Pork Stuffed Capsicums

Winter is definitely the time for cooking comfort food and these fit nicely into that category. Not only are these easy to make but they are jam packed with vegetables and are bursting with flavour. We cook these quite often and are brilliant for a mid week dinner.

The pork mixture could also be used in various other vegetables and you could even add some chilli's if you wanted to spice it up a little. These meat filled parcels are a meal in themselves as they are very filling and they a great way to get the kids to eat their vegetables - not that I have ever had any problems with that as my two eat all vegetables!!

Pork Stuffed Capsicums

Serves: 8
Points per serve: 4.5

cooking spray
500 grams lean pork mince
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
100 grams button mushrooms, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 400 gram tins diced tomatoes
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 slices multigrain bread, made into fine crumbs
8 small capsicums
200 grams grated low fat tasty cheese
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Coat a large frying pan with cooking spray, add pork and cook over a medium heat until pork is browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. Add carrot, zucchini, mushrooms, parsley, basil, paprika and tomatoes. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs, mixing well.

Carefully remove the top of each capsicum and using a spoon remove the seeds and membrane. Spoon mince mixture evenly into capsicums.

Stand the capsicums in a large casserole dish. Top each one with cheese.

Combine the tomato juice, water, oregano and sugar in a large jug. Mix well. Pour around the base of the capsicums.

Place in oven and cook for 50 minutes or until capsicums have softened and the cheese is bubbling.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)