Oh look, it's the first Monday of the month. Do you know what that means?
Yup, it's time for the Secret Recipe Club again!
(On a slightly related note, where the hell did February go? It feels like the past four weeks just zoomed by at light speed.)
Meet This Month's Blogger
My SRC assignment for this month is Melissa, who blogs over at I Was Born to Cook.
The blog's name is a reference to Melissa's Greek and Italian roots, and if the looooooong list of recipes in her Recipe Box is anything to go by, she 's doing a pretty bang-up job of living up to that name.
As usual, picking just one recipe was a challenge.
There were tons of delicious-looking treats that caught my eye as I browsed around Melissa's blog, but after last month's Nutella Granola pig-out (and given that I still need to fit into my wedding dress in 3 months... yikes!), I was determined to make something healthy this month.
Lucky for me, Melissa has quite a few healthy meals in her repertoire, and I ended up spending a little while debating between the Mexican Egg White Omelets, the Blueberry Multigrain Pancakes, the Baked Quinoa with Chicken Sausage and Spinach, and the Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf.
In the end, though, it was these Meatless Mexican Stuffed Peppers - a hearty vegetarian main dish of stuffed peppers filled with brown rice, black beans and corn - that really caught my attention.
How I Made This Recipe My Own
While the original version looked plenty delicious, I did make a few small tweaks to suit our tastes.
I used fresh cilantro instead of dried, added a cup of tomato puree for a saucier filling, used frozen corn instead of canned, and added a dash of hot sauce to give it some oomph. I also kept the peppers whole instead of slicing them in half.
Next time, I'm going to parboil the peppers for 3-5 minutes before stuffing, since they did come out a little crunchy even after half an hour in the oven. Other than that, though, these were pure perfection.
(Update: I've re-made this recipe a few times since I first posted it, and parboiling is DEFINITELY the way to do it. I've updated the recipe to add this step, though you can omit if you like your peppers on the crunchy side.)
The Verdict
This recipe will definitely be going into my regular rotation! It's not often that I find a healthy vegetarian recipe that also happens to be delicious, but these stuffed peppers absolutely knock it out of the park in the flavour department.
The peppers are hearty enough that they're pretty much a meal on their own, though I ended up serving them with a simple baby spinach salad just to round things out
And did I mention how super-easy they were?
While it's pretty easy to make everything on the day of, you can easily throw these together on a busy weeknight if you prep the filling a day or two ahead of time, so that all you need to do on the day of is fill the peppers and pop them into the oven/
After wolfing down a couple of these peppers, I've come to two conclusions. One, Melissa was definitely born to cook, and two, these peppers were made to be devoured.
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Meatless Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This quick and easy meatless main dish is full of flavour, not to mention loads of heart-healthy fiber and protein.
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized bell peppers (red or green)
- 2 ½ cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (540 ml) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn niblets
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and fill a large mixing bowl with ice water.
- Start by preparing the peppers. Slice the top off each pepper about 1" from the stem end, then remove any seeds or ribs left inside. If any of the peppers are a little crooked, slice a little off the bottom until they stand up straight.
- Cook the peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Arrange the peppers cut side up in a baking dish, and set aside.
- Next, make the filling. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil. Add the onion and garlic in canola oil, and saute for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Stir in the rice, beans, corn, tomato puree, chili powder and cumin, and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until everything is heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro, then season to taste with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Spoon the rice mixture into the peppers, making sure not to pack too tightly.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle the tops with cheese and continue baking for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve right away.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ashley says
Very yummy! If you like the peppers softer/less crunchy, just throw them in the oven on their own for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the filling. I plan to make and freeze a few batches of filling for easy dinners after our baby arrives, thanks for the recipe!
angie says
can't wait to make these yes they look really goood! :)
Lynda Lien says
I've made these several times & they are a big hit! Very yummy. But I found I had to parboil the peppers for 5-10 min before stuffing. Otherwise the pepper isn't tender enough to cut, eat or digest easily!
Liana G says
Made these for my vegetarian daughter and made meat ones for the rest of the family, these were so delicious, better than the meat ones!!! I added a little chipotle fhili powder to give it a spicier kick!! Soooo good!
★★★★★
Shannon says
Umm, yum. Cannot wait to make this tonight for Meatless Monday!
Jenna says
I love stuffed peppers, but they rarely find it onto the menu. May have to change that. Great healthier choice for the swap! Good luck with wedding planning!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Amazing! I've been wanting to make stuffed peppers for so long. I had no idea they were this easy and can be made-ahead. I definitely have to try it now! :)
Margaret says
LOVE stuffed peppers. Especially when it they are healthy. And covered with lots of melty cheese!!!
Kate | Food Babbles says
It's so funny. I was just trying to convince my (very picky!) husband that he wants to try stuffed peppers. He had them once and didn't care for them. But these I think would fit the bill. Love the Mexican spin on them and they sound hearty and filling. I will definitely be making these!
Stephanie says
I generally consider red peppers to be a serious luxury, but this might a recipe worth splurging on! The green look lovely (I like 'em a bit crunchy), but I bet the red taste even more wonderful.
Shelby says
All I need to hear are the words cilantro and I'm sold. These look amazing and yummy!
Lesa @ Edesia's Notebook says
I don't like peppers (bummer, I know) but the filling sounds so delicious. But I have to admit it's very pretty sitting in those colorful peppers. Great choice!
Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings says
yum! I made stuffed tomatoes this month and your stuffed peppers look amazing!
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
how lovely! i bet these taste fabulous. i'm so sad my husband doesn't like stuffed peppers...maybe i should just make them for myself. more for me :)
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures says
Beautiful, as always, Isabelle! I have some peppers in my fridge. This might be dinner this week. Thanks for the inspiration.
Kate says
This looks similar to a dish that my daughter created.....yours look amazing...I love stuffed peppers and these look perfectly delicious! I am pinning this one. I am from Group B and just stopping by for a quick peak. Great SRC share.
Jess says
Stuffed peppers are a good dinner, but an even better lunch leftover! I never parboil mine, but you're so right - most do come out with a bit of crunch if not given some heat in advance. Love this find, Isabelle - great pick this month!
Miz Helen says
Hi Isabelle,
I just love the Meatless Mexican Stuffed Peppers, these peppers are just packed with flavor, can't wait to try these. Thanks for sharing and have a good week.
Visiting from Group B SRC
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Lisa~~ says
Colorful, healthy and delicious, with meals like that you'll have to take that dress in! Great SRC choice.
If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my SRC entry Loaded Potato Soup.
Lisa~~
PolaM says
Love those peppers with the brown rice!
AmandaE says
The stuffed peppers look amazing - Great SRC pick!!! I remember this time a year ago when I was in wedding dress countdown, so terrified of my dress not fitting but it all worked out in the end - and it will for you too!!!
Cookaholic Wife says
I've been meaning to make these for a while now. Looks delicious!
sara says
Yum, these peppers look so tasty! I love stuffed peppers...so colorful and delicious! :)
melissa@IWasBornToCook says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these! Keep eating like this and you'll have no trouble at all when the big day arrives in a few months :)