Stuffed Peppers

"in late summer and early fall the harvest is sublime. fresh fruits and vegetables in every color tantalize you into sampling each and every sun-kissed one! we often chop up colorful bell peppers and toss them into a dish. but they are a perfect vessel to hold their own little meal. try this stuffed-pepper recipe, which makes the most of the summer bounty for a unique twist on peppers".

INGREDIENTS:

water
sea salt
4 large bell peppers - make sure the peppers can sit upright nicely. remove tops, ribs, and seeds.
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced (i omitted this)
3 cloves garlic, passed through garlic press
2 cups fresh roma tomatoes, diced and put in mesh strainer to drain
1 x 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh corn kernals
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
juice of one fresh lime (i used 1/2 lemon)
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray

 

PREPARATION:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. place cooked brown rice in a bowl and let cool; set aside.

2. prepare all veggies.

3. make sure there is a rack in the middle of the oven. bring a large pot of salted water to boil. place the peppers in the boiling water and cook briefly. (the peppers need to be just a little soft. remove the peppers from the water and put them on a plate lined with paper towels, upside down so the water can drain out.

4. in a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions and carrots and butternut squash. cook for 10 minutes covered. add garlic and cook a few minutes more. now add tomatoes, beans, and corn. cook for five minutes. remove from heat, add rice to the pan.

 

5. season with cilantro, lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed. set aside.

6. prepare a small baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray. place each of the peppers right side up in the pan. stuff each pepper with brown rice filling. (don't pack the rice mixture too tightly!) bake for 20 minutes. remove from heat and serve!

** i used 3 baby peppers and 1/2 of a regular pepper (i wanted to finish it up so it wouldn't go to waste!) also, while cooking the veggies, i browned up some ground turkey and added it in to add some protein! (:

nutritional value per serving:

 calories: 302 / cal. from fat: 30 / protein: 11g / carbs: 59g / dietary fiber: 12g / sugars: 12g / fat: 3g / sodium: 518mg

- makes four servings -

 

VIOLA AND HAPPY EATING!