Nutty stuffed onions

It's not often that I can be bothered to stuff vegetables, but this simple stuffing turns onions (not, let's face it, the most glamorous vegetable) into the star of a meal.

This dish is based mainly on store-cupboard ingredients and is quite handy for using up odds and ends - like the half-used packet of nuts that's been hanging around for a little while and risks turning rancid if it's not used up soon. I've suggested hazelnuts but you could definitely use walnuts or pecans, or some other kind of nut if you fancy it. Similarly, if you've got a little bit of leftover rice, bulghur wheat or couscous, or some stale bread that can be turned into breadcrumbs - here's a dish that can use it up.

It takes a bit of time in the oven, but you can get on with something else while that's happening and the rest of it really doesn't take that long.

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 large onions
About 12 hazelnuts
A sprinkling of pumpkin seeds (optional)
4 sun-dried tomatoes (either the kind that come in oil or dry from a packet), chopped
About three tablespoonfuls cooked bulghur wheat (or couscous, cooked rice or breadcrumbs)
A few good sprigs fresh thyme, or a good pinch dried thyme
A small pinch chilli powder
Juice of about 1/4 of a lemon
A little home-made tomato sauce or a few slices of mature cheese (optional)

Method

Put the oven on at 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put the onions, whole and unpeeled, into the oven when it has heated and bake for approximately 45 minutes. The cooking time will vary according to the size of your onions, but the cooked onions will be tender all the way through to the point of a knife. Don't worry if the skins burn a bit.

Put the nuts on a dry tray and place in the oven for no more than five minutes - you want them a bit more browned to bring out the flavour, but be warned, they will burn easily.

Once the onions are cool enough to handle, cut off the roots and tips and peel off all the skins. Cut them in half and scoop out the middle layers to give you enough space to stuff them.

Chop up the onion centres and put them in a bowl. Chop the nuts (and pumpkin seeds if you are using them) fairly small (you can do this in a food processor if you want, but stop before you get to a powder). Mix the chopped onion centres, nuts and seeds, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, bulghur wheat or whatever you are using, plus the thyme and chilli. Mix well, and squeeze the lemon juice over. Mix again, taste and adjust the flavours and seasoning as necessary. You can add a little more lemon juice or water if you think the mixture seems a bit dry.

Arrange the onion halves in a baking tray and spoon some of the filling into each half (you may need to pile it up a bit). Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes. These are good as they are, perhaps with some vegetables, but I like them with cheese melted on top or with a little tomato sauce poured over.

You could eat this as a light lunch with some salad, but for a main meal I'd serve it with some veg on the side, and maybe some new potatoes if you're feeling hungry.