September 14 - 20
Peppers
The colors of peppers are one of the many hallmarks of an abundant summer harvest. We love growing both sweet and hot peppers here at Free Haven Farms. Both varieties of peppers offer amazing taste profiles but also some incredible health benefits as well. Green bell peppers are typically just unripened red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. While they are more common and usually less expensive, they don't contain the same health benefits are their more colorful counterparts. For example, red bell peppers contain twice the amount of vitamin C and eight times as much vitamin A as the green ones. That's a huge difference! While bell peppers are often chopped and used as a base to cook other dishes, they can star as the main dish too! Check out this stuffed bell pepper recipe below:
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1½ cups cooked brown rice
1½ cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or vegan cheese)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salsa, optional, for serving
Avocado, or guacamole, optional, for serving
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the peppers, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes, or until tender. Tip out and discard any liquid that pools inside the peppers. Set the peppers aside while you prepare the filling.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for 3 minutes, or until the tomato paste darkens and the spices are fragrant.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown rice, black beans, corn, and lime juice and zest. Season to taste.
5. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and top with the cheese. Place in a large baking dish and broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is browned.
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