I recently bought a bunch of bell peppers that were on sale, without really knowing quite what I wanted to do with them. Then, inspired by this recipe, I made some lamb and spinach flatbreads, which were so delicious that I wanted to make the topping again, but use it as a filling for the peppers instead. I also really love the wild rice stuffing that I use for this Roast Cornish Hen recipe, so that’s how the idea to combine lamb and wild rice came about.

I figured the stuffed peppers would probably turn out tasting pretty good, but I didn’t think they’d be that delicious! OMG, they were out-of-this-world amazing!! When you’re developing a recipe, you usually expect to have to tweak and test it a few times before you’re satisfied with it. But I really hit the flavour jackpot with this one!

The peppers are tender, with a refreshing sweetness that combines perfectly with the meaty and hearty stuffing. What I love about using a wild rice blend is that you get the nuttiness of wild and black rice and the chewiness of brown and red rice. The short-grain brown rice has a mildly sweet flavour and also lends a slight stickiness to the texture, which actually works really well in this recipe, because the starch helps to bind the stuffing and keep it moist. You just need to take one bite of the juicy, savoury peppers and you’ll be wanting a second one even before you’ve finished the first! As I’m writing this, my mouth is already watering!

If you love stuffed peppers, make sure to give these a try, and also check out Quinoa and Chorizo Stuffed Peppers!

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LAMB AND WILD RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

Makes 12 

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice blend 
1-3/4 cups stock
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 tablespoons oil, plus additional for brushing
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g lean ground lamb
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 tsp paprika powder
3/4 teaspoon cayenne powder 
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
100g crumbled feta, plus extra for garnish
small handful of toasted pine nuts
6 bell peppers (preferably red, orange or yellow)
chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

1. First prepare the rice. Rinse rice under cold water and drain. Combine with stock and butter in a pot (with a tight-fitting lid) set over medium-high heat.

2. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce to a low simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside. 

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice bell peppers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Lightly brush the surface and insides with oil. Place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on, and increase heat to 375F.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Fry onions and garlic until fragrant.

5. Add lamb, fry until almost cooked, breaking up any large pieces.

6. Add in rice, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt. Mix well, fry until lamb is cooked, then remove from heat.

7. Mix in crumbled feta and pine nuts.

8. Stuff the peppers, place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with additional feta. Bake for 15 minutes. 

9. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve warm.