French Stuffed Red Bell Peppers With Fennel And Goat's Cheese

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• 3 large red peppers, trimmed & halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 large red onion, peeled & cut into wedges
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed & cut into wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
• salt
• black pepper
• 3 -4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained & chopped finely
• 200 g log goat's cheese

Recipe

• 1 pre-heat the oven to 120c/240f/gas 1.
• 2 cut the peppers in half, discard the core & seeds and also trim away the membrane too.
• 3 grease a le creuset roasting or ovenproof dish.
• 4 cut the onion & fennel bulb into 6 wedges each. (keep the the delicate green fronds from the fennel bulb & put to one side.).
• 5 put the onion wedges, fennel wedges & cushed garlic into a mixing bowl & add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & black pepper - mix well.
• 6 divide the onion & fennel wedges between the 6 pepper halves, arranging them neatly within the peppers & season well.pour the remaining oil & vinegar dressing over the top of them.
• 7 bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft & just tinged brown.
• 8 remove the stuffed peppers from the oven & increase the oven temperature to 200c/400f/gas 6.
• 9 sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
• 10 slice the goats cheese & arrange over the top of the stuffed peppers; return them the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbling.
• 11 remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and serve them warm or at room temperature with the cooked dressing drizzled over the top of them.
• 12 garnish with the green fronds kept from the fennel bulbs.
• 13 serve as a starter, 1 pepper half per person with a side salad or as a main course - 2 pepper halves per person with bread & salad.
• 14 these can also be served as a very colourful & elegant vegetable accompaniment!