Red Pepper Stuffed with Sundried Tomato and Cashew Romesco RAW

I saw this recipe for Sundried Tomato and Cashew Romesco in Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis' gorgeous Raw Food/Real World book and wanted to give it a try. It's a savory nut pate that can be served with veggies or crackers. The main seasoning is za'atar - kinda Mediterrannean, kinda Middle Eastern, with dried basil, oregano, thyme and sumac. I was thinking it might be a nice filling for stuffed peppers.

Since I need to eat more greens, I decided to top it with a big pile of arugula sprouts tossed in a simple Dijon vinaigrette. The slightly spicy dressing and bitter bite of the sprouts were the perfect contrast to the savory flavor of the filling and the sweet red pepper. To complete the light lunch, I served a simple slaw of shredded cabbage, carrot and red pepper on the side. More crunchy goodness!

The result: rich depth of flavor with gorgeous color contrasts. This one is definitely a keeper.

Red Pepper Stuffed with Sundried Tomato and Cashew Romesco, Sprouts and Dijon Vinaigrette (serves 2-4)

2 red peppers, cut in half
1 Tbls olive oil
sea salt

1 cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup raw cashews, soaked, drained and rinsed
zest of 1 orange (about 1 Tbl)
juice of 1 orange (about 1/4 cup)
2-3 Tbl olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbl miso
2 tsp za’atar spice (1/2 tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp sumac)
1 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper

1 handful of fresh sprouts
1 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave syrup
pinch of sea salt

Cut and seed red peppers. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then set aside. Place all remaining ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined. Add water if necessary to achieve thick, spreadable paste. Spoon ¼ of the mixture into each pepper half, then prepare sprouts. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard and sea salt. Toss sprouts in dressing, then place on top of stuffed pepper.