Bell Peppers Galore
Every May, I plant rows and rows of bell and hot peppers in my garden. By early August, red, orange, yellow and even “chocolate” bell peppers are ripe for picking. The jalapeños, serranos, chilis, poblanos and habaneros are ready later in the month, about the time that I am inundated with piles of brightly colored sweet bells
My garden is a good example of biting off more than I can literally chew! I am always excited during the first month of my garden harvest, adding pepper slices and chunks to every salad and recipe. And then, almost overnight, I am gathering hundreds of peppers every week. I pick, wash, dice, freeze, smoke and dry as many as possible, ensuring their use throughout the winter months. Frozen peppers are easy and tasty in soup, sauce, sautée and stir-fry recipes. Bell peppers can also be deseeded, blanched and frozen for stuffing.
Choose various colors of bell peppers
Frozen peppers are convenient for cooking. But I truthfully prefer freshly picked bells for stuffed pepper recipes. I use a variety of colors for both visual appeal and the health benefits of the antioxidants. Sweet and spicy peppers, mixed with rice, beans, tomatoes and Mexican style seasonings make for one of my favorite food blends. Who doesn’t love a Tex-Mex flavored meal?
The combined ingredients in this stuffed pepper recipe create a nutritious meal, rich in vegetarian protein and vitamins A, B, C, E and K. Tasty and good for you!
Stuffed peppers are a no food waste meal
I aim to eliminate food waste. Most often, when I make this recipe, I use leftover rice or quinoa from another meal. Of course, you can easily make fresh rice for the recipe. Although fresh-out-of-the-oven tastes the best, this is a great left-over lunch or dinner meal. I pack an entire pepper, topped with salsa, into a 2 cup reusable container, and take it to work for lunch. Sometimes I eat it cold and other times I pop it into the microwave for a warm and comfort meal. Top with sliced avocado or fresh guacamole.
Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 6 Sweet bell peppers with flat bottoms
- 1 cup Brown rice cooked
- 1 cup Sweet corn kernels fresh or thawed froen
- 1 cup Black beans rinsed
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- 1 Sweet onion diced, about 1 cup
- 1-2 Jalepeno peppers minced
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (fresh) or 1 teas dried
- 2 teas Smoked paprika
- 1 teas Cumin
- 1 teas Salt natural or sea salt (not iodized table salt)
- ½ teas Black pepper or lemon pepper
- ½-1 teas Chili powder
- 2 tbsp Olive oil light
Optional Toppings
- 1 Avocado diced
- Salsa (Try Seth's Sassy Salsa)
- 1-2 Tomatoes diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Wash and dry the bell peppers.
- Slice off the top of each pepper, remove the seeds and reserve the top.
- Dice the pepper tops and add to a mixing bowl.
- Add to the mixing bowl, the rice, corn, beans, tomato, onions, jalapeno and cilantro. Mix well.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder. Mix.
- Sprinkle the seasoning blend into the rice blend, stirring well to coat all of the ingredients.
- Scoop the mixture into each of the 6 bell peppers, tapping down with the back of a spoon. Reserve any leftover mixture for a salad or for tacos.
- Add olive oil to the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan. Place each bell pepper into the pan and away from the sides, if possible.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Peppers should be slightly puckered and lightly browned on the top.
- Remove from oven and serve the peppers, one per plate or bowl.
- Top with avocado, fresh tomatoes and salsa.
Notes
- Exchange the brown rice with white rice or quinoa.
- Top with guacamole, non-dairy or dairy cheese
Nutrition
Mas recetas fabulosas (more fabulous recipes!)
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