Make it Tonight - Black bean stuffed peppers

Quick & easy, this recipe has just 4 steps. To focus on local ingredients, use greenhouse peppers, tomatoes and spinach and Ontario fresh cheese. This meal is easy enough to do on a Sunday or Monday so you have leftovers all week and pretty enough to impress guests. Lots of veggies, means you don't even need a side dish, however feel free to add more greens!

Ingredients:
4 sweet peppers (red, yellow or orange)
1 cup long grain rice (brown, white or a combination)
2 Tbsp olive oil 1 large (or 3 small) shallot, diced
2 cups kale, or other greens, chopped
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp preserved garlic
1/4 tsp chili flakes 4 tomatoes, diced
1 - 2 cups mushrooms, diced
1 tsp dried cilantro
dash of chili powder
freshly ground pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut peppers in half from stem to bottom (not through the middle) and remove seeds. Rub in olive oil and layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven to roast for 20-25 minutes. Turn halfway through cooking time.

2. Meanwhile add rice to 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes or until ready.

3. While those two things are cooking on their own, make your filling: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large, deep dish fry pan. Add shallot, kale, garlic and chili flakes and cook for 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes more. Add cilantro, pepper, chili powder, black beans and 1/4 cup of cheese. Mix mixture together. Add rice.

4. Remove peppers from oven. Pack rice/bean mixture into each pepper (should be overflowing a little). Top with extra cheese. Cook in oven for 10 minutes more, or until cheese is melted on top.

Serve warm.



Much love & good eating,