Feta’s better! Don’t limit feta to Greek salad – try this recipe for a fresh take on our fave crumbly cheese #recipe

It’s no surprise that feta is a product of sun-scorched Greece. When the heat rises, I always think this tangy, crumbly cheese seems just right, zinging up salads and looking all white and pretty against leafy greens and red tomatoes.

It’s lower in fat too, with just 21g of fat per 100g, compared to Cheddar’s 33g.

That’s partly why this great recipe is such a dieter’s friend. A little feta goes a long way and it’s a delicious topping for the garlicky, lemony bean salad you pile into the red pepper halves.

It’s a summer favourite in my house – I just multiply up the ingredients, depending on who’s around and how greedy they are. Mind you, it makes a satisfyingly filling dish (thank you cannellini beans), so even the hungriest members of the family are usually happy with their lot.

FETA STUFFED RED PEPPERS (V)

345 cals

Serves 1 • Ready in 20 minutes

1 red (bell) pepper, top removed, halved and deseeded (51 cals)
1 tsp olive oil (27 cals)
½ x 400g can cannellini beans (130 cals)
½ clove garlic, crushed (2 cals)
Juice of half a lemon (2 cals)
Salt and pepper
1 spring (green) onion, finely chopped (5 cals)
4 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped (10 cals)
Small handful fresh parsley, stalks removed and finely chopped
40g (1½oz) feta cheese (72 cals)
4 black olives, sliced (26 cals)
40g (1½oz) baby spinach, stalks removed (10 cals)
5cm (2in) cucumber, halved and cut into semi-circles (10 cals)

• Preheat the oven to 240C/22C fan/475F/Gas Mark 9.
• Rub the red pepper halves all over with the olive oil. Place face down on a small baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the cannellini bean, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mash the beans roughly with the back of a fork and stir until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the spring (green) onion, cherry tomatoes and parsley.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and turn them the right way up. Distribute the bean salad evenly between the two peppers. Crumble the feta over the top and add the olives. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Serve the stuffed peppers straight from the oven on a bed of spinach leaves and cucumber.