Seriously Scrumptious Stuffed Peppers

For me, the end of my first year at university is looming and my summer holiday is thankfully drawing ever closer, which mean only one thing - Mission Bikini Body! I've been on the lookout for healthy recipes that are not only tasty but are also relatively cheap - I am a student after all!

Now I know a stuffed pepper doesn't inspire excitement in the hearts of most people, but pack full of flavour and texture this recipe isn't one to be missed! Crunchy nuts, juicy sun-dried tomatoes and glorious garlic mushrooms are packed into a yummy grilled pepper to create a meal that will both fill you up and make you feel as though you're in the Mediterranean. Great for lunch even better as a side dish with some simply grilled chicken.

Seriously Scrumptious Stuffed Peppers
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish

1 tbsp sunflower oil
200g mushrooms (you're choice!), finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 sun-dried tomato pieces in oil, drained well and roughly chopped
50g dried breadcrumbs
25g nuts (I used peanuts but walnuts would be awesome), finely chopped
1 tsp dried parsley
1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
4 tsp pesto
2 small red or yellow peppers, halved with the seeds removed

Preheat the oven to 220C and cover a baking tray with foil.

Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the mushrooms and the garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the peppers!) and mix together well.

Fill the peppers with the mushroom stuffing and cover the surface of the stuffing with a small piece of foil.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pepper is tender to the touch.

Serve simply with a fresh, crispy salad or as a side dish.