Southwestern Stuffed Belled Peppers

You know, the more I allow my mind to brood over the whole meat-eating subject, the more I become extremely convinced of being a very successful vegetarian. Why? For starters, beans. I love 'em. And certainly I've reiterated this in prior posts about how my two pregnancies have seriously altered my meat enjoyment, for the worst, that is. It's both in preparing the raw meat and then eating it, that, for the most part, makes me a little ____ eeeeeekkkk.

Hence my great lack of meat-filled dishes on this blog. Please don't mistaken me: you will see meat recipes and I WILL eat it on a few conditions (it's cooked right, I don't have to handle a lot of it, and the taste of it isn't "meaty"). This meatloaf, and a few other meatball recipes, for instance, are where I really fall of the bandwagon and engulf the meat with mirth! I suppose what I'm trying to convey is, well, beans and tofu and grains are wonderful--- and very gentle on your wallet. We all really enjoyed this dish; it's quite full of flavor, believe it or not, and tastes so very healthy. It may just become a regular around here.

This recipe comes from this amazing foodie site- their tutorial is awesome. Check it out. My recipe below is a teensy bit different, with added feta and zucchini, but over all, the same feel: I just couldn't find the self-control to resist throwing in some feta. You know!

Southwestern-style Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 large sweet pepper s (green, red, orange, etc)

1 Tbs salt

1/2 c. brown rice, cooked according to package directions

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 - 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 green onions, sliced

1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted, drained

½ cup feta cheese

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

In a large skillet with 2 Tbs of olive oil heated, sauté onion, garlic, jalapeno, and zucchini until tender (be prudent though, not to allow any of it to brown or burn). Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine brown rice, drained black beans, sautéed onion mixture, corn, green onions, spices, drained tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Carefully fill each pepper with mixture. Place in a large, greased casserole dish, and top each stuffed pepper with pepper jack cheese. Bake until cheese is sizzlin’ hot and melted (about 25-35 minutes). Remove from oven, garnish with cilantro, chips, avocado (homemade guac is really, really killer good too!) and enjoy.