Stuffed Bell Peppers

Today makes two weeks of cleaning up my diet and this evening I decided to make Stuffed Bell Peppers.  It's a little different than the kind that I grew up on but tastes just as amazing. This recipe is versatile and you could even toss in extra lean ground chicken  as well.


Since it usually takes roughly 40 min. for brown rice to cook, I started prepping everything else.  I started the water in order to blanch my green bell peppers. This step is optional but for me personally I like my stuffed peppers a little softer and to not have much of a crunch. 

While waiting for the water for the peppers to come to a boil, I started mixing the rest of the ingredients. That way once the rice was done all that was left was to mix it and stuff it into the peppers.

It all goes together quick and easy and tastes absolutely fantastic.  You could always add black beans in place of red beans and a few avocado slices would also compliment this dish perfectly.  Once the peppers have finished cooking, you can add mexican cheese and put back in the oven for around 10 minutes, but if you opt to go without the cheese I would use the avocado just to add a little something extra.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cooked red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked long-grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground chile powder
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 4 large bell peppers, seeded
• reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend (optional)
• Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• Avocado (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix beans, rice, corn, tomato, zucchini, onion, garlic, chile powder, cilantro, oil, salt and black pepper. 
2. Spray a pan with cooking spray. Mound  stuffing mixture into each green bell pepper and place in pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with Mexican cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. You can serve it with Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Avocado or even a little salsa.