Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

I was in the mood for a meatless meal so I came up with this recipe for stuffed red peppers.  This recipe has a bit of a kick.  My husband likes a lot of flavor so he thought it could be even spicier, but I thought it was about right.  This recipe yields 6 servings at approximately 255 calories/serving.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 10 oz. cans Rotel, Diced tomatoes with Lime Juice & Cilantro
1 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup corn, thawed
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat monterey jack cheese (Or try Sargento Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Mexican)
6 red peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Chop the jalapeno pepper into small pieces. Careful when handling the pepper. Remember to wear gloves. Even hand washing will not remove the potentially irritating juices from your skin. Remove the seeds and veins from the pepper before chopping.





Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic, chopped onions, green peppers, jalepeno pepper and carrots.  Saute several minutes over medium heat until the vegetables have softened. 

Rinse and drain can of black beans.

 

Combine the brown rice, fresh cilantro, spices, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn.

Add 1 1/2 cups water to the bottom of each baking dish used.  Place the lengthwise sliced peppers in the baking dish.  Spoon the rice and bean mixture into each pepper half.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the peppers reach the desired level of tenderness.  Enjoy!