Jack O'Lantern Stuffed Peppers With Black Rice
Servings:5 servings
Jack O’Lantern Stuffed Peppers make the perfect fun and festive Halloween dinner! The filling is easy to customize and shows off the beautiful color and chewy texture of black rice (aka forbidden rice). Combined with black beans, melty vegan cheese, and Tex-Mex spices, these peppers are a nutritious, family-friendly meal that turns dinner into part of the celebration!Yield: makes enough filling for 5–6 large peppers
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked black rice - 1 cup dry makes the perfect amount
- 5 large orange bell peppers - or other colors
- 1 Tablespoon oil - optional
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced - optional
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder - the blend, not pure chile powder
- 1¼ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (15 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed - use "spicy" seasoned beans if you can find them
- 5 ounces shredded vegan cheese - about 1¼ cups; see Notes for sub
- black pepper - to taste
Optional for serving:
- fresh or pickled jalapeno, avocado, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare the peppers by slicing off the tops with a paring knife. Remove the seeds and membranes from inside and on the tops (these serve as our jack o'lantern lids).
- Carve the faces. Triangular shapes for the eyes and nose are easiest, but if your knife is sharp and small enough, you may be able to do rounded cuts. Keep the facial features somewhat small and far enough apart so the peppers don't collapse as they soften in the oven.
- Now it's time to par-bake the peppers. Stand them upright in a baking dish, along with their tops. Add about ½ cup water (just enough to create steam and soften the peppers). Cover the entire dish with foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat, and add the oil, if using. Cook the onion and jalapeno for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, chile powder, oregano, and cumin. Stirring frequently, cook for 1 minute. Add the can of diced tomatoes (and juices). Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the black beans and cooked rice to the pan, and cook until hot. Fold in about ¾ cup shredded cheese, and season with black pepper. Stirring frequently, cook until the cheese starts to melt, about 1 minute. Taste for seasoning.
- Once the peppers are par-baked, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Carefully dump out any liquid that collected in the bottom of each pepper, as well as any water remaining in the dish.
- Spoon filling into the peppers, lightly packing it down and mounding it up. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
- Put the remaining cheese in a small bowl and add a splash of water (this is only needed if using store-bought vegan shreds). Heat in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Top each pepper with a spoonful of cheese and serve with your favorite toppings and garnishes.
Notes
See the post above for fun flavor variations.
Cheese: As an alternative to store-bought shreds, try my homemade vegan cheese for melting.
Tip: Select peppers that stand upright. If they're just slightly tilted, you can carefully trim the "humpy" part to make the bottoms more level. Just be careful not to cut all the way through.
Store leftover stuffed peppers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Fiber: 9g
