Stuffed Bell Peppers

These stuffed peppers are quick and easy to prepare, and they pack a ton of flavour! They make a colourful vegetarian main dish or side dish, and are perfect for spring and summer BBQs. The rice and vegetable stuffing mixture could also be served on its own as either a hot or cold side dish without the peppers.


Ingredients:

4 medium bell peppers, tops cut off and emptied of seeds

2 cups cooked brown rice - For extra flavour, cook the rice in vegetable broth instead of water. You could also use couscous or quinoa instead of rice.

2 green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup mushrooms, finely diced

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup cucumber, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded (omit or use vegan parmesan for a vegan dish)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. parsley

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup water

Directions:

Prepare rice according to package instructions. While the rice is cooking, wash and cut the vegetables. Prepare the bell peppers for stuffing by cutting off the tops, scraping out the seeds inside, and levelling off the bottoms so that they will stand upright.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in centre of oven. Place the bell peppers in a 9”x”9 glass baking dish, standing upright. Fill the bottom of the dish with ¾ cup water. This will steam the peppers while they are baking and ensure that they don’t dry out.

In a medium bowl, combine the green onions, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, cucumber, and celery with the parmesan, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add in the cooked rice and stir to combine all the ingredients. 

Spoon the rice mixture into the peppers until they are full to the top. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the tops of the filled peppers so that they stay moist during baking. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and enjoy!

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan