Orzo and feta stuffed peppers

This dish is from the "Saffron in the Souks" cookbook by John Gregory Smith , vibrant recipes from the Heart of Lebanon. With the little glimpse of sunshine over the Easter weekend I was reminded me of this recipe with its wonderful flavours and summery vibes . And then it rained again and the next day. So this is a picture of the meal I made last summer . 

Ingredients

SERVES 4

2 large or 4 small red peppers, halved

4 tbsp olive oil

120g orzo

300g tin green lentils, drained

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

120g cherry tomatoes, halved

60g feta

Half a garlic clove

A handful of roughly chopped coriander leaves and stalks

Juice of half a lemon

15g toasted pine nuts

Sea salt



Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Put the peppers in a roasting dish and rub 2 tbsp of the oil all over them. Season with salt and roast for 40–45 mins until golden and tender. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.


2. Meanwhile, drop the orzo into a pan of boiling water. Stir well to stop it sticking and cook for 6–8 mins until tender but still with a little bite. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain again and tip into a mixing bowl. Add the lentils, spring onions, pomegranate molasses and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Season with salt and mix well. Stuff the cooked peppers with the mix and spoon the remaining orzo around them. Arrange the cherry tomatoes and feta over the top.


3. Bash the garlic with a little salt into a paste. Add the coriander and bash again into a paste. Add the lemon juice, remaining olive oil and 1 tbsp of water. Mix into a dressing and drizzle over the stuffed peppers. Scatter over the pine nuts and serve immediately.