For midweek plant-based cooking inspo, we love this Mediterranean stuffed pepper dish

Natural Chef and cooking tutor Ceri Jones serves up a delicious Mediterranean-inspired recipe as part of her summer energy reset meal plan  for Get The Gloss.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

For the peppers

2 large Romano Peppers

60g cooked wild rice (45g or ¼ cup raw)

1 courgette, (150g) coarsely grated, moisture squeezed out using kitchen towel or a tea towel

20g chopped walnuts

2 Tbs raisins

5g roughly chopped dill

1 clove garlic, minced

Grated zest of ½ lemon

½ Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs olive oil

½ tsp salt & a few grinds of pepper

For the courgette fritters

1 tbs ground flax + 2 tbs water (or 1 egg)

1 medium courgette, coarsely grated, moisture squeezed out using kitchen towel or a tea towel

2 tbs gram flour / green pea flour

1 tsp garlic powder

Zest from 1 lemon

½ tsp salt, black pepper

olive or coconut oil to cook

For the spring onions

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and cleaned

olive or coconut oil to cook

To serve

Tzatziki

Green salad

METHOD

Romano Peppers

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.

2. Cut tops off peppers, carefully remove the seeds and any membrane with a sharp knife, retain the lids.

3. Mix your cooked wild rice with the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and black pepper.

4. Stuff peppers, then place on their side on a lined baking tray. Prop the lids on the ends of the peppers the best you can.

5. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until softened and slightly charred.

Courgette Fritters

1. Make your flax egg, by combining the ground flax with water as above. Leave sit for 10-15 minutes until thickened up.

2. Place your wrung out grated courgette in a medium bowl along with the gram flour, garlic powder, lemon zest and seasoning. Mix well before adding the flax eggs and mixing again, the mixture should just stick together, not too sloppy is ideal.

3. Warm a large frying pan over a medium heat and add 2tsps of oil and swirl it around the pan. Dollop in around 2tbs of the courgette mixture to make a fritter, then continue with another 2-3 at a time. Do not over fill the pan, it makes them difficult to flip.

4. After a few minutes the underside should be browned. Flip over and cook the other side until similarly browned. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low heat oven if necessary until you have finished your batch.

Spring onions

1. Heat a glug of oil in a pan till almost sizzling, then add your spring onions. Keep tossing them while they char in the heat of the pan. When browned and softened add a pinch of salt and remove.

To serve

1. Add a blob of tzatiki to a plate then lay the stuffed pepper on top. Add the fritters and spring onions on the side and serve with a leafy green salad.

Ceri Jones is a certified  Natural Chef , recipe writer and tutor