Who needs to carve a pumpkin when you can just downsize to a pepper? Plus its actually edible. With Halloween this week I have conjured up a twist on your average stuffed pepper to give it a spooky (if not kind of cute) edge! Also, its ridiculously easy.

Although Halloween isn’t a huge deal here in the UK, this recipe is a typically British nod to the holiday and its also an opportunity to get creative, as you can carve anything you want – naturally I opted to carve a cat (I have an obsession) in ode to my darling kitten Lord Digby. I can imagine that a whole tray of these ‘pumpkins’ would look brilliant for a Halloween themed dinner or party, simply served alongside some cheesy mash and veg. Also they are healthy and wholesome in comparison to the overwhelming majority of spooky treats which are traditioanlly dolled out during the trick or treat season! Make sure you get some goodness into you!

Also eating a jack-o-lantern face is ridiculously awesome no matter what age you are.

Ingredients Serves 2

• 2 large orange peppers
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200g minced beef
• 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 40g brown or wild rice, cooked
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and grease the bottom of a baking dish
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic and fry until softened. Add the minced beef stirring until it has browned
3. Add the spices and tomatoes, bring to a slight simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes
4. Cut the jack-o’-lantern faces into the peppers with a sharp knife. Slice the tops off the peppers and scoop out the innards. Stuff the peppers with the beef stuffing, and place them into the baking dish
5. Bake them in the oven until the peppers are tender, around 50 minutes to an hour