Stuffed peppers with light filling

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet peppers of any color
• 220 g of ground beef with 10% fat content
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup lightly salted chicken broth
• 0.5 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/3 cup brown lentils
• 1 tbsp chopped dill, parsley or 1/4 tsp dried mint

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Cut the tops off each pepper, set them aside, and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Sprinkle the insides with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and add the garlic and onion. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the ground beef, oregano, cinnamon, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, until the meat is completely browned. Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and stir until coated and lightly browned.
4. Stir in the broth, rice, and lentils. Remove from heat and set aside until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture cools slightly. Add 0.5 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
5. Evenly distribute the filling among the peppers and cover with the cut off tops. Stand the peppers upright in a small 20 cm baking dish. Combine 1.5 cups of water with the remaining 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and olive oil. Pour the mixture into the dish around the peppers. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the rice and lentils are cooked through, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the peppers to a serving platter and pour the liquid into a nonstick skillet. Cook over high heat until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 0.5 cups. Remove from heat and stir in the dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce with the stuffed peppers.