Ingredients For the freekeh: 150g freekeh 3 pinches sea salt flakes ½ tsp fennel

seeds 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp sunflower seeds 2 pinches ground cumin 2 pinches
ground coriander 450ml water

To finish the freekeh: 2 cups jasmine tea 2 tbsp sultanas a small bunch of
coriander a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp pine nuts 2 tbsp flaked almonds
juice of ½ lemon 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the peppers: 4 yellow or red peppers 1 tbsp olive oil

To finish: 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar 1 heaped tsp flaked almonds 1 heaped tsp
pine nuts 1 heaped tsp pumpkin seeds a handful of baby lettuce leaves Begin with 2
cups of jasmine tea. Place the sultanas in one cup and leave them until required.
The other cup of tea is for you – you’ve earned it. Finely chop the coriander and
parsley. In a medium-sized saucepan, place the freekeh, salt, fennel seeds, pumpkin
seeds, sunflower seeds, cumin and ground coriander. Cover with the water, bring to
the boil on a high heat and then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook like this
for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will know that your freekeh is
cooked when it has absorbed all the water and still has a slight bite to it. Remove
the pan from the heat, transfer the freekeh to a bowl and leave to cool. Once the
freekeh has cooled, add the pine nuts and flaked almonds, along with the lemon
juice and olive oil. Strain the sultanas and add these too. Add the parsley and
coriander and stir this mixture well. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
Put aside, ready to use as the stuffing for the peppers. Preheat the oven to
170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Remove a thin slice from the base of each pepper so that
the peppers stand upright. Slice the peppers crossways, about 1cm from the top –
this gives you the pepper’s ‘lid’. Use a spoon to scoop out and then discard the
seeds and white pith. Spoon an equal amount of the freekeh mixture into each
pepper. Pop the ‘lid’ on top and place the stuffed peppers on a baking tray or in
an ovenproof dish. Brush each pepper all over with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes.
To serve, arrange a few lettuce leaves in the centre of each plate and place a hot
pepper on top. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and scatter with a few nuts and
seeds. Serve immediately.