This week, we are focusing on some cost-effective dishes that can be prepped in advance, ready to fire in the oven after a busy day. I grew up in a house where the staples of the weekly shop included a selection of three colours of bell peppers and six large portobello mushrooms. The mushrooms usually ended up on a breakfast plate at the weekend, while the peppers suffered a variety of fates. The red was always used, forming the basis of a chilli con carne or stew. The green pepper sometimes struggled for a home – if it was lucky it got sliced and found a supporting role in a salad. The poor yellow pepper was the odd one out, regularly wilting alone in the depths of the fridge until the next shop arrived. Rarely, it got a rare starting place alongside its siblings when the shop-bought fajita kit was unleashed midweek. To this day, I have no idea why any of this was the case, but there you go. Let it be said that while I’ve used the red pepper here, any colour will do.
The key technique when it comes to the peppers it to pre-roast them with some olive oil and salt. This draws out the large amount of water in them, which of course tastes of nothing. At this point they are stuffed with a heavily seasoned bulgur wheat salad packed with store cupboard favourite, all-purpose seasoning, feta cheese, piquillo pepper and spinach. This is a very handy recipe to prepare in advance and have stuffed and ready in the fridge. All that’s left to do after work is blast it in the oven until caramelised and crisp on top. This is highly flavoured, cost-effective cooking that won’t leave you feeling guilty either. Exactly the type of cooking January demands.
In a similar vein, I’ve turned my attention to the portobello mushroom. Mushrooms are like sponges – while appearing firm and dry, most are comprised of about 90 per cent water. Again, the key is to pre-roast them, allowing the salt to remove that grey liquid that can put off so many. At this stage, they become meaty, textured and the perfect vessel for big flavours. I’ve topped them with some breadcrumbs laced with spicy nduja sausage and heavy-hitting Cashel Blue cheese. Served with a simple salad, this is delicious. There’s no reason it can’t be served as a substantial meal on its own but if you really need a feed, it’s a great accompaniment to a range of roasted meats or even as a side dish. As an added bonus, mushrooms are one of the world’s most sustainable ingredients, with many varieties grown in a matter of hours. Matched with leftover breadcrumbs and one of our great Irish cheeses, this ticks a lot of boxes for future-focused cooking. Most importantly, it’ll put a smile on your face, which is what food is all about.
Recipe: Stuffed peppers with bulgur wheat, feta and spinach
