Mexican Style Stuffed Peppers

I have been in the mood for stuffed peppers for a really long time, but I knew that they typically had ground meat in it... well I'm sick and injured so I'm not spending nights at the studio for a while which meant that tonight was a great night for stuffed peppers!!  

I was kind of feeling creative today as I've been a busy bee making homemade crayons for the kiddos in my classroom so I was all for creating a new, vegan version of stuffed peppers.  I stuffed it with a mexi-style stuffing and no kidding the peppers were gone in minutes!  So definitely try this recipe! You won't be disappointed!

Makes 4 peppers (with extra filling)

4 larger Bell Peppers (the bigger the pepper, the more you can stuff it!)

1 TBS canola oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1/2 Spanish onion, diced

3-4 baby bella mushrooms, diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

1/2 of a 15 oz can of black beans

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 of a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

Cumin, to taste

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Hot Sauce, I used the tropical heat hot sauce by my friends @FreshJax (optional if your like me and like spice!)

S&P, to taste

Vegan Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Avocado Slices (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First prepare the peppers by slicing off the top and scooping out the seeds.  Steam in a steamer basket for about 10 minutes to soften the peppers.  Put them off to the side while you prep the stuffing.

To make the stuffing: Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet, add in garlic, onion, mushrooms, and zucchini and cook until softened.  Add in beans and rice and stir to combine.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes and spices to taste.

Spoon mixture into the prepared peppers, put in a 9x9 baking dish with about a 1/2 inch of water in the pan, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  

Sprinkle vegan cheese on top for the last 3 minutes of cooking time (broil if needed to melt the cheese).  

Serve with avocado slices if desired! (If you added a lot of cayenne pepper, avocado slices will help cool it down!)

Yummy and filling.  We both ate 2 peppers and were a little more than satisfied.  I didn't make a side for this because 1. I didn't know what else to make and 2. It's got protein, starch, and veggies in it... which to me says MEAL! :-D

I had left over stuffing so guess what lunch is gonna be tomorrow?! Mmmmmmm!  Enjoy!