Black Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Summer gardens are looking good!  My neighbor Alaura grows the most magnificent vegetable garden bursting with tomatoes, onions, carrots, squash (of course) and big plump bell peppers.  I love the colorful ones:  red, orange, yellow.  These brilliant colors of nature blow me away sometimes.

Eating plant based is such a healthy way to go, and in summer it’s easier than at other times of the year because of all the plentiful vegetables and fruits available.  This recipe is a great example of how to include healthful vegetables along with delicious black beans and brown rice to create a complete all-in-one meal, full of protein, fiber and other nutrients your body needs every day.  I’m happy to be partnering with S&W® products to show you how to incorporate more plant-based meals into your meal planning.  I’m such a fan of S&W® products like the black beans in this recipe.  The quality is always very high and prices super comparable.

It used to be that we needed animal protein on every dinner plate every day, but today’s healthier focus is on plant-based proteins like legumes and beans.  Canned beans are convenient and very reasonably priced at just $.33 per 1/2 cup compared to beef at $1.60 per 6 oz hamburger.  Legumes and beans, like S&W® beans, are a better use of our environmental resources. In fact, per gram of protein, production of legumes creates 250 times less emissions than beef and lamb production and 40 times less than pork or poultry.

These stuffed bell peppers start with a yummy, spicy filling made with a saute of onions, garlic, black beans, tomatoes and green chilies seasoned with Sriracha sauce, chipotle chili powder, cumin and salt.   By the way, when meat is absent in a main dish, the seasonings can make up for the lack of flavor from the meat.  You decide how hot you want this dish by the amounts of Sriracha and chipotle chili powder you add.  Corn, black olives and fresh cilantro are added at the end.  Then all of this yummy filling goes into prepared bell pepper cups which have been microwaved to speed up the cooking time.  Shredded cheese tops the stuffed cups and then they bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the peppers are heated through and cheese melts.  That’s another 30-Minute Meal!

I prefer serving them with light sour cream and diced avocado.  These garnishes not only look pretty, but they both cut the heat to a manageable level just in case others think they’re too hot.  I love these peppers with their spicy flavors, plant-based nutrition and truth is, I haven’t even missed the meat.  Eating out of the garden whether it’s your’s or your neighbor’s or the grocery store is super satisfying.  Happy Summer!