black bean stuffed peppers

This week we got 7 peppers in our CSA box - two red bell peppers, one green bell pepper, one jalapeno, and three long red peppers. I am not an expert on peppers but I believe the three long red peppers may be poblanos - they are not too hot, but spicier than a bell pepper. It's cool tonight - we are supposed to have a low in the 50s - a perfect night for baked peppers stuffed with one of my favorite standbys, black beans.

I really love black beans and my family probably eats them once a week. I usually make them into quesadillas with whatever else I have on hand. I could definitely eat black bean quesadillas at least once a week, or more, but Brian is not quite so enthusiastic about them. I'm sure he will be happy to see that the vehicle for black bean delivery this week is a stuffed pepper.


I don't like things really spicy, but you can definitely make this much spicier by adding a chopped hot pepper to the sautee, adding chili powder to the black beans, or by seasoning the rice and black bean mixture with some hot sauce.

black bean stuffed peppers
Two large poblano peppers
1 small red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked and rinsed black beans
1 - 2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut the top off of each pepper, and carefully slice in half lengthwise. Remove ribs and seeds. Place peppers with cavities up in glass baking dish. Remove stems from trimmed tops and finely chop. Heat about a tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chopped peppers and season with salt and pepper. Sautee for about 5 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Add the black beans and a few tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 - 2 teaspoons of cumin. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until beans are hot and most of the water has evaporated.


Add the cooked rice and 1 cup of the shredded cheese to the black bean mixture and stir well. Fill cavity of each pepper with rice and bean mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 25 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve with your favorite sides - I served tonight's peppers with tortilla chips and some garlic-lemon guacamole.