Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is a combination of several that I've used over the years. This version has no meat or dairy so it qualifies as Vegan and is compliant with the Daniel Fast. You could add ground beef or grilled chicken and top them with shredded cheese to satisfy the meat eaters in your family!

4 large bell peppers (any color) 

2 T olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 handfuls fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (10oz), drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 c cooked brown rice (I used boil-in-bag)

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 t sea salt

black pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable broth

chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oven to 350. Prepare bell peppers by cutting in half, top to bottom and scooping out white membrane and seeds. In a large pot of boiling water, cook halved peppers 3-4 minutes until a little tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

To make the filling, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and fresh spinach and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in drained tomatoes, rinsed black beans, cooked brown rice and all of the seasonings. Stir to combine. 

Stuff the pepper halves with the filling and place in 9x13 baking dish. It's ok if they overflow a little bit! Gently pour the vegetable broth in the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake 20-30 minutes until heated through. Garnish with chopped, fresh cilantro. Serves 4. Enjoy!