Stuffed Peppers With Brown Rice

175 g/6 oz brown rice
300 ml/1/2 pint water
salt
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 onion, peeled and grated
50 g/2 oz pine nuts
25 g/1 oz seedless raisins
100 g/4 oz Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
pinch of ground cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
4 green peppers, cored and &seeded, tops
reserved
5 tablespoons stock or water

Cook the rice in the boiling salted water for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and gently fold in all of the tomatoes, onion, pine nuts and raisins.

Fold in most of the cheese, reserving a little for the topping, then fold in the parsley, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste.

Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish, cutting a small slice off the bottoms if necessary. Divide the filling equally between the peppers, sprinkle the top with the reserved cheese and then replace the lids.

Pour the stock or water into the dish and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190 °C/375 °F, Gas Mark 5) for 30 to 40 minutes until the peppers arc tender. Serve hot or cold according to taste.

SERVES 4