Summery Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Servings: 4 Time: 45 minutes

Fresh peppers arrive with the sizzling summer.  Turn up the kitchen heat to make enough filling and stuff. You can eat the peppers raw or cooked.  If you cook them, freeze and reheat in the microwave on those sultry evenings. You can even sprout lentils and quinoa and swap out the rice and black beans for a completely raw dish.

Ingredients

• 1 C brown rice
• water for cooking rice 
• 1 C chopped white onion or scallions
• 2 cloves minced garlic 
• 1 C chopped zucchini
• ½ C sliced celery
• ¼ C vegetable broth
• 2 C cooked black beans
• 2 medium small chopped tomatoes
• 1 C raw corn from cob
• 1 tsp tamari
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning – See NOTE
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 4 green peppers
• Non-Dairy Parmesan for topping or Smoky Chipotle Sauce

Directions

1. Cook the brown rice according to the package directions.
2. If eating cooked heat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. While the rice is cooking, in a sauté pan, cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms and celery. SEE NOTE Add vegetable broth to keep from burning.  Sear until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Once the rice is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture and add all other ingredients, except canned tomatoes, topping or sauce.
5. Cut the top off of the green peppers, about 1 inch below the stem, and fill each with the mixture.
6. Pour diced tomatoes into the baking dish . Place the peppers open-side up on the baking dish. Cover with the tops of the peppers. Bake covered for 30 – 35 minutes.

Note: Use this to stuffed tomatoes as well.  Bake or have raw. The Corn’y Bean Salad is also a wonderful pepper filling.
For raw dish, omit mushrooms and canned tomatoes and do not sauté any vegetables. Serve at room temperature with vegan Parmesan or Smoky Chipotle Sauce.
If you do not have an Italian seasoning blend, use ½ teaspoon each of 3 or 4 of these – basil, thyme, oregano, sage, or marjoram. 

Abbreviations: C = cup; oz = ounce; Tbsp = tablespoon; tsp = teaspoon

Copyright Marty Davey, 2014. All rights reserved.