Stuffed Peppers on a Bed of Barley- vegan

Serve piping hot with a crisp green salad on the side

This recipe is very similar to one I posted back in November, except the main flavour is basil and tomato and the increased amount of yeast flakes and Parmazano will fool your tastebuds into thinking there is cheese in it. I also skipped the celery and went for grated courgette (zucchini) and swede. Serving this with pearl or pot (unpolished) barley and a green salad makes a complete meal, and a change from rice. (Click here for some more information on barley as a cooked grain.) There is no added salt, as the Parmazano contains enough.

All amounts are approximate, as I forgot my notebook and scales in my haste to get this meal on the table, so you'll have to see what exact proportions suit your palate... makes 6 peppers:

150g ground almonds

1 tub "Parmazano" (vegan "Parmesan")

1 1/2-2 tabs yeast flakes (aka nutritional yeast)

1/2 tube tomato puree

1 1/2 small courgettes, grated

a chunk of peeled and grated swede

1/2 tsp hing

copious amounts of dried basil

 coarse-ground black pepper to taste

6 bell peppers (capsicums)

1/4 cup (dry weight) pot barley for each person, cooked in double the amount of water (pretty much like brown rice)

a generous handful fresh/ frozen peas 

• Hollow out the peppers and cut the tops off to make lids. Place in an oiled baking tray and roast at 200C until starting to soften.
• Cook the barley in the water with a drizzle of olive oil until soft, adding the peas when nearly done.
• Meanwhile, mix the ground almonds, Parmazano and yeast flakes together in a bowl.
• Stir in the tomato puree, then the grated vegetables.
• Add the basil, hing and black pepper, mixing really well to distribute them evenly throughout the stuffing.
• Stuff the part-cooked peppers and put their lids on. Return to the oven to finish cooking while you make the salad.