Meatless Monday: Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

I am not going to lie….our Meatless Monday dinner was AWESOME tonight!  I love when healthy meals turn out really, really GOOD!  It is a Southwestern (and vegetarian) spin on classic stuffed peppers.

Some food for thought – bell peppers are the #3 most pesticide contaminated produce on the Environmental Working Group’s Shopping Guide to Pesticides in Produce, with up to 15 different pesticides found on a single pepper.   If you are looking to reduce your exposure to the toxins in pesticides, you can refer to the list of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables, and try to buy these fruits and vegetables organically grown, if possible.

Start with some bell peppers (we prefer the red, yellow, or orange for this dish).  Cut the stem out of the center and remove  the seeds and membranes inside.

I prefer to serve pepper halves so I sliced each pepper in half from the top down.

In a large stock pot, boil the peppers for 5 minutes.  This will ensure that they are perfectly done, and not “crunchy” after baking.  When peppers are done, remove from water with tongs and place into 9 X 12 casserole dish.  Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

Chop 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and a jalapeno.

In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and jalapeno in 2 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, until veggies are softened.

Add in 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 cups cooked rice, 1 cup of frozen corn, 1 1/2 cups of cooked lentils, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/8 tsp. of ground chipotle pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Mix well and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Scoop rice mixture into peppers.  This amount of rice would fit nicely into 4 whole peppers (8 halves) but I knew 3 peppers would be plenty for us.  Any leftover rice can be baked separately in a small dish.

Top each stuffed pepper with a couple of tablespoons of shredded jalapeno pepperjack cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.  Serve with guacamole and extra chips on the side.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

3-4 bell peppers (we prefer red, yellow, or orange)

1 cup rice (cooked according to directions on package, yielding appx. 2 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced (or substitute mild green chilies)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup frozen corn

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (I buy them pre-cooked at Trader Joes.  I believe you can also buy them canned similar to beans)

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

crushed tortilla chips

“quick guacamole” (1 mashed avocado with a squeeze of lime and pinch of salt)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook rice and lentils as necessary.

Bring large stockpot full of water to boil.

Remove stems, seeds, and membranes from peppers.  Slice in half vertically if desired.

Boil peppers for 5 minutes.  Remove with tongs and place into a 9 X 12 casserole dish.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Heat 2 tsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (being careful not to let it smoke).  Saute chopped onion, jalapeno (or green chilies), and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add into skillet 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 cups cooked rice, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder.  Mix well and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Stuff pepper halves with rice mixture.  Top with 2 T. shredded pepperjack cheese and some crushed tortilla chips.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Serve with simple guacamole and additional chips, if desired.