Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

• 4 large bell peppers (any colour), halved and seeds removed

• 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen)

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or your choice), optional

• Fresh coriander or parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 190°C.

2. Prepare the Peppers: Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Place the pepper halves in a baking dish, cut side up. Set aside.

3. Prepare the Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa or rice, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced onion, corn kernels, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.

4. Stuff the Peppers: Spoon the filling mixture into each bell pepper half, pressing down gently to pack the filling. If using cheese, sprinkle it over the top of each stuffed pepper.

5. Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

6. Garnish and Serve: Remove the foil from the baking dish. If desired, garnish the stuffed peppers with fresh cilantro or parsley before serving.

7. Note: For those who prefer a meat option, cooked ground meat such as beef, turkey, or chicken can be added to the filling mixture before stuffing the peppers. Simply mix the cooked meat with the other filling ingredients before spooning into the pepper halves.

8. Enjoy: Serve the vegetarian stuffed peppers with a salad or if you want some additional protein enjoy with salmon, chicken or tofu.