In my local Turkish shop, i found dried aubergines (eggplant) and bell peppers. Wow! They’re very tasty and they look so festive, don’t you think? Also, they’re very handy to stock up in your cupboard. They’re cheap and won’t spoil. They look great. They’re a perfect way to make tapas at home. Yay for dried veggies like these.

You  can just put them in warm water and leave to soak for some time. How much time depends on wether you want to steam or cook the stuffed veggies later on. If they’ll be heated later, soak for only 20 minutes (while you prepare the stuffing). If you’ll eat them right after stuffing, soak for at least one hour.

Another great thing: you can stuff the peppers or aubergines with any leftover you have, possibly add some nuts or spices, drizzle with olive oil and here’s a beautiful brand new dish!

For this dish, i used a mushroom risotto leftover and added some dried tomatoes and roasted pine nuts. Add green leafy vegetables such as arugula (rocket salad) for color and vitamins and this is a perfect dinner starter or even lunch.

You could also use a pasta, potato or rice dish, stuff the bell peppers with that and simmer everything in a tomato sauce with garlic and oregano for some time. This is perfect for preparing and keeping warm, then serving because it doesn’t really matter how long the dish is simmering. Very comfortable when you’re expecting guests.

Or you could crumble a veggie burger and combine with onions and cream cheese… hmm!

Endless possibilities. I say: go find yourself some. And always drizzle with olive oil in the end.