(2017) Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Recipe Author: Conne Ward Cameron

I’ve been making a bunch of stuffed peppers this year. Usually it’s a quick and easy dish to put together, especially when I cook them in a slow cooker. This recipe from “Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook” calls for frozen corn. Use it or not. And you can substitute some chopped fresh tomatoes for the can of stewed tomatoes called for here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pine nuts 1 jalapeno, stemmed and halved 2 large cloves garlic 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water 2 tablespoons chili powder, divided 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 2 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 large poblano or other peppers 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the pine nuts in a small baking dish or skillet for about 8 minutes to lightly toast while the oven heats. Tip onto a plate.

Combine the jalapeno, garlic, stewed tomatoes with juice, broth, and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of the chili powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process to a medium-coarse texture. Pour into a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and set aside.

Mix the rice, corn, plum tomatoes, onion, egg whites, salt, toasted nuts, and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder in a medium bowl. Halve the poblano peppers lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the stuffing into each pepper half and place stuffed side up in the reserved sauce in the baking dish.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Remove the foil and sprinkle the peppers evenly with the cheese. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes longer or until the cheese has melted. Serve the peppers with the sauce.