Caution: with the sweet and savoury juices running through these peppers, they are very addictive, and very filling. Serve either on their own or as a side dish with rice pilaf or salad.

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 large peppers, halved and seeded (green, red, yellow, orange - or a mixture)

1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, chopped

1/2 aubergine (eggplant), diced

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 medium Spanish onion (red onion)

2 large roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

salt & pepper to taste

2 tblsp red wine vinegar

2 tblsp Organic Maple Syrup

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the pine nuts and cook over low heat until golden. Remove and set aside. Heat the remainder of oil and add garlic, mushrooms, aubergine, cranberries, tomatoes, onion and herbs. Cook for a few minutes to allow mixture to combine. Add pine nuts back in at the end of cooking. Mix together the vinegar, maple syrup and water and pour the liquid into the base of the roasting pan. Place mixture into the hollowed out halves of peppers, place in the roasting pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers start to wilt. Remove when cooked and drizzle remaining syrup mixture from pan over the peppers and serve.

Makes 8

~ Carrie Wheeler