Better Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
This is a recipe adapted from another I found. It has a bit more zing and is easy to make!
This is a recipe adapted from another I found. It has a bit more zing and is easy to make!
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 6 medium bell pepper, red, green, orange
- 1 cup rice, white/brown
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks diced
- 1/4 cup pignoli nuts (pine nuts) toasted lightly
- 1/2 cup raw baby spinach
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes w/jalapeno
- 1 tbs italian seasoning
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- cheese, as desired
- Carbohydrate 39.5529326254112 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 11.5369687958892 g
- Fiber 4.19150416556307 g
- Protein 5.78085786634311 g
- Saturated Fat 1.45458815005006 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (401g)
- Sodium 334.438066670417 mg
- Sugar 35.3614284598481 g
- Trans Fat 6.79976049579136 g
- Calories 273 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Clean and cut tops off peppers, discard stem and chop the tops, save. Clean whites and seeds out of peppers, save
- *Edited to add: blanching the peppers would be better OR leave in oven for about 10 minutes longer before adding cheese.
- To blanch the peppers, bring large saucepan of water to a boil, drop peppers in, let boil for about 3 minutes, remove and cool, set aside.
- Put olive oil in large saucepan and heat. Add garlic and just cook till aroma fills kitchen. Add chopped carrots, onions, pepper tops, celery and sauté for about 7 minutes. Add rinsed and drained black beans, rice and spinach, and pignoli nuts. Mix well. Ccok until water is absorbed.
- Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray and place peppers in dish. Fill each pepper with the bean and rice and veggie filling. Spoon 2 tbs of water over each pepper. Spoon the diced tomatoes over the peppers and cover with foil.
- Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Uncover dish, place grated or sliced cheese over each pepper, if desired and return to oven for 5 more minutes or until cheese is crisp. Serve immediately, use tomato juices in dish to spoon over peppers.
Canned petite diced tomatoes with jalapenos supply both moisture and acid, driving the flavor profile of this entire dish by cutting through the starch of the rice. Tomatoes added directly to the exterior create a braising environment inside the covered casserole dish, generating steam that softens the thick walls of the bell peppers.
Blanching the hollowed peppers in boiling water for three minutes initiates cellular softening before baking begins, guaranteeing a tender final texture rather than a crisp-crunchy bite. Alternatively, extending the covered baking phase by ten minutes achieves similar thermal penetration without requiring an extra pot on the stove.
Visual cues dictate doneness entirely since internal temperature probes are impractical here. Watch for the cheese to turn crisp and golden brown at the edges, and confirm the pepper walls yield readily to the gentle pressure of a fork tine without collapsing completely.
A crisp, acidic green salad dressed simply in lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil balances the rich density of the stuffed peppers. High acidity cuts through the concentrated tomato and melted cheese toppings, refreshing the palate between bites.
