Smoky Brown Rice–Stuffed Peppers
6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ⁄2 cup uncooked whole-grain brown rice
- 11 ⁄3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon butter if desired
- 6 large red or green bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 package 12 oz frozen sausage-style soy-protein crumbles
- 1 can 14.5 oz organic diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 oz smoked Gouda cheese shredded (1 cup)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Spray 11×7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- In 2-quart saucepan, combine rice, water and butter.
- Heat to boiling over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, cut off top of each bell pepper, slicing evenly across top of pepper; remove seeds.
- If peppers will not sit upright, slice very thin strip off bottom but not cutting through.
- Arrange peppers cut side up in baking dish.
- Cut pepper flesh off pepper tops; chop.
- Discard stems.
- In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, garlic and chopped pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.
- Stir in soy-protein crumbles, cooked rice, tomatoes, basil, oregano and pepper.
- Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot.
- Remove from heat; stir in 1⁄2 cup of the cheese.
- Spoon about 1 cup filling into each pepper shell, pressing very lightly with back of spoon.
- Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is hot and peppers are crisp-tender.
- Sprinkle remaining 1⁄2 cup cheese on top of peppers.
- Bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
If you have any remaining filling that won’t fit into the peppers, spoon the filling into a ramekin that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake next to the peppers.