Healthy Halloween Dinner & Jack O Lantern Bell Peppers

   It worked! I'm a nightmare in the kitchen - things taste good, but they rarely look it, and so that's why I dread trying to make aesthetically pleasing meals. Cakes are fine - I'm no expert, but you don't have to cook fondant or frosting, so if that goes wrong it's generally my fault and can possibly be fixed. But when you're relying on the finish of cooked food it can be a nightmare, especially when it's foods or cooking methods you're not used to. But this worked! And I've never sauteed cabbage before, nor cooked a whole pepper!

Info:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Nutritional: 450 kcals; 2.5 of 5 a day; 30g protein, 7g fat, 10g carbs, 8g fibre 

 

Ingredients:

4 orange bell peppers

400g cooked, shredded chicken, marinaded in your choice

75g feta cheese

1/2 a red cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

100g black bean spaghetti (I used Explore Asia)

Roughly 40 sprouts

Method:

1. Rinse the bell peppers, then, if you're carving the bell peppers, do so. They're not difficult to cut, but a sharp, narrow knife is best because you're less likely to make larger cuts than you want.

2. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and scoop out the white flesh and the seeds.

3. Boil a pan of water. When the water is boiling, drop the bell peppers and their tops in and leave to boil for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas mark 4.

4. Prepare a baking tray and stand your peppers on top. They may not all stand up on their own, so use their lids to prop them up a little. This also helps keep the pairings. Fill the peppers with chicken and feta cheese, alternating - layer it up. Stick them in the oven for half an hour.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the sprouts to your liking - boiling, steaming and stir-frying takes about 5-10 minutes; roasting them takes about 30.

6. Prepare a pan of water, bring to the boil and add the black bean spaghetti. Heat for 5-10 minutes.

7. Mix the red cabbage with vinegar and leave to sit for 5 minutes while you heat the 1/4 cup of water in a pan. When it starts to steam, add the cabbage and cover for 5 minutes.

8. Throw it all on a plate and serve! Happy healthy Halloween!