the capsicums for 10 minutes meaning you will need to roast the capsicum while the filling simmers ensuring the capsicum is deliciously soft and sweet.
- Rub the capsicum’s skin in oil to prevent the skin from burning.
- Roasting them cut side down allows any moisture to fall away from the capsicum instead of pooling within the capsicum.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Served alongside some rocket dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Add roasted eggplant to the filling to sneak in extra vegetables. Simply cut into bite-size pieces, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until crispy and tender.
- Add some fresh chilli or chilli flakes to the spiced rice.
Protein
- Swap cannellini beans, for chickpeas, lentils or butter beans.
- Swap cannellini beans for 500g of lamb or beef mince. Add the mince to the onion and spice mix, once cooked and starting to brown, add cherry tomatoes, stock and rice and follow the recipe as per the method.
Other
- Swap rice for quinoa.
Ingredients
- 4 zucchini (cut into half moons)
- 4 red capsicums (cut in half lengthways, stem, seeds and pith removed)
- Olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- ¼ cup fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 400g tin of cannellini beans (drained)
- 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup stock or water
- ¾ cup basmati rice
- Salt and pepper
- 100g feta
- Olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, fan bake.
- Add the zucchini to a large baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Rub your capsicums with olive oil and place on a separate tray cut side down and roast for 25 minutes.
- While your vegetables are roasting, move on to the filling. Start by adding olive oil to a large pot or pan over medium heat; add the onion and season with salt. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes, the onions should be soft and translucent.
- Add the spices (oregano, cumin and coriander), garlic and fresh mint. Cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the cannellini beans to the onion and spice mix, stir to coat all of the beans in the spice mix, then add the cherry tomatoes, stock and rice.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (you may need to add a little more liquid if the rice hasn’t cooked but all the liquid has been absorbed).
- Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add the cooked zucchini. Stir well to fully incorporate and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking – option to add a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Assemble the capsicums, flip capsicums and fill each half with as much filling mixture as you can, scatter the remaining filling around the tray. Top with feta and place into the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up and for the feta to get golden.
Variations
Vegetables
- Served alongside some rocket dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Add roasted eggplant to the filling to sneak in extra vegetables. Simply cut into bite-size pieces, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until crispy and tender.
- Add some fresh chilli or chilli flakes to the spiced rice.
Protein
- Swap cannellini beans, for chickpeas, lentils or butter beans.
- Swap cannellini beans for 500g of lamb or beef mince. Add the mince to the onion and spice mix, once cooked and starting to brown, add cherry tomatoes, stock and rice and follow the recipe as per the method.
Other
- Swap rice for quinoa.
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