Meatless Monday Mania! Stuffed Pepper Style

I need to bank some alloted calories since my kid won't stop asking for cheesecake.  Knowing myself as I do, I realize that when I make that heavenly pillow of dairy and delight, it will then become my lunch, dinner, and subsequent breakfast until it is gone.  So to compensate for the glut of calories that is clearly on its way, vegetarian stuffed peppers seemed the way to go.  Responsible, no?  Why, yes it is.  I give this a 10 on the omnivore scale of achievement for which we should all strive.  Brain food, I tell you.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

3 bell peppers cut in halves vertically (stand them up and cut from the stem end to the bottom & use a spoon to scrape out the white rib thingies on the inside)

1 C of uncooked rice

1 2/3 C of vegetable broth

1 tbs olive oil for rice

olive oil for the pan

1 diced onion

1 small handful of sweet fresh herbs (baby basil, baby tarragon, and fennel leaves)-- this is why you need to grow your own.

1 handful of dried cherries

1 C of shredded cheddar

1 can of black beans drained and rinsed

1/4 C vegetable broth

breadcrumbs (When you buy bakery bread and don't finish it all, throw it in a bag and stick it in the freezer for just this occasion.  Then whiz it up in the food processor when you need breadcrumbs.)

1/2 ts of salt

1/4 ts of pepper

Directions:

Prepare the rice by combining dry rice, vegetable broth and 1 tbs of olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, stir, cover, reduce heat to low, and leave it alone for 15 minutes (don't lift the lid!).  Turn off heat and remove lid when the timer goes off.

Saute onion on medium-low for 10 minutes in skillet (with olive oil).  Add 1/4 vegetable broth, cherries, beans, herbs, salt, pepper, and cheese.  Add 1 1/2 C of cooked rice.  Stir.  Save the leftover rice for the person who refuses to eat the peppers.

Put the peppers in a baking dish (like a lasagna pan) and evenly divide the stuffing amongst the little pepper bowls.

Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 400° for 30 minutes.

Like that cute little nasturtium I used as a garnish?  Snazzy, huh?  You can eat it.  Tastes like black pepper.