Bean Stuffed Pepper

A thing with a name,

Recipe will need a visit to a large supermarket—unlikely to have this in the fridge. Based in a recipe titled Stuffed Pepper Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (better green)

• 1 red onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 small courgettes or half a cucumber

• Half‐cup chopped coriander

• Packet quinoa (helps if pre‐cooked)

• Teaspoon cumin

• Teaspoon smoked paprika

• A lime

• Can of black or refried beans

• Pepper (must be ground, otherwise skip)

• Mild Mexican/Salsa‐type sauce

• (optional) Mild cheese that will melt

Tools

• Microwave (helps a lot)

• Knife to cut veg

• Baking tray

• If using cheese, aluminium fail to stop the cheese burning

Oven

Very hot

Make

1. Get the oven going (some chopping, but this is pretty fast)

2. Wash peppers, cut longways, pull out the bits then trash. Put pepper shells in a bowl, microwave on hot for two minutes

3. Cut all garlic/herbs/veg into tiny pieces, mix, dump on quinoa, add spices and pepper then squeeze on the lime, mix, dump on beans, mix

4. Put peppers on the baking tray, squash the mush into them good and proper

5. Pour sauce on top, then top with the cheese (if used)

6. If adding cheese, you need to protect the cheese with foil, then prop the foil to stop it sticking

7. Baking can be variable, half an hour to an hour and half. Make sure the pepper is cooked

Variations

• I think you need all the ingredients, don’t skimp

• I suppose you could swap the bell peppers for courgettes, aubergines, marrow etc.

• The microwave start can half the cooking time. If you can’t microwaye, try a couple of minutes of parboil (the original recipe says both)

• I threw in cucumber as an alternative to courgette, likely to make little difference

• Refried beans, proper black beans, any darker beans. Refried beans are a mush, and I prefer that for this

• Veering from the ‘Mexican’ vibe, I guess parsley may work well in place of coriander

• The need to protect the cheese with foil is a faff. You could try tipping cheese on late, to avoid the foil

• I think this could come good, but I’d also consider the Rose Eliott alternatives in the references

Discussion

Don’t know about you, but I can’t see the point in stuffed veg. Bell pepper is the only one that’s shaped for stuffing (uh huh, I hear genetic scientist mind churn). But then we went for it anyhow. This ‘Mexican’ (ha‐ha) idea is a heavy‐duty filling so has advantages like not needing frying, taking up excess water, being a meal and low on the carbs. I mean, this dish usually means to me burnt marrow sodden in farty water with grains of wet rice stuck to the side of the plate. However it works for you, this recipe will not be that.

Maybe, since the oven is on, serve with oven fries?

References

Original recipe, not far removed,

https://www.laaloosh.com/2012/09/04/stuffed-pepper-enchiladas-recipe/

Felicity Cloake stuffed tomato/rice courgettes, several similar tips like precooking the pepper,

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/13/perfect-stuffed-aubergine-eggplant--recipe-felicity-cloake

Rose Elliot theft, tomato/mushroom courgettes,

https://www.planetveggie.co.uk/stuffed-courgettes-with-mushrooms/

Rose Elliot theft, tomato/breadcrumb peppers,

http://radishrose.net/2014/09/01/stuffed-peppers-with-parmesan-and-olives/

Feedback

I found our effort disappointingly tasteless. Feeble coriander, no cumin, not enough lime and roasting covered didn’t help. But it was a good meal. It proved the recipe is robust, so however it goes you’ll get something edible. I think there is hope. I can see myself trying again.