Stuffed Chillies

I made this once only because my chilli plant had produced these huge chillies which were ready to eat all at once. They were so delicious that whenever I see large chillies at the market I have to buy them and make this dish. I usually serve this as a side dish to accompany lamb chops or with a salad as an entree.

1 tsp of cumin
4 large chillies
1 tbs oil
2 cloves of garlic
½ small red onion
½ cup of cream cheese
¼ cup of grated cheddar
2 tbs finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbs of fresh chopped coriander
1 tsp of finely grated lime zest
pinch of paprika
½ cup of dry breadcrumbs
2 tsp of lime juice
coriander leaves to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Whilst wearing gloves, cut the chillies length ways and remove the seeds and membranes. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the chillies and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse the chillies under cold water, then repeat this process using fresh boiling water.

Heat the oil, onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions are soft. Combine this with the cream cheese, cheddar, coriander, sun-dried tomato, lime zest, paprika, cumin and half the breadcrumbs, and mix well. Fill each half chill with the mixture, then lay flat on a baking tray and scatter with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Squeeze some lime juice over the top and garnish with coriander.

Source: Small Food by Murdoch Books