Stuffed Peppers

Red bell peppers were on sale in the grocery store this week.  I know it is early, I know they are not yet in season, but I had a moment of weakness.  I grabbed a jalapeño pepper too!

As soon as I brought them home I knew what I wanted to do.  I had a can of pinto beans and some shredded cheese that were calling out "make stuffed peppers!"  OK, maybe I have taken this too far.  But this is one of my favorite summer meals.  Honestly can you imagine anything better to do with leftover veggies but stuffed them in a sweet pepper and cover it with cheese?

If you couldn't already tell, I enjoyed my dinner immensely!

Stuffed Peppers

2 red bell peppers, sliced in half with the stem intact

2 TBS of olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jalapeño, finely diced

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 14oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 14oz can of diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp of cumin

1/4 tsp of dried oregano

2 cups of cooked brown rice

1/4 cup of shredded low-fat cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Using 1 TBS of olive oil, brush the inside and edges of each red pepper half.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the skin starts to wrinkle a bit.  In a medium pan heat the remaining 1 TBS of oil.  Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeño.  Cook for 5 minutes until soft.  Turn off the heat.  Add the cumin and oregano, stir well.  Add the tomatoes, beans, and rice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Fill each pepper half with the rice and bean mixture.  Top each pepper half with about 2 TBS of cheese.  Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and the pepper is soft.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!