Spanish Rice & Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are a tasty fusion of Spanish flavors, combining the richness of cumin and garlic with the freshness of lime and cilantro. This recipe makes 6 stuffed peppers. If you are preparing this meal for guests, serve the stuffed peppers with a green salad and a sangria on the side. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 4 oz can of chopped green chiles
• 1 14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 cup of uncooked white rice
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
• 3 whole bell peppers, any color

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a pot. Sauté the green onions, green chiles, and garlic for about 2 minutes. Now add the canned tomato (including the juices), vegetable broth, cumin, and a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Turn the pot up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the rice. Immediately turn the pot down to low. Cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on until the rice is fully cooked.
4. Once the rice is cooked add the cilantro, lime juice, corn, and black beans. Turn the pot to medium heat for about 5 minutes to let the flavors soak in. Set aside.
5. Cut the 3 bell peppers in half lengthwise, giving you 6 halved peppers. Remove the stem and seeds.Generously stuff them with the rice/bean mixture.
6. Lightly brush the bottom of a dish with some olive oil to prevent the peppers from sticking to the bottom. Place the stuffed peppers in the dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, take the foil off and stick the peppers back into the oven for 10 more minutes.
7. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Tomatoes contain cancer-fighting antioxidants, they improve heart health, helps improve vision and eye health, benefits skin health, and protects bone health.

-Beans are high in protein and fiber. They are filled with many valuable vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B1 thiamine, etc. These vitamins and minerals improve cardiovascular health, protects against cancer, maintains digestive health, provides long lasting energy, and keeps blood sugar stable.

-Bell peppers are high in antioxidants, they improve eye health, and prevent anemia.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.healthline.com and http://www.draxe.com