Cheesy Gallo Pinto Stuffed Peppers {Vegetarian}

Gallo Pinto is a Costa Rican staple translating directly as "Spotted Rooster". It's basically a spiced up version of black beans & rice. I make a big batch of this every week or two and it can be easily reheated as a side dish or mixed with greens as a salad option for the rest of the week!

For a hearty vegetarian entree, I've stuffed it into organic red bell peppers along with some grated cheddar cheese.

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients:

2c cooked white or brown rice (1 cup dry)
1.5 c cooked black beans (or use a 15oz can)
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
1/2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 handful cilantro optional
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Directions:
In a large sautee pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and sautee onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add cooked beans and rice. Add spices and sea salt to taste and lastly, chopped cilantro. Sautee for a minute or two, until combined and hot.

Sometimes I add carrots (here) and/or jalapenos for added flavor & nutrition

Cheesy Pinto Gallo Stuffed Peppers (makes 2)

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers of your choice
2 cups gallo pinto
1 large handful (about 1 oz) grated cheddar cheese and a little more for topping
Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare peppers by cutting the tops off and gutting them. In a mixing bowl, mix cheese with gallo pinto. Stuff each pepper and add a bit more cheese on top. Replace tops of peppers. Pour a tiny bit of olive oil onto your hands and rub on the outsides of the peppers (and the stems...this helps prevent burning). Bake for 30-35 minutes, until peppers are soft. When I'm only making 2 or 3, they fit really nicely into a loaf pan and aren't able to tip over and spill!

Super yummy and about 250 calories per stuffed pepper!

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

 (pictured with spicy greens sauteed with onions & bacon fat...)

Not sure why, but I really enjoy stuffing vegetables.  Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash...it's a good time!  Today I stuffed peppers (and one lonely tomato).   The filling has a bit of a Greek flare to it (lamb, oregano, feta...).   A lot of stuffed pepper recipes call for cooking the rice inside of the peppers for longer at a lower temp.  I'd rather know my rice is done and have peppers that look like peppers still, so I make my stuffing in a pan, which allows for a quicker bake time.

I picked up the ground lamb from my friends over at Mirror Lake Organic Farms. Their lambs are free-range & organic.   It's important to me to buy local, fresh foods and to know that my food is coming from a clean, healthy and humane environment.  Needless to say, I'm very happy to have found a local source for tasty lamb!  Bonus:  they also make awesome organic soaps and lotions!

On to the stuffed peppers....



Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (shop for ones with even bottoms -  they'll stand up nicely)
1 lb ground lamb (or beef...but everything's better with lamb, IMO)
1/2 c dry wild rice
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 oz (1/2 a typical package) feta, crumbled
1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste, whatever you have on hand
2-3 tbsp fresh oregano
Handful fresh chopped parsley (1/3 c)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for more of a kick!)
1/2 tsp cumin
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package's directions. You'll end up with 1 1/2 c of cooked rice.   Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  As your rice cooks, prep all veggies as stated above.  In a large saute pan, brown your lamb for 7-8 min (until no longer pink).  Now, add your tomato, onion, garlic, herbs and spices (everything except the cheese).  Let cook for another 8 min or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are close to translucent.  Take the stuffing off the heat and sprinkle your feta over the mixture, stirring to combine.  Carefully slice the tops off of your peppers (and/or core your tomatoes).  Get rid of the seeds and pith, but reserve the tops.  Place the peppers in a glass baking pan and spoon the stuffing into your vegetables. Put a bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Place the pepper's tops back on and bake for 25-30 min .

Nutrition (per pepper):

367 calories
22 g fat
23 g carb
19 g protein