Have you heard of Meatless Monday? It’s a movement that encourages all of us (yes that means you, meat eaters!) to eat a vegetarian meal on Mondays.
This week, I am offering up a meatless meal that is warm, flavorful, and satisfying. And, even though it has no meat, it packs in a complete protein (about 9 grams per serving!). Not sure what “complete protein” means? Check out my post on piling more plant-based foods on your plate.
While we don’t do it every Monday, Josh and I eat a meatless meal at least once a week. Why? because eating a meatless meal can be a delicious part of a sustainable, healthful diet. It’s part of my food philosophy. Not only does eating meatless meal matter to our health, but if everyone ate a a little less meat, we’d be doing great things for our community and our planet.
So, I hope you try this Meatless Monday dish: vegetarian stuffed peppers!
Ingredients
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 jalepeno peppers
28 oz can chopped tomatoes
16 oz can black beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 cup dry brown rice
2 cups water
4 green bell peppers
1 cup shredded cheese (we like cheddar, but any melty cheese will do)
1 tbsp olive oil
olive oil in a mister
parchment paper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a saucepan, combine one cup dry brown rice with 2 cups of water. Cover. Heat until water boils, then turn heat to a simmer until all the water steams the rice.
3. Chop 1 medium onion and a large sauté pan under medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. While the onion is cooking, mince 4 cloves of garlic and chop 2 jalepeno peppers. Add them to the onion in the sauté pan.
NOTE: Make your dish as mild as you’d like! If you like it spicy, add the jalepeno seeds – if not, then cut the seeds out of your jalepenos
5. Once the onion becomes translucent, add your can of chopped tomatoes and black beans.
6. Then, add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp oregano. Mix well and cover the pan.
7. While the spices and veggies are cooking, wash 4 green bell peppers, cut each in half, and cut out the seeds and pith.
8. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet, and take the 8 pepper halves inside-down on the paper. Mist the peppers with olive oil, and pop them in the preheated oven, but change the oven to broil. When the skin on the peppers begin to char, take the peppers out.
9. By this time the rice should be cooked and the veggie mixture ready to go. Combine the 2 cups of rice with the veggies.
10. Take peppers out of the oven, and turn each pepper over so that the inside faces up. Fill each pepper with the rice/veggie mixture. Top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.
NOTE: Make this dish a vegan option by not adding cheese to the top of the peppers
11. Pop the peppers in your 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 7 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
12. Enjoy your Meatless Monday vegetarian stuffed peppers!
Makes 4 stuffed peppers
Nutrition Facts per serving (two peppers halves)
Calories: 221
Total Fat: 5.5 g (Saturated fat: 2.9 g)
Sodium: 169.9 mg
Carbohydrates: 32.6 g
Protien: 9g
What do you like to make for Meatless Monday?
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