Stuffed

Oh yeah. Now THIS was a good dinner. And the ultimate test: Jackson ate it! (Not the peppers themselves, though he liked poking them with his fork, but he devoured the bean mixture.) We scored the recipe from the Twin Cities Natural Foods Co-ops newsletter, The Mix. Happy stuffing!
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers by Christopher Ryding
Makes 4 whole peppers or 8 halves.
15-minute prep time; 20-minute cook time.

• 4 medium to large bell peppers
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 15-ounce can of cooked beans, drained and rinsed (your choice - black, pinto or black-eyed peas)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or smoked Cheddar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 fresh or pickled jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup cooked rice (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 375° F while preparing ingredients, and bring a stockpot of water to a boil.

Cut the peppers in half through the stems, or Leave whole and remove the tops. Remove seeds and the thick inner ribs, and blanch peppers in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove and reserve.

While peppers are blanching, combine the corn, beans or black-eyed peas, cheese, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, salsa, and rice (optional) in a mixing bowl.

Stuff each pepper or half with an equal amount of the filling, and place in a baking dish. Add a small amount of water—enough to fill the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle each pepper or half with a dab of butter and a pinch of paprika, and bake 20 minutes.

Top with a dollop of salsa, sour cream or guacamole and serve with fresh corn chips.