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!

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

I decided to try my hand at a healthier chicken pot pie.  The tough part was coming up with a tasty crust.  I used a mixture of whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour which has a lighter consistency than the whole wheat flour.  The label on the pastry flour said it could be used as an alternative to conventional white flour.  I didn't want to use only butter in the crust, so I tried a blend of 1 Tablespoon butter with 3 Tablespoons olive oil.  I've heard it can be difficult to use olive oil as a substitute for butter in cookies, pastry and/or cake recipes.  I didn't notice an overwhelming taste of olive oil in this mixture or that it overwhelmed the taste of the crust.  With the whole wheat flour crust this pie is healthy and filling.  As prepared each slice of this chicken pot pie has approximately 360 calories.

Crust for Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill from Soft white wheat)
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons Olive oil (I used Felipo Berrio Virgin olive oil for Sauteing & Grilling)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Lowfat Buttermilk

In a large bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter and olive oil until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Add the Buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Place dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly about 4 or 5 times.  Set aside.

Chicken Pot Pie

3/4 cup diced potatoes
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup diced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free Half and Half
1 Tablespoon White wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of pepper
2 cups Chopped cooked chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Saute onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in olive oil for about 10 minutes.

Add pastry flour to sauteed vegetables stirring well and cook about one minute.  Combine chicken broth and half and half.  Gradually stir into the vegetable mixture.  Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

I cooked the chicken on my George Foreman grill which is a great time saver.

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Pour into a one quart casserole dish.  Roll dough and place over chicken mixture.  Cut slits in pastry to allow steam to escape.  I sprayed the crust with Olivio Buttery spray halfway through cooking to keep the crust tender.  Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked through and bubbly.

This recipe yields about 6 servings at 360 calories each.