The Missing Ingredient ® Gluten-free/ Grain-free Recipe- Roasted Baked Red Peppers stuffed with Lentils-

This is a great recipe for those unexpected holiday guests. Easy to make, and will last for three days in the refrigerator.

1 cup Lentils (soaked overnight)

4 medium size red peppers

1 ½ cups fresh chicken stock (if you are using a store bought stock make sure it’s gluten-free)

½ cup finely chopped shallots

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped kale

1- garlic clove pressed

1-tablespoon fresh basil leaves finely chopped

¼ teaspoon of French sea salt

6 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano

1  cup of your favorite tomato sauce

Preparing the lentils

***Soak Lentils overnight in warm water. Then rinse twice before using. If I’m working with gluten-free grains or legumes I use this simple step to help minimize the phytic acid found in these foods. The soaked lentils will turn into about 2 ½ cups.

Preparing the Red Peppers

 Preheat oven to 425

1-Wash the red peppers and place them in the oven directly on the middle rack.

2- Roast the peppers for about twenty minutes, turning them every five minutes.

3- Let peppers cool enough so that you can handle them. The roasted pepper should still have firmness to them. On a cutting board cut the tops off and save the pepper portion and discard the stem. If you want to take the outside skin of the pepper off you can. I like to leave it on.

4- Place the peppers standing upright in a baking dish and set aside.

5- Finely chop the remaining pepper from the cut top for use in the stuffing.

Preparing the stuffing

Reduce oven to 375

1- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

2- Add garlic and shallots and stir constantly for about 1 minute. You don’t want to brown the garlic.

3- Add the carrots, celery, kale, chopped red pepper, basil, and salt.

5- Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the carrots and kale have soften. Stirring the mixture every few minutes.

6- Stir in the soaked lentils and combine thoroughly.

7- Stir in 1 ½ cups Gluten-free chicken stock

8- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, Stirring frequently

9- Stir in 4 tablespoons of  tomato sauce and cook another 10 minutes uncovered stirring frequently.

10- Remove from heat and stir in 4 tablespoons of Parmigiano. Stir till combined.

11- With a large spoon fill each pepper with the lentil stuffing.

12- Cover each one with some tomato sauce. (Don’t drown them.)

13- Sprinkle the top of each stuffed pepper with the remaining Parmigiano

14-Tightly cover with tin foil and cook for 40-50 minutes or until you can easily puncture the pepper with a knife.

++ If you would like to cover the peppers with the remaining tomato sauce feel free. I prefer to put the sauce, and some extra Parma on the table so my guests can add more if they’d like.

Serve with a mixed green salad or on its own.

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