Vegetarian mince stuffed capsicums
Gluten free, grain free, FODMAP friendly, vegan and nut free adaptableServes 6-8 people as a side dish
Ingredients
For the mince:
- 1 x 500g packet firm tofu
- 2 medium carrots finely chopped
- 60ml (3 tablespoons)* olive oil
- 40ml (2 tablespoons)* Tamari
- 10-20ml (1/2 - 1 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 20g (1 tablespoon) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary optional
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage powder
- 250ml (1 cup) passata (no flavourings) (see notes)
- 250ml (1 cup)* of red wine (or water)
- Generous pepper
To finish:
- 7-8 large red capsicums
- A thin layer of oil seasoned with salt pepper and chilli flakes, for the bottom of the dish
- Cheese for the top optional, I used gruyere because it melts well for pictures lol
Instructions
To make the mince:
- Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the tofu, then tear it into small mince meat like pieces.
- Place a large saucepan or skillet over a medium heat and warm the oil. Add the carrot and cook for 5-10 minutes until it is softened and golden.
- While the carrot is cooking, mix together the Tamari, vinegar, sugar, tomato paste and spices. This makes it quick and easy to add then the time is right.
- Once the carrots are cooked, stir in the liquid. It will sizzle and bubble a little. Once you have stirred it all to combine (the tomato paste should have assimilated into the mixture) add the passata. Stir until combined then add the tofu and water. Stir thoroughly and cook for around 5 minutes until the tofu has taken on the colour of the sauce. Season to taste, adding generous cracked pepper. You could add a bit of salt or more Tamari here, if you think it needs it.
To finish:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F. Slice your capsicums into boats – how you do this will depend on the size of the capsicums you have, but I generally sliced mine into 3 large ‘cheeks’ ensuring they each had a ‘wall’ so the mince didn’t spill out. You could also cut the capsicums in half, or even just slice the lid off. This will yield significantly less individual capsicum boats, but it might be easier if you have smaller capsicums. Whatever you do, make sure you’ve removed the seeds and the white pith if it’s getting in the way.
- Place the seasoned chilli oil (I used Aleppo because it’s quite mild) in the base of your baking dish, and arrange the capsicums like bowls. You will likely need to use two baking dishes. Divide the mince evenly between the capsicums, filling them up. You might have leftover mince, which you can stir through pasta, eat with rice, or just on it’s own.
- Top the capsicums with some finely and freshly grated cheese and place into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes and then swap the baking dishes, top the bottom, to encourage even cooking. You might not have a tiny oven like me, so only do this if you need to.
- Cook the capsicums for an additional 20 minutes, or until the sides are cooked but not soggy. You can pop the grill on the brown the cheese, if you like. Once done to your liking, remove from the oven, top with pesto and serve.
- These capsicums will keep in the fridge for a few days, and make an excellent lunch the next day. You could serve with rice, a salad, or just eat solo.
Notes
- You can also use my low FODMAP Nomato sauce recipe to replace some or all of the tinned tomato. One batch of Nomato sauce makes approximately 1.2kg, which is equivalent to 3 x 400g cans of tinned tomato.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!