I love peppers, they make it into as many dishes as I can possibly get them into without them looking a bit too odd, for instance I’m not sure they’d be a hit with a roast. But they do taste great in a chilli, bolagnaise, grilled as part of a kebab and also stuffed. They are perfect for stuffing as they remain firm, little edible pots. Pepper pots! Stuffing them with leftovers makes them a super quick meal too, simply cut in half, pop in the ingredients and bake in the oven.

I was sent a combination of ingredients, including peppers to celebrate the virtues of these tasty vegetables (actually they’re really fruit) which are extremely healthy too.

The EU have funded a campaign to encourage us to embrace the pepper which as well as containing more vitamin C than an orange, a good source of vitamins E, B1 and B2, minerals; calcium, sodium and iron, they contain no fat and are very low in calories. As well as tasting great too.

I really think peppers call for being stuffed with rice, although chilli is good too, but as it was National Vegetarian Week the other week and the girls and I were trying to avoid meat I went for a simple combination of brown rice (I love the nuttiness of brown rice but feel free to swap for white rice), pesto, garlic and pine nuts and topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Mmmm.

For more recipe ideas go to the It’s Pepper Time website. Here are a couple of ideas from the site…

Pesto & Pine Nut Rice Stuffed Peppers recipe…

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Pesto & Pine Nut Rice Stuffed Peppers

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500g cooked rice (I used brown because it's lovely and nutty but use what you like)
• 4 peppers, cut length ways & seeds removed (or cut the top off & remove the seeds and use the top as a lid)
• 6 tbsp green pesto
• 2 tsp lazy garlic (or 2 cloves chopped finely)
• 2 tbsp pinenuts
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4
2. In a bowl mix the rice, pesto, garlic and pine nuts
3. Rub a little olive oil over the pepper skins and place cut side up in a baking dish
4. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the peppers
6. Pop them in the oven for 20-25 mins
7. Serve with a green salad

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Disclosure: I was sent a hamper of goodies to help me get creative, as part of an EU-funded campaign.