Stuffed Peppers

Before today, I was not a stuffed pepper fan. I have not had them in a very long time and I am guessing the ones I had tasted in the past were very substandard. I came across a recipe the other day that had me intrigued, so I decided it was worth a shot! I have to say, I am so glad I decided to try it.

Yummy looking, right? After I took these pictures I decided to add avocado, fresh basil, and a few slices of fresh cherry tomatoes as garnish (I wished I had thought about this before my food photo shoot!) If you make these, I would highly recommend adding all 3 things (especially the avocado and basil) for an extra pop of fresh flavors!

Stuffed Peppers
(Print Recipe)
Adapted from FatFree Vegan

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 large portabello mushroom, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (or more to taste)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 1/2 cups fresh corn (from 2 corn cobs)
1 15-ounce can can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 medium fresh tomato, diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dry basmati rice, cooked according to package direction

5 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
1 avocado, diced

fresh basil and sliced fresh cherry tomatoes for garnish

Instructions
Heat a large non-stick skillet or saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until it softens, about 4 minutes. (Add a splash of water as necessary to prevent sticking.) Add the mushrooms and jalapeno and continue to cook until mushrooms soften.
Add black beans, corn, tomatoes (canned and fresh), rice, and seasonings. Cook for a few more minutes to allow most of the tomato liquid to cook off.
Preheat oven to 400F.
While the chili is cooking, prepare the peppers by cutting them in half through the stem end, removing the seeds and membranes, and rinsing the insides to make sure all the seeds are out. Check to see if they will stand upright, and if not, peel a strip off of the back side. Oil a baking dish big enough for the peppers (or line it with parchment paper). Fill each pepper half with the chili and place it in the baking dish. Bake until peppers are tender, about 25 minutes.
Sprinkle each pepper with avocado, fresh basil, a few slices of cherry tomatoes and serve hot.

Oh so tasty! If you are not a mushroom fan, I truly think you will still like these- you can't even tell they are in there, but they add some nutrients and bulk to the dish!

I just had to share this photo collage from a dog birthday party we attended last night. Such cute pups! Can you tell which one is the birthday girl? (Hint: She's dressed for the occasion).

It was super hot out, but the dogs had plenty of water to dink and some doggie daiquiris (non alcoholic, of course). Look at these YUMMY doughnuts the birthday girl's mom made (recipe here)- These were treats for people, not dogs.

Who doesn't love a good puppy party, with homemade doughnuts?

Nate and I still have more and more tomatoes ready in our garden every day- I used some of them for the stuffed peppers but still need to use up more! I noticed this today when I went out to the garden... at one point it was a pot of soil. This weed decided to take over, but I think it is kinda pretty.

Even if you don't think you are a stuffed pepper fan, these deserve a chance! They will definitely be going into my menu rotation- especially while all these fresh veggies are in season. I am guessing they could be done on the grill too (medium heat, on foil, cover closed)- which would be a great way to keep your kitchen cool in this summer heat!

Happy cooking!